Herbed Potato Salad (no mayo!)
This healthy potato salad recipe is full of fresh flavor. It's mayo-free and so easy to make. It'll be a big hit at your next party! Vegan and egg free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I never truly loved a potato salad, until I made this one. This potato salad recipe is a riff on classic French potato salads, which contain no mayo and lots of herbs. I opted for lemon juice instead of vinegar for a super fresh-tasting salad.
Unlike standard potato salads that are drenched in mayonnaise, this red potato salad is lightly creamy yet miraculously mayo-free. This potato salad recipe is special diet friendly, too. It’s vegan, egg-free, dairy-free and gluten-free for all to enjoy.
Can I go ahead and call it the perfect potluck potato salad?
This potato salad is for my fellow last-minute people. When you’re scrambling to make yourself look decent, trying to scrounge together a side dish worth sharing, and letting the dog out all at the same time… Potato salad to the rescue!
This recipe is surprisingly simple and quick to make. I hope this potato salad becomes your go-to potluck recipe, as well as a standard side dish at your dinner table. It goes great with burgers, sandwiches, and much more.
Potato Salad Tips
After some trial and error, I’ve discovered some key tips to making great potato salad.
- To make the best mayo-free potato salad, reserve some potato cooking water before draining the potatoes. Then, blend the herbs and olive oil with the starchy reserved water. You’ll end up with a creamy emulsification that infuses the potatoes with fresh flavor.
- Another trick is to slice your potatoes before boiling, rather than afterward. That way, the potatoes don’t break down into mush when you’re tossing the salad later. Plus, your potatoes cook faster this way (five minutes!). We can thank the experts at America’s Test Kitchen for this technique.
Please let me know how you like this potato salad in the comments! I love to hear from you.
Looking for more fresh side dishes? You’ll find more side dish recipes here. Here are a few that would go well with this potato salad:
Watch How to Make Potato Salad
Herbed Potato Salad
This healthy potato salad recipe is full of fresh flavor. It’s mayo-free, easy to make, and sure to be a hit at your potluck! This salad is vegan, egg free and gluten free. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus about 2 tablespoons more for garnish
- ⅓ cup roughly chopped green onions, plus about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine sliced potatoes and salt. Cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are easily pierced by a paring knife and pulled out with little resistance, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, ⅓ cup parsley, ⅓ cup green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Process until the herbs and garlic have been chopped into little pieces. Then, while running the food processor, pour in the reserved cooking water and process just until blended. (If you don’t have a food processor or blender, just finely chop the parsley and onions and whisk the dressing together until the oil is fully incorporated.)
- Drizzle the potatoes with the herbed olive oil mixture and gently mix to combine. (It will look like you’ve poured in too much dressing, but don’t worry, the potatoes will soak it up!) Let the potatoes rest for ten minutes, gently tossing every few minutes.
- Add the celery to the bowl, along with a couple tablespoons each of additional chopped parsley and green onions. Toss again. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. This salad is best served within a few hours, but will keep in the refrigerator for about three days.
Notes
Recipe roughly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook and The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon.
Suggested equipment: I love my 11-cup Cuisinart food processor (affiliate link).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This potato salad was great—until we put it in the refrigerator. The sauce changed consistency and the olive oil in it seemed too clump up a bit—suddenly we had a party with lots of left over potato salad. Bottom line: we recommend it, but only if you don’t refrigerate.
Thanks, Tom. I’d agree- this is better served the day-of.
I have been making variations on this for years! Have only one friend who says no, has to be Mayo, or Salad Dressing! I add dill, and very occasionally, fennel… Dijon is the kicker, in my opinion. Love it that you embrace this too !!
Have actually had old ladies tell me that they loved it. I do the same to pasta salad, and occasionally to Cole slaw.
My husband has made this at least 6 times now. He had found the recipe for me because I have an egg allergy (no mayo). It’s my favorite side dish and the rest of the family loves it too! Fabulous every time, thanks so much.
Awesome, Suzanne! I’m glad you can enjoy potato salad without having to worry about the mayo!
I made this tonight. Quick, easy and delicious. Lighter and fresher than traditional potato salad. Thanks!
Perfect!
Loved this!
Thanks, Janera!
This dish looked so beautiful, I was excited to make it. Full disclosure, I didn’t have celery or scallions so added a bit of white onion. Unfortunately, the combination of Dijon mustard, olive oil,lemon and parsley made this dish have a bitter aftertaste that was not tasty. I can only imagine the extra bitterness celery would have added to an already too bitter dish. Perhaps I’ll try again when I have all of the ingredients.
