This is the best vegan potato salad around; it has those classic flavors you're looking for in a potato salad, with a creamy dressing that pairs perfectly with the potatoes. This is great served at a summer picnic, potlucks, or parties.
This vegan potato salad is delicious whether you are vegan or trying to impress your non-vegan friends.No one would ever be able to tell it's vegan, except that it's an eggless potato salad, but you won't miss them! If macaroni salad is more your thing, check out my delicious Vegan Macaroni Salad.
If you're looking for some serving suggestions alongside this vegan potato salad recipe, here are some of our favorites; Calico Beans are sweet and savory. Or a Classic Lemonade for a sweet drink; if you're looking for a main dish, these Delicious vegan black bean burgers will do the trick!
Jump to:
Why this Recipe Works
- It's easy to make.
- Has simple ingredients.
- Tastes like traditional potato salad.
- It's naturally gluten-free.
- It is egg-free and dairy-free, which means it can last longer than classic potato salad at a party.
- You can customize it with any veggies or extra herbs as you, please.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes- the best potatoes for potato salad are waxy potatoes. I recommend using a Yukon gold potato for the best texture staying away from russet potatoes.
- