Chouriço Potato Salad

In his first book, entitled Season, published in 2018, Nik Sharma writes the following.

“I take pride in incorporating flavors, techniques, and ingredients in new and exciting ways. This, my first book, celebrates diverse cultural influences and, I hope, helps to erase labels like “ethnic” and “exotic” in the West by shedding more light on some of these ingredients. Season is a collection of flavors from my two worlds – India and America.”

Sharma’s story is fascinating. Born in India to bi-cultural parents, he came to the USA as a young man to study molecular genetics. Eventually his love of food and cooking averted his career path and he started his now famous, award-winning blog, a Brown Table.

He also became a weekly food columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, and is working on his second cookbook, entitled A Brown Table.

Reading Season (I love that title!) and studying the recipes was a fascinating experience for me. Sharma’s food truly is fusion food, but unlike the “let’s see how many weird ingredients we can put together” attitude that I find smug and pretentious of many chefs, Sharma’s approach obviously came from his love of foods from his homeland, blended with what he discovered after moving away.

Examples of such fusion dishes include Caprese Salad with Sweet Tamarind Dressing, Turmeric and Lime Mussel Broth, and Hot Green Chutney Roasted Chicken. But the recipe I wanted to make was Chouriço Potato Salad, using freshly made chouriço, or sausage from the Goan region of India. Goa is a state on the west coast of India, on the Arabian Sea.

According to Sharma, “This (salad) is great for breakfast with a couple of fried eggs, or in a taco, or by itself for lunch.”

Chouriço Potato Salad

8 ounces chouriço, (recipe below)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
1/4 cup crumbled Paneer*
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1/4 fresh lime juice
1 lime, quartered, for garnish

Break the meat into small pieces and set aside.


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 5 – 6 minutes. Sprinkle with the chipotle chile and paprika and fold to coat evenly.


Add the chouriço, and cook for another 4 – 5 minutes, or until the sausage is browned and cooked through, stirring frequently.

Add the pumpkin seeds and cook for 1 minute longer.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the contents to a large bowl. Cool for 5 minutes. Gently stir the chives, paneer, cilantro, and lime juice into the warm potatoes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve warm or at room temperature with lime wedges, if desired.

I can’t describe well enough how wonderful this potato and sausage salad is, besides wonderful. The sausage along is exquisite, but with the potatoes it’s, well, magical.

You taste the spiciness immediately, the creaminess of the potatoes, the flavorful sausage, the freshness of the cilantro and lime, and the slight crunch of the pepitas.


*Paneer is easy to prepare, but the author recommended a swap of crumbled Cotija or queso fresco, which I happened to have on hand.

Homemade Goan-Style Chouriço

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 whole cloves
1 pound ground pork, preferably with fat
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 – 1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon Kashmiri chile
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grind the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and cloves with a mortar and pestle and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a fork to blend well. Shape into a log, wrap with wax paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and preferably overnight.

By Published On: May 27th, 201944 Comments on Chouriço Potato Salad

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

44 Comments

  1. Nadia May 27, 2019 at 6:06 AM - Reply

    This sounds absolutely stunning! The flavour combination has me very eager to try it out very soon.

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 7:01 AM - Reply

      Certainly a different kind of potato salad, but full of wonderful flavors!

  2. Travel Gourmet May 27, 2019 at 6:09 AM - Reply

    What a wonderful recipe!

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 7:02 AM - Reply

      Thank you! I will definitely be making the sausage again for other uses. It was really easy and flavorful!

  3. cookinginsens May 27, 2019 at 8:00 AM - Reply

    Interesting and looks delicious.

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 9:08 AM - Reply

      Thank you! It is interesting.

  4. Angela@eatlivehappy May 27, 2019 at 10:02 AM - Reply

    Looks delicious!! So full of flavor. I love the garnish of chive blossoms. So pretty!

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 10:06 AM - Reply

      Thank you! The flavors are just wonderful in this salad!

  5. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso May 27, 2019 at 1:39 PM - Reply

    I found flowering chives at the store a couple of days ago, and used them in shrimps cakes (will post next week), so this is the first thing that I noticed!
    Love the salad, and the “less is more” attitude. :)

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 2:55 PM - Reply

      Oh interesting! Did you pull out the individual petals? Well, never mind – I’ll find out! Sharma’s sausage really shines in this salad!

      • Tasty Eats Ronit Penso May 27, 2019 at 3:39 PM

        Yes, I used the petals as well, in the fritters and in a dipping sauce. First time I’ve used them and I was pleasantly surprised. :)

  6. cindy knoke May 27, 2019 at 2:37 PM - Reply

    Looks so yummy! I will make this. Thank you for posting.

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 2:54 PM - Reply

      You are so welcome Cindy!

  7. sherry May 27, 2019 at 7:28 PM - Reply

    oh yum this looks delicious. have not heard of chourico before. who doesn’t love potatoes? i like the sound of this for breakfast too. cheers sherry

    • chef mimi May 27, 2019 at 7:30 PM - Reply

      Yes! I would have loved to try the salad with eggs on top, if it hadn’t disappeared fast! I wondered if it was related to chorizo, but never googled.

  8. Ron May 28, 2019 at 6:20 AM - Reply

    Mimi, thanks for introducing me to Nik Sharma and his book Season. I just checked and it’s available over here so I’ll put it on my cookbook wish list. Chouriço Potato Salad looks amazingly tasty and a dish I must make.

