Potato salad is an absolute staple during the summertime. It’s the perfect side for sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, you name it! This vegan potato salad hits all the same marks as the one you grew up eating and it’s super easy to make. The combination of tender potatoes, a tangy mayo-based dressing, and some nice crunchy celery will leave you feeling nostalgic about being a kid on summer break.
This recipe is amazingly easy to make and is PERFECT when you want to make something in advance. Got a barbecue on Sunday and some free time on Saturday? Make it a day ahead and it’ll be even better the next day.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vegan Potato Salad
- Potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes work best for potato salad because you can cook them until they’re soft but they won’t fall apart when you mix up the salad.
- Vegan mayonnaise. Make sure to pick a vegan mayo that you like! Our favorite is Follow Your Heart Vegenaise. You can also make your own homemade vegan mayo if you want to get real fancy!
- White wine vinegar. Not only does vinegar add a tangy bite, but it helps the potatoes retain their shape so they can be soft but not mushy.
- Dijon mustard & dill relish. Acid, delicious mustardy flavor, and saltiness.
- Celery & scallions. Celery gives the salad a satisfying crunch while scallions add mellow oniony goodness.
- Dill and parsley. Fresh works best to give you vegan potato salad that classic flavor, but you can also use dried in a pinch. (Conversion below.)
- Garlic powder, paprika, salt, & pepper. Flavor-makers!
How to Make Vegan Potato Salad
Step 1 – Boil Your Potatoes: Cover potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Add salt, reduce heat, and gently boil for 10 minutes.
Step 2 – Drain Potatoes and Toss With Vinegar: Drain off the potatoes, add them back to the warm pot, toss with vinegar, and let cool for 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Combine Dressing Ingredients: Add all of your dressing ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix to thoroughly combine.
Step 4 – Assemble Your Potato Salad: Toss your cooled potatoes with the dressing.
Step 5 – Refrigerate: Refrigerate your potato salad for at least an hour to let all of the flavors develop and for the salad to get nice and cold.
Ric’s Recipe Tips
- Using dried herbs instead of fresh. Fresh herbs are highly recommended for this recipe but you can used dried if that’s all you have on hand. The standard conversion we use for herbs is 1 teaspoon of dried for every 1 tablespoon of fresh. So for this recipe, you would use 2 teaspoons each of dried dill and parsley.
- Don’t skip the refrigeration! Sticking your finished potato salad in the fridge does two things: 1. it allows the flavors to develop and 2. makes the salad cold. Honestly, making this dish a day in advance is even better than day-of. Everything is just more flavorful after it sits in the fridge overnight. As for the temperature, feel free to serve your potato salad on the warmer side if you’re into that. (I am not into that. 😂)
- Salt your water. Just like when you’re cooking pasta, salting the water you boil the potatoes in will allow some salt to penetrate the potatoes and flavor them from the inside out. I don’t measure when I salt water – I just go for a big ole pinch or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but just make sure you use another variety with a lower starch content such as red or fingerling.
Potatoes with less starch hold their shape better when they’re cooked while starchier varieties like russets will fall apart in a potato salad.
Not only can you, but I highly recommend it! Letting it sit in the fridge for at least a day before eating allows all of the flavors to really marinate.
More Summery Vegan Dishes
Classic Vegan Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into roughly 1" cubes
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons dill relish or chopped dill pickles
- 4 scallions sliced
- 5 celery stalks diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the Potatoes
- Place peeled and cubed potatoes in a pot. Add enough water to cover by an inch or two. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, add a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low to establish a gentle boil.
- Simmer 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. They should be quite tender but still holding their shape.
- Drain the potatoes, then add them back to the warm pot. Immediately add in the vinegar, gently toss to coat, and allow the potatoes to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes. (It's okay if the potatoes get a little roughed up. It actually adds to the texture in my opinion.)
Make the Dressing
- While the potatoes are cooling, combine mayo, mustard, relish, dill, parsley, scallions, celery, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Assemble Potato Salad
- When the potatoes have cooled, add them to your mixing bowl with the dressing.
- Toss until everything is evenly coated and combined. Feel free to give it a taste and adjust to your preference. Add more salt if needed, extra dill if you like, or even some extra vinegar or mustard if you'd like some extra zip.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, preferably 2-3 hours. Even better — make it a day ahead of time and all of the flavors will really develop.
