Why is my potato salad watery?

This happens when the vegetables haven't been properly drained. Make sure that your potatoes and carrots are well drained before adding them to the bowl. As for the cucumber slices, take your time squeezing as much water out as you can before adding them to the bowl.

Can I leave out the carrot or cucumber if I don't like it?

Yes you can but I strongly encourage you to substitute it for something else instead. That's because both the cucumber and carrot add depth of flavor and texture to the salad. I recommend using thinly sliced celery (dry brine it the same way) instead of cucumber, and kabocha squash or green peas instead of a carrot.

Japanese Potato Salad Sandwich

Name: Japanese Potato Salad Sandwich
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: PT-487093H37M1S
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped bite size; ½ Japanese cucumber or 1 small kirby cucumber; 1 teaspoon plain rice vinegar; ½ cup kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 8 slices of milk bread, sandwich bread, or any other type of bread

Description

This potato salad sandwich is creamy, sweet, and tangy, and texture-wise, similar to an egg salad sandwich.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped bite size
1/2 Japanese cucumber or 1 small kirby cucumber
1 teaspoon plain rice vinegar
1/2 cup kewpie mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 slices of milk bread, sandwich bread, or any other type of bread

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Instructions

Boil some water: Fill a medium size pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Boil and drain the potatoes: Add the potatoes and boil for 5 to 6 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
Boil and drain the carrot: Fill a small pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the carrot and boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and add them to the potatoes.
Refrigerate: Place the bowl in the fridge and refrigerate until the potatoes and carrot have cooled down (about 10 minutes).
Slice the cucumber: Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the center part (the seeds) with a small spoon. Finely slice and transfer the cucumber to a bowl.
Dry brine the cucumber: Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt over the slices and gently toss them using your fingers. Let the slices brine for 15 minutes.
Rinse and squeeze the cucumber slices: Rinse the cucumber slices under cold water and gently squeeze them to remove any excess water. Pat the slices dry with a paper towel.
Make the potato salad: Half mash the potatoes and carrots, leaving some chunks, using a fork or potato masher. The mixture should be half chunky and half mashed/creamy. Add the sliced cucumber, rice vinegar, kewpie mayonnaise, sugar, remaining salt, and black pepper. Mix well with a spoon until all the ingredients are combined.
Make the sandwiches: Spread a quarter of the mixture onto a piece of bread and top with another piece of bread. Repeat this step 3 more times.
Cut the crust off: Cut the crust off each side of the sandwiches. Slice the sandwiches in half and serve.

Notes

Storage: If you are planning to eat the sandwich later, I suggest keeping the potato salad and bread separate otherwise the bread might get soggy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Calories: 430
Sugar: 7.1g
Sodium: 1050mg
Fat: 22.7g
Saturated Fat: 3.7g
Unsaturated Fat: 13.3g
Trans Fat: 0.1g
Carbohydrates: 49.4g
Fiber: 4.7g
Protein: 7.6g
Cholesterol: 11.6mg