AIP parsnip-based potato salad with a creamy avocado and apple cider vinegar dressing and crispy bacon, nightshade-free and egg-free

Potato salad is the dish everyone expects at a summer table, and potatoes are a nightshade, set aside during the elimination phase while you find out whether they are part of what is driving your inflammation. Parsnip is the swap, boiled until it gives easily to a fork, holding the same starchy, faintly sweet density potato does. What lands on the table is the same dish you would bring anywhere else, built without the one ingredient the protocol asks you to set down for now.

Parsnip is a real source of folate here, involved in the cell division and repair your body is doing constantly, gut lining included. The dressing is avocado and apple cider vinegar rather than mayonnaise, which clears two more exclusions, eggs and processed oils, without the salad tasting like anything is missing.

Choose the bacon carefully. A clean label from pasture-raised pork means choosing meat raised with real care, not just picked for convenience. Boil, mash, dress, chill: the 2 to 3 hours in the refrigerator does real work, letting the dressing settle into the parsnip and the flavor firm up. Make it the morning of, or the day before, and let it wait for you.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb parsnips, peeled
• 3 to 4 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped (check label for AIP compliance, see notes)
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onion (green tops; see notes on FODMAP)
• half a large avocado
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method

1. Peel the parsnips and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes until completely fork-tender, a knife should slide through without resistance.

1. Drain well and spread on a plate or tray to cool. Do not mash; the pieces should hold their shape and become the chunks in the salad.

1. While the parsnips cool, scoop the avocado into a large bowl and mash it roughly with a fork. Add the apple cider vinegar and salt and mix until the avocado is smooth with some texture remaining. It should look like a loose, creamy dressing.

1. Add the cooled parsnip pieces, chopped bacon, celery, and green onion to the bowl. Fold everything together gently until the parsnip is coated in the avocado dressing.

1. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Serve cold.

Notes

Choose bacon with a clean label: no nightshade-derived spices (paprika, chili), no added sugars in forms that could sneak in, no additives. Pasture-raised pork from a reputable source is ideal. Avocado is worth noting for histamine-sensitive individuals, as avocado can be a histamine consideration for some people; worth keeping in mind. The green tops of green onion are generally considered low-FODMAP; those managing FODMAP load alongside AIP should limit the white bulb portion. This salad holds well refrigerated for up to 2 days; the avocado may oxidize slightly and turn darker but the flavor is unaffected.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com*