Sorry this one was disappointing, Rose.
This is delicious! Will be my potato salad recipe from now until forever, both for my family and whenever I’m cooking for friends :)
Wonderful! Thanks, Kelly.
Hooray for no mayo! I’ve never cared for it but love potatoes. Made this yesterday for a BBQ and the bowl was almost licked clean. Can’t wait to Ray more of your recipes. Thank you!
Try. Try more (I don’t know how Ray got in there!)
Hooray! Thanks, Janet. It sounds like it was a hit!
I added 2 chopped eggs. Otherwise made as written, very tasty! I was careful with the dressing adding the parsley and green onion just quickly at the end of the blending. My salad still has a greenish hue but I’m fine with that. I will make again.
Thanks, Karen! Happy to hear that.
This was good, but not amazing like everything else I have made from your site! Needed a little more zip. May try again with more seasonings.
Sorry this one was disappointing, Melanie.
No worries! Love your site and use your recipes OFTEN. (second year vegetarian :)
I have made this great pot salad several times…Perfect…
I made it once for visitors coming over… Unfortunately, they had to cancel last minute, so everything was good to go in the fridge. Even the potato salad. Nothing happened to the dressing at all. I just gave a light stir before finally serving, and it was the best ever! Don’t be afraid to put in fridge. If your dressing should become mushy, just add a teaspoon of water and gently stir…although I always prepare most foods a day or so in advance, and have never yet had leftovers or had to dump foods!!
This recipe is my favourite. It is so good. Thank you…xx
Great to hear, Val! I appreciate your review.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Love a mayo free potato salad!
I hope you try it, Mollie!
For 40 years I made the same potato salad (a mayo based). Friends used to request 10 pounds for their parties. Those days are gone and I am so happy to have found this healthy and tasty alternative. I just made it and can’t stop tasting it. Thank you for sharing!
Ten pounds! That’s a big party. I’m so glad this has become a healthier alternative to your traditional potato salad, Cathryn! Thanks for commenting.
Just made this and oh my gosh! It is super tasty, savory and delicious. I had to stop eating it before we finish prepare our dinner. This will be our new staple in our family! Thank you Kate for your amazing recipes! You are one reason why I fell in love with vegetables! I made about a dozen of your recipes and I haven’t been disappointed at all. Thank you so much!!!
I’m so glad this is such a hit, Alma! Thanks for the kind comment.
This was delicious! I made it for a July 4th picnic and it was a great alternative to all of the heavier salads.
Excellent. Thanks, Krista!
I have to say I hate regular potato salad but this one is to die for and I love THIS potato salad! I am on an anti inflammatory lifestyle of sorts and this fits in perfect! Will definitely make it again for myself and my friends/family!:)
Good to hear that you’ve finally found your potato salad match. :) Thanks for commenting, Brie!
Made the Red Potato Salad and took to potluck last evening, it was gone before any other salads. People seem to be looking for healthier alternatives to potato salad because several commented on how healthy it looked. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe with others to enjoy.
I love hearing that, Elaine! Happy that it was such a big hit.
This looks awesome Kate! I am making this salad and one of my favourites from your cookbook (tahini kale caesar) for a Game of Thrones finale party tomorrow night! I’m wondering if you think I could cook the potatoes today and then refrigerate them until I put the salad together tomorrow evening? Thanks so much, the recipes from your cookbook and website are amazing and I have many on regular rotation!
I did try and rate this 5 stars but for some reason it didn’t work
Sorry for the late reply, Brianna! How did it all turn out?
Bloomin delicious!!
Thanks so much, Kim!
This looks great and I’m going to make it for a potluck at work, but I have just one question: this recipe is called “Herbed” Red Potato Salad… but where are the herbs? I consider parsley more of a garnish than an herb, since it lacks a distinctive flavor of it’s own. Should I add some dill or other “true” herbs?
Hi Paul – For the herbed portion of this recipe, I am referring to the fresh parsley as you use it both for seasoning and garnish. The fresh parsley adds great flavor to this recipe. Hope this helps!
Made this for my work potluck this week and it was a HUGE hit! People were so excited that it didn’t have eggs and mayo, and called it ‘real potato salad’. I also felt good that everyone , even the vegans and lactose people, could eat it!
Big hit! Thanks for the recipe Kate!
I’m excited it was such a hit! Thank you, Allison for the feedback and review.
