Potato Salad with Young Vegetables

For this potato salad with young vegetables, I try to choose small potatoes, although it is not essential... it just looks more aesthetically pleasing when cooked. All the components of this salad, which need to be boiled beforehand, can be cooked practically at the same time, just in different pots. Thoroughly wash the young potatoes and cook until fully cooked in lightly salted water, adding a few sprigs of dill for aroma. Drain the water, remove the dill sprigs (we no longer need them) and leave the potatoes to cool.

Wash the green beans with running water, then trim the ends and cut them into bite-sized pieces. In another saucepan, bring water to a boil, add salt, and add the sliced beans. It doesn't need to cook for a long time, just 5-7 minutes is enough - young beans are very tender and should not be overcooked. As soon as it softens but still remains slightly crisp - perfect! Italians call this degree of doneness al dente. As soon as the beans are cooked, drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water - this way they will cool down faster and retain their bright, juicy color.

In a third saucepan, let's cook the quail eggs hard-boiled. For this, place the eggs in the saucepan, cover them with cold water completely, and bring to a boil. After the water boils, cook for about 5 minutes. As soon as the required time has passed, drain the boiling water, and pour cold water over the eggs - this will make them easier to peel.

Now it's time to cut all the ingredients to approximately the same size - potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and eggs in half, olives in slices, and red onions in semi-circles. In a large bowl, carefully mix the cut vegetables. Tear the crispy lettuce leaves into small portions, and if they are of different colors, it will be more interesting.

All that's left is to prepare the dressing for the salad. To do this, simply mix balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil together. Add black pepper and salt to taste. By the way, if possible, try using balsamic vinegar flavored with cranberry or dates – it's a very tasty addition to the salad dressing!

Before serving, place several lettuce leaves on a plate. On top of them, put the vegetable mixture and drizzle with the dressing. That's it! Let's enjoy the potato salad with fresh vegetables!