Here's a simple ingredient that a home cook says helps make potato salad taste even better.07:12, 03 Jul 2026Potato salad makes a brilliant summer side dish that complements a wide range of meals perfectly. With warm weather forecast to persist throughout much of this month, you might well be gearing up to fire up the barbecue once more, and a mouth-watering potato salad is the ideal accompaniment.‌However, given its relatively few ingredients, it can occasionally fall flat in terms of excitement and flavour.‌Relying solely on mayonnaise can result in a potato salad that tastes bland and uninspiring, which is the last thing you want when you're trying to make an impression.‌Thankfully, you can transform its taste by incorporating a "secret ingredient" which home cook Glenda Embree, of recipe blog Making Homemade Easy, insists is pickle juice.She said, "I have a secret ingredient in potato salad. Pickle juice. I know. It sounds weird, but trust me. It's the bomb in the bomb-diggety for this delicious potato salad."‌Glenda recommends pouring the pickle juice over everything before folding the dressing into the salad.She explained that with creamy dishes of any kind, the bright zing of an acid will elevate all the other flavours. In the case of potato salad, this is particularly true.Glenda said, "Acid can come from things like citrus juice and zest or vinegar. In the case of this recipe, the vinegar in the pickle juice is what gives it that special flavour amp.‌"If you want a little more zing, add more pickle juice, a tablespoon at a time, until you are satisfied with the flavour."Ingredients680g of potatoesOne red onion50g of celery, thinly sliced112g of pickles, minced267g of mayonnaiseOne tablespoon of mustard45ml of pickle juice, to tasteMethodBegin by washing and/or peeling the potatoes, depending on your preference. Chop the potatoes into evenly sized, bite-sized chunks.‌In a large saucepan or pot, submerge the potatoes in salted water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-high so they continue to boil without spilling over.At this stage, they should take roughly 15 minutes to cook through.Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them in a colander. Run cold water over them to cool them and halt the cooking process.‌Arrange the potatoes in a single, even layer on a baking tray and place them in the freezer (or the fridge) to cool while you chop the remaining vegetables. Ensure the potatoes are thoroughly cooled, as they will turn to mash if stirred into a warm salad.Once the vegetables are prepared, transfer them to a large salad bowl along with the potatoes and combine everything.Spoon the mayonnaise directly on top, followed by the mustard. Use a mixing spoon to gently swirl the two together.Article continues belowDrizzle the pickle juice over everything, then fold the dressing through the salad. Stir until all the vegetables are well coated and the dressing is evenly distributed throughout.Keep the salad chilled in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. It will stay fresh for several days, though chances are it'll be devoured long before then.