I really love the recipe. I recommend if you want the dressing to be more sweet pick have a small orange(I use cutie) to squeeze instead of lemon juice.
Thanks for the comment and review! I’m glad you loved this recipe!
The red potato salad was fantastic! I added 3 chopped hard boiled eggs & 1/2 chopped red pepper to the potato mixture plus I added a little maple syrup to the dressing, Two thumbs up….will make again.
Thanks, Anni! I appreciate the thumbs up and review.
Thank you! This was a hit! It went great with grilled chicken and your green salad with cranberry, apple, and peptitas!
Wonderful, Rachel! Thanks so much for the review.
I recently went vegan and was so excited to find such a nice potato salad recipe. I thought the green onions overpowered the other ingredients, so next time I will either reduce the amount or just skip the green onions completely. (But there will be a next time!)
I’m sorry you felt like it was overpowering, but one of those ingredients that some can be sensitive to more than others. I think you have a great plan next time you plan to make it!
This potato salad was delicious! I love that it doesn’t have mayo in it. I took a big bowl to a local campaign rally and cookout. I noticed that a lot of people brought potato salad, but mine was the only empty bowl at the end of the evening. Thanks for a great recipe.
Win! You’re welcome, Carolyn. Thanks for sharing and for your review.
This was absolutely delicious. Herbs and lemon juice made it very fresh tasting. I did use a little less olive oil to keep the calories down. I also used the green onions and parsley that the recipe called for. My bag of red potatoes was only about 1 lb. 9 ounces and I made and used all the dressing so the potatoes didn’t absorb all of the dressing, but no matter! Having the leftovers for lunch today.
Happy you liked it, Heather! Leftovers are great for this recipe. Thanks for sharing and for your review!
This turned out very nicely. I did use less salt than the 1 tablespoon recommended and it was still quite salty. Is there any chance the recipe should call for 1 teaspoon instead?
The tablespoon salt helps in the cooking process with the water. If you want to cut back, please feel free! Thanks for the review and comment, Christy.
I made this for a community potluck barbeque and it was a big hit. I used Yukon gold potatoes and chives (that’s what I had on hand!!) and didn’t add the celery (I’m not a fan, so I never have it in my fridge!!). It’s such a nice, light alternative to the usual mayo based potato salad
Great, Eve! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the star review.
Great no mayo recipe and easy to make. I like slicing the potatoes (using a mandolin) prior to cooking! I added dill as I can’t imagine potato salad without it. Big hit at my cook out and now requested for a potluck cookout tomorrow!
Great! Thanks, Kristin for sharing.
My family has always done the southern potato salad with mayo, eggs and pickle relish. Delicious but really bad for you. I decided to try this recipe because we are trying to eat better these days. Everyone loved it! Followed the recipe exactly. I made it about 5 hours before dinner and it kept well in the fridge. Definitely will make this again.
Wonderful, Barbara! I’m really glad it hit the spot. Thanks so much for your star review!
I am WFPB oil free. Can I use aquafaba in place of the oil?
Let me start out by saying I was very excited to try this recipe. I wanted something other than your typical mayo based tater salad. I needed something that would store well in a cooler overnight for a camping trip. I thought this was it, but unfortunately this is just not my cup of tea. I made this recipe exactly as stated EXCEPT I used spicy brown mustard instead of Dijon. This recipe isn’t horrible, it was just too tangy and lacked something. I love the idea of slicing the potatoes prior to cooking and the addition of the cooking liquid in the sauce. I am inspired to recreate this recipe using a pesto sauce instead of the mustardy-lemon sauce. Thanks for sharing this recipe and I hope this helps someone.
I’m sorry to hear that,T.W. But thanks so much for trying! Pesto sauce would be interesting.
TW: There’s a huge difference between Dijon mustard and spicy brown mustard, so I imagine the disappointment in the recipe stems from that substitution. Given your changes, it’s quite inappropriate to rate this recipe 3 stars when you didn’t even make it according to the stated version.
If you’re going to change up a recipe, go right ahead, but 1) take responsibility if it doesn’t turn out well, and 2) don’t rate it!
This recipe tastes so fresh and delicious! I added an avocado to add a bit more creaminess and I just love the flavor. I will definitely make this again.
Sounds delicious, Char! Thanks for the review.
This turned out so great! Super easy and fast!
Great! Thank you, Lisa for your review.
