Healthy Potato Salad tastes even better than the kind made with mayo. It’s loaded with fresh herbs and packs tons of flavor in each bite. It’s the perfect side dish to bring to a party!
This recipe comes from the Fiber Fueled Cookbook (< affiliate link), which is loaded with plant-based recipes & tips to help add more fiber into your day. This Herbed Potato Salad instantly caught my attention, since it’s perfect for summer BBQs, Father’s Day, and Memorial Day weekend celebrations.
If you bring this to a potluck, don’t be surprised if everyone asks you for the recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in a healthy potato salad?
- Red potatoes
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Green onion
- Parsley
- Fresh dill
As you can see, no mayonnaise or sour cream is required for this recipe, but it still develops a relatively creamy texture when it’s chilled in the fridge. No one will miss a classic potato salad once they taste this!
This recipe is also flexible, so you can add in any extras you love. You can add diced celery or red onion for crunch, hard boiled eggs for added protein, or any other fresh herbs you have on hand, like basil or thyme.
If you can’t find red potatoes at the store, russet potatoes will work well here, too.
How to Make Healthy Potato Salad
1. Cook the potatoes.
Scrub the potatoes under running water, then slice them into 1/4-inch slices. For larger potatoes, you may want to also slice the circles in half, so they are bite-sized.
No one wants to pick up a huge potato slice while eating!
To cook the potatoes, add an inch of water to a large saucepan and arrange a steamer basket in the bottom. Add the potatoes to the steamer basket, and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot and let the potatoes cook until they are just fork tender, and not mushy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Note: Alternatively, you can cook the potatoes whole, instead of slicing them first. However, it takes longer to cook whole potatoes all the way to the center, and then you have to wait for them to cool before you can slice them. I personally think it’s easier & faster to slice them first!
I also prefer steaming potatoes, rather than boiling them in a full pot of water. With this steaming method, you don’t have to wait as long for the water to come to a boil, and the potatoes won’t lose their nutrients in the cooking water this way.
2. Prepare the sauce.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the sauce. In a blender, add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, parsley, green onions, dill, salt, and pepper. Blend until relatively smooth, but it doesn’t have to be totally pureed.
Blending Tip: You can add 2 tablespoons of the starchy potato cooking water to the blender, if you need extra liquid for blending. It will help the sauce thicken up even more!
3. Mix.
When the potatoes are done cooking, remove the steamer basket from the pot and let the potatoes cool. (Or drain them into a colander in the sink, if that’s easier than removing the basket.)
When the potatoes feel warm to the touch (not hot!), transfer them to a large bowl and pour the blended dressing over the top. Toss well, to coat the potatoes evenly.
4. Chill.
Place the bowl of potato salad in the fridge to chill. The olive oil will thicken up and stick to the potatoes better when it’s served cold.
You can store this healthy potato salad recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, if you’d like to make this in advance. The leftovers also make a delicious packed lunch when you stir in some white beans, for extra protein.
Note: Be sure to taste this salad before serving it again, as the salty and tangy flavor will mellow significantly once it’s cold. If the potato salad tastes very salty or tangy when you’re mixing it, keep this in mind!
It will taste much more mild when serving it chilled or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot? Yes, but keep in mind potatoes will cook quickly in the pressure cooker, so stay nearby to avoid mushy potatoes.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes cook in just 8 minutes, so you might want to start with only 5 or 6 minutes for these sliced potatoes, since you don’t want them to be mushy. Be sure to perform a quick release when the cooking cycle is complete, so the potatoes won’t overcook.
What can I swap for the lemon juice? You can typically replace 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. I would use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar for this recipe.
How can I add creaminess? You can stir in a bit of Greek yogurt, if you’d like a creamier potato salad, once the potatoes are totally cool. Since this addition will also add a tart flavor, you might not need as much lemon juice or mustard, in that case.
Is this recipe gluten-free? Yes! As written, this recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free, so it’s perfect for those with allergies or special dietary needs.
Is this recipe vegan? I’ve recently learned that Dijon mustard is not always vegan, depending on how it is made. Be sure to check the label on the products you use, if you need to make a vegan recipe. You can swap it for spicy brown mustard, instead.
Healthy Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes (or other waxy potato)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh dill
- 3 green onions , chopped (white & green parts only)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes under running water to remove any dirt, then slice them into 1/4-inch pieces. If some of the potato circles are particularly wide, slice the pieces into smaller half-moon shapes, so they will be easy to bite into later.
- Fill a large pan with an inch of water and arrange a steamer basket into the bottom of the pan. Add the sliced potatoes to the steamer basket and bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water is boiling, cover the pot and let the potatoes steam until they are fork-tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. You want the potatoes to be tender and creamy, without being mushy. Be sure to check several pieces for tenderness, so you know they are evenly cooked. (Undercooked potatoes are miserable in a potato salad!)
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, parsley, dill, green onions, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the black pepper to the blender. Blend until smooth.
- When the potatoes are done cooking, use an oven mitt to lift the steamer basket from the pot and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the potatoes while they are still warm, and gently stir to make sure they are evenly coated. Sprinkle an extra teaspoon of salt over the potatoes as you mix, to ensure the potatoes are well seasoned. (This may taste salty while the potato salad is still warm, but it will mellow significantly when it's chilled.)
- Place the potato salad in an airtight container and let it chill for at least 4 hours before serving, or overnight. You can make this salad up to 3 days in advance and serve it chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this herbed potato salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
I made this potato salad last night and just tasted it from the fridge this morning. It’s so delicious! I used yukon gold potatoes, because that’s what I had.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Mary! Thanks for letting me know.
While this is a nice receipe, it is better with sunflower or sesame oil
. Also, add a dill pickle and don’t blend the herbs. The potatoes should be cooked whole, then peeled and cooled overnight. Did you know, that potatoes once cooled that way have less calories?
I have made this type of potatoe salad all my life, so did my mother!