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Japanese Potato Salad with carrots, cucumber and kewpie on a small plate with sushi bake in background

Japanese Potato Salad with Carrots, Cucumber and Kewpie

America's favorite potluck dish gets a makeover in this Japanese Potato Salad recipe with tangy Kewpie mayo, crunchy carrots, cool cucumbers, and meaty, fatty ham.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Time in fridge 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Russet potatoes (about 2 lbs)
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 English cucumber
  • 1/2 small carrot
  • 1/4 cup corn canned or frozen, thawed
  • 2 slices deli-style ham
  • 1/2 cup Kewpie mayo

Instructions
 

Make the potatoes and hardboiled egg

  • Peel the potatoes and chop them into even 2”-3” slices.
  • Add the potatoes to a pot of cool, generously-salted water and bring them to a boil over high heat. 
  • Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-high and simmer the potatoes for 20 minutes or until done.
  • While you’re potatoes are boiling, add an egg to a small saucepan filled with cool water and bring it to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes. 
  • Once done, drain the hot water and shock the egg with cold water to cool it down.
  • Once cool, peel and chop the egg.

While the potatoes & egg are boiling, prepare the carrots and cucumbers

  • Peel the carrot. Cut it in half lengthwise and then slice it very thinly crosswise. You'll end up with very thin half-moons.
    sliced carrots
  • Peel the cucumber. Slice it very thinly crosswise. You'll end up with very thin full-moons.
    sliced cucumbers
  • Mix the sliced carrots and cucumbers with 2 tsp of kosher salt and set them aside for 10-15 minutes. 
  • Once rested, rinse them under water to remove the salt.  Then use your hands to squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can.

Prepare the corn and ham

  • To remove moisture from the corn, use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can.
  • Chop the ham into even 1/2" pieces.

Finish the potatoes

  • Once the potatoes are done cooking, and while they're still warm, mash them until they’re almost smooth and there’s just a few grape-sized pieces left.
  • Add the rice vinegar and 1 tsp kosher salt while the potatoes are still warm. Stir until combined.
  • Let the potatoes cool.

Mix everything together

  • Once the potatoes are cool, add them to a large bowl. Next add the Kewpie mayo, carrots, cucumbers, corn, ham, and egg to the potatoes.  Mix thoroughly.
  • Chill the potatoes in the refrigerator until cool and then serve.