This is an excellent recipe. I did things a little different, but inconsequential things. I cut the potatoes in chunks and steamed them, instead of in slices. I didn’t use the starchy potato water – I just used water from the tap. I mixed yellow and red potatoes and I didn’t add salt until after I had everything mixed. I used sea salt and didn’t measure; a Tablespoon seemed like a lot. This is a fresh, wonderful potato salad that is perfect for vegans and tasty for everyone!
Thanks for sharing and for your review! I appreciate it.
The potato salad recipe is excellent.
The website is too jumpy. Ads are popping up too often and screen image jumps.
I’m glad you like the recipe, John! I’m sorry you had a poor experience with the site. You can adjust what displays for you in your browser settings. I hope this helps!
Hi-
Can we add green beans, shrooms, spinach, or other veggies? Would we need to increase the dressing accordingly? This looks delicious regardless! :)
Thanks-
Virginia
Sure! I like this as is, but yes add additional sauce depending on how much you want it spread throughout.
This sounds so good!!! I need to make it ASAP
It is so good! Let me know what you think.
Hello! First off…. You go, girl!! Thanks for providing healthy recipes that make us feel strong. We appreciate you big time here in SLC.
.. i am heading to the grocery store so that I can make this potato salad. I just really don’t love green onions, and was wondering what kind would be the best to use instead? Shallots? Yellow? White?
Thanks !
Thank you! If you don’t like green onions, I would recommend possibly a white onion.
Made it accordingly. Not good at all. Waste of time and money.
I’m really sorry you felt that way, Cindy! Thanks for trying it!
Thinking about trying it out with pickle instead of (or maybe in addition to?) the celery. I love celery but my husband hates it. Anyone have any other ideas? I’m excited to put it together and either way, I think my daughter and I will love it!
Let me know what you try!
This salad is good
Thank you!
This was awesome, so fresh and flavourful…even better the next day so says my family who gobbled up any leftovers. Will be going into our regular rotation!
Thank you for letting me know, Marine!
Hi Kate- My go-to potato salad recipe was made with the good ol’ Miracle Whip based dressing. My husband won’t go near it! Your potato salad recipe sounds delicious! My husband does not enjoy vegetables, especially celery. I will make sure the celery is in itty bitty pieces, he’ll never know! I plan on making your recipe over Memorial Day weekend. I’ll update should my husband try tasting this yummy recipe! Thank you! Joan
THE BEST Potato Salad ever! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe…..I found a big pile of potatoes in my compost pile when i was harvesting compost yesterday and needed to do something fast with the ones I’d accidentally speared with the pitchfork. Your delicious recipe to the rescue. I didn’t have parsley, so substituted arugula resprouting in the garden from last fall. Also no green onions, so used red. Added homemade fermented pickles and some red pepper. So good. A real keeper.
Best, I love it! Thank you for sharing your feedback and review, Suzanne.
This is delicious but I’m not sure I get the “no mayo” reference. I presumed it meant lower cals but wow a lot of olive oil!
Hi Pickles! A lot of potato salads use mayo as their main dressing base. :)
Think it has more to do with not everyone being able to eat eggs (I am allergic and am now vegan, so no eggs for me but do not want to miss out on the yummmy potato salad). I have been using this recipe with the addition of some extra ingredients (radishes, cucumber, and fresh dill or fresh herb fennel depending on what I serve with it) and it is a great salad with or without the extras. But if you have vegan friends or family, those eating a little lighter (egg yolks do add more calories), those who just hate mayo and its creamy texture, etc, then these folks will thank you for it. :)
This was delicious! I did have to make some last minute changes based on what was in my fridge and time restrictions to getting other ingredients, so I used lime juice instead of lemon and honey mustard instead of Dijon. I hope to try it as you created it soon! I also put some cold left over Easter ham on top in my bowl. It was great!
I’m glad you loved it, Lauren! Thanks for sharing how you were able to make it work with what you had.
We made this recipe on Easter morning to serve 22 people. We didn’t make the dressing in a food processor but otherwise we followed the recipe exactly as written. It came out great and was a huge hit. No one missed the mayonnaise. We will definitely be making it again over the summer.
Thanks for sharing! A great salad to feed a lot of people. I appreciate the review, Kerry.
This was so delicious!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Mel!
I love this potato salad but because I’m not a fan of parsley, I substituted dill. It was delicious! We make this often. Thank you!
First time I make it and it is so good that I will make it again and again thank you for the recipe!
Thank you for your review!
First time I make it and it is so good that I will make it again and again thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Lupi!