A vegan Potato Salad just the way you remembered it. Perfectly cooked red skin potatoes mixed with fresh vegetables and herbs and tossed in a creamy zesty dressing for the perfect summer potluck dish. This one will make you forget all about dairy! Made in under 30 minutes.
Can you believe it is almost summer???
With summer comes all the vegan potlucks and barbeques. Yay! And with potlucks and barbeques comes…you guessed it…vegan potato salad.
Yes, please!
You’re going to love this easy potato salad. It’s refreshing, filling, and pairs perfectly with your barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and basically every other summer event I can imagine.
My vegan potato salad is a spin-off of the classic dish you grew up eating. Filled with fresh vegetables and herbs, such as red bell peppers, celery, dill, and parsley and topped with a zesty vegan mayonnaise and white wine vinegar dressing, this is a recipe you’re going to want to keep on hand. Best of all, it’s made made with just 10 ingredients in less than 30 minutes!
Let’s whip it up!
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
My vegan potato salad is a spin-off of the classic dish you grew up eating. Made with just 10 easy-to-find ingredients, this is a recipe you’re gonna want to have on hand.
Here is everything you’ll need.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Ingredient Notes
- Red Skin Potatoes – For this recipe, I use red skin potatoes. They hold together well and create a delicious base for this salad. Russet potatoes are classically used and can be used in place of red skin potatoes.
- Red Bell Pepper – Red bell peppers are sweeter and pair perfectly with red skin potatoes. However, you can use any bell pepper you prefer.
- Vegan Mayonnaise – My favorite brand is Just Mayo. You can find it with other condiments at your local grocery store. This mayo is shelf-stable, affordable, and is super delicious. Of course, any brand will do. If you can’t find vegan mayo where you live, you can also make some at home.
- Dijon Mustard – If you don’t like the spice of dijon, regular mustard will do.
- White Wine Vinegar – Vinegar is key to this salad. Since potatoes and mayonnaise are fairly heavy foods, the vinegar provides a light contrast that brings out all the flavors and balances the salad perfectly. If you don’t have white wine vinegar you can also use apple cider or white vinegar.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a stockpot, colander, and basic kitchen utensils, including a chef’s knife and cutting board. (<<affiliate links)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Prepare the Vegetables
Begin by chop the potatoes into roughly 1″ pieces. Transfer the potatoes into a large stockpot with boiling water and boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, until they are easily pierced with a fork. Strain them through a colander, rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking, and place them in the refrigerator to let them cool.
Pro Tip: To ensure an even cook, don’t put your potatoes in cold water. Wait for the water to boil before adding the potatoes.
Dice the vegetables and herbs and set aside.
Once your potatoes are cool, toss them with the vegetables and herbs.
Step Two – Make the Creamy Dressing
In a separate bowl, make the creamy dressing by combining the vegan mayonnaise, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and salt, whisking it together until it is smooth and creamy.
Pour the dressing over the potatoes and vegetables and mix to combine. Once the vegetables are evenly coated, place the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marinate and the salad to cool.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Keep the salad chilled until ready to serve. When you’re ready to serve, remove it from the refrigerator and serve it with your favorite vegan potluck dishes. Pair this salad with a tofu steak or grilled flatbread for the perfect summertime meal!
Storing – Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also store this salad in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make in Advance – This salad is best made 1-5 hours in advance. This allows all the vegetables to cool and the flavors to marinate. You can make this salad up to 1 day in advance without compromising on taste and texture.
Tips and Tricks
- It’s best to stay away from starchy potatoes, such as Russet. While they tend to be the popular choice for potato salad because they absorb flavor well, they also cook unevenly and fall apart easily, creating a mushy messy potato salad. Red skin and fingerling potatoes are my potatoes of choice. They are waxy enough to hold together when boiled and soft enough to absorb flavors well.
- Baking your potatoes just right is key. To ensure an even cook, don’t put your potatoes in cold water. Wait for the water to boil. More importantly, be careful not to under or overcook them. When ready, potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but not so much that the potato falls apart when pierced. At that point immediately remove potatoes from water by straining the potatoes through a colander and rinsing them in cold water to stop further cooking.
- Before dressing the salad, let the potatoes cool! If you toss a mayo-based dressing with hot potatoes, the mayo will melt and become oily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It is naturally gluten free.
Yep! If you can’t access vegan mayonnaise, you can easily make some at home.
Most likely you didn’t let your potatoes cool properly before adding the dressing. To ensure the potatoes are properly cooled, rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking and place them in the refrigerator to let them cool. They should be no warmer than room temperature before adding the dressing.
For sure! You can feel free to cut the mayonnaise by half for a healthier lighter version of this salad.
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Vegan Pasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Vegan Cobb Salad
- 10-Minute Chickpea Salad
- Vegan Taco Salad
For more inspiration check out all my vegan salad recipes.
Vegan Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 medium red skin potatoes, cut into 3/4″ pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 large red onion, diced
- 2 large celery stalks, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, de-stemmed and minced
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, de-stemmed and minced
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot of water to boil and add the cubed potatoes. Boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, until a fork can easily pierce through the potato pieces. Once tender, strain them through a colander, rinse them in cool water to stop the cooking, and place them in the refrigerator to let them cool.
- While potatoes are cooling, dice the vegetables and herbs. Once potatoes are cool, transfer to a large salad bowl. Mix in vegetables and herbs.
- In a small bowl combine vegan mayonnaise, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and salt. Once combined, toss with the mayonnaise-based dressing until evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marinate. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Baking your potatoes just right is key. To ensure an even cook, don’t put your potatoes in cold water. Wait for the water to boil. More importantly, be careful not to under or overcook them. When ready, potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but not so much that the potato falls apart when pierced. At that point immediately remove potatoes from water by straining the potatoes through a colander and rinsing them in cold water to stop further cooking.
- Before dressing the salad, let the potatoes cool. If you toss a mayo-based dressing with hot potatoes, the mayo will melt and become oily.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Amy Beth says
when I was a kid growing up I never like mayonnaise; therefore, I am hesitant to try vegan mayo. do you have any other substitutions or maybe vegan mayo doesn’t take anything like traditional non vegan mayo … thanks!
Sarah says
I love this non-traditional potato salad that doesn’t use mayo – http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252196/lebanese-potato-salad/ You could also try making your own vegan mayo and see if you like it: https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-vegan-mayo-with-aquafaba/
When I was a kid, I didn’t like mayo now, but I have always enjoyed vegan mayo in moderation, so maybe it’s worth giving it a try!
Edwina says
This was absolutely delicious. I had to make it because you included the red bell peppers which I love in a potato salad (or any salad!). My kids like it too. I always think potato salad is essential with any summer meal. I really love it. I’ll be making this one again for sure!
Sarah says
I’m glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing.
Kerstin Decker says
So, I have looked and looked here in America to make a good tasting potato salad without mayo of any kind. So I make mine the german way and it always is eaten up. I use very small white potatoes cooked and cooled and slice then thinly. Then my marinade is made with water and lemon and vinegar, salt and pepper and some fresh parsley.
Sarah, try it yourself. I use a lot of your recipes and love them, so I challenge you what do you think?
Sarah says
I will give that a try next time I make potato salad! Sounds delicious.