    • chef mimi May 28, 2019 at 4:51 PM - Reply

      It was so interesting, with just lime juice as dressing! The sausage was the best part.

  9. sippitysup May 28, 2019 at 10:05 AM - Reply

    It’s sort of like a deliciously exotic hash. GREG

    • chef mimi May 28, 2019 at 4:51 PM - Reply

      Hahahaha! It kinda is!

  10. Laura May 28, 2019 at 11:48 AM - Reply

    Mimi – What a beautiful and enticing dish! Seems so perfectly balanced, flavor-wise! I’ve never heard of Chourico, so thanks for educating me on that – it sounds so tasty!

    • chef mimi May 31, 2019 at 7:51 AM - Reply

      It’s got to be a relative of chorizo, but definitely with different seasoning. Even if I never make this potato salad again, I will be making the sausage!

  11. Tandy | Lavender and Lime May 29, 2019 at 3:39 AM - Reply

    I love the spices in the Goan-Style Chouriço. So different to anything I have come across. Great review, and choice Mimi :)

    • chef mimi May 29, 2019 at 6:31 AM - Reply

      Thanks. the sausage was my favorite part of the recipe, and although I was skeptical of cooking the potatoes his way, they worked really well!

  12. kitchenriffs May 29, 2019 at 10:06 AM - Reply

    I don’t know Chouriço — it sound wonderful! In fact this whole dish sounds outstanding. Really, really creative. Thanks!

    • chef mimi May 29, 2019 at 10:18 AM - Reply

      It’s definitely creative. I looked it up and google said that Chouriço is definitely different from Portuguese chorizo, but the explanation seemed vague. I’m sure they’re related!

  13. Our Growing Paynes May 30, 2019 at 1:26 PM - Reply

    The colours are gorgeous in this dish. Our chives are flowering now and I love using them in dishes.

    • chef mimi May 30, 2019 at 6:47 PM - Reply

      Do you pull the petals apart and sprinkle them on? Or just eat them whole.

      • Our Growing Paynes May 31, 2019 at 5:55 PM

        I’ve just done it whole as it’s such a pretty garnish and then it just gets incorporated as you eat the salads, etc.

  14. neil@neilshealthymeals.com May 30, 2019 at 1:33 PM - Reply

    When I saw the title “Season” Mimi, I thought you were going to give us post on why we must season our food. Lol. I’m terrible for forgetting to do that so that could be a good post. But all joking aside, I love this. All those flavours. But I mean too, Sausage and Potatoes for breakfast, who wouldn’t?

    • chef mimi May 30, 2019 at 6:46 PM - Reply

      Ha! That’s funny. You’re very British if you forget to season your food!!! Just kidding. The flavors in this “salad” really are spectacular. The sausage itself I’m going to make again!

  15. Fran @ G'day Souffle' May 31, 2019 at 8:08 AM - Reply

    Yum, the Chourico by itself looks delish! Could use this in an omelette as well!

    • chef mimi May 31, 2019 at 8:49 AM - Reply

      Yes, it would be fabulous!

  16. Kathryn June 2, 2019 at 12:33 AM - Reply

    Magic indeed. I love Indian food and this is just such an interesting and vibrant dish which I can only imagine is delicious. Spicy sausage and potato ….oh yes please!

    • chef mimi June 2, 2019 at 5:01 PM - Reply

      It’s such an interesting salad. I’ll definitely be making the sausage again. It was really special!

  17. ShePaused4Thought June 3, 2019 at 10:37 AM - Reply

    What a fabulous potato salad flavor combination!

    • chef mimi June 3, 2019 at 11:50 AM - Reply

      Isn’t that interesting?!! So so good.

  18. David @ Spiced June 5, 2019 at 6:34 AM - Reply

    I love the ‘Season’ name, too, Mimi. What a great way to sum it all up! This dish sounds fantastic, but I have to admit that I’m not familiar with chouriço. I’ll have to see if the Indian market here in town carries it. Sounds like a great comfort food dish to me!

    • chef mimi June 5, 2019 at 6:36 AM - Reply

      I’ve never seen the word, and I have lots of cookbooks from various Indian regions. But I would bet it’s a cousin of chorizo. Really good sausage. I may not make this salad again (so much food; so little time!) but i will make this sausage again!

  19. Karen (Back Road Journal) June 5, 2019 at 9:19 AM - Reply

    What a flavorful dish and the sausage sounds wonderful. Did the chef have a suggestion if Kashmiri chile wasn’t available locally?

    • chef mimi June 5, 2019 at 10:00 AM - Reply

      I would just use cayenne pepper flakes.

  20. David June 5, 2019 at 6:42 PM - Reply

    I love Nik’s blog, and only wish that he posted more often! Funny, I haven’t even thought of ordering a cookbook… I’ll have to do that! This recipe looks fantastic – and I love making my own chorizo.

    • chef mimi June 7, 2019 at 5:58 PM - Reply

      Interesting. I’d never come across it before! I really like this book, and I’ll probably have to order the next one. I like his fusion style.

  21. Adrianne - Sweet Caramel Sunday February 4, 2020 at 12:08 PM - Reply

    What a great looking salad!

    • chef mimi February 4, 2020 at 1:14 PM - Reply

      Thank you! It was so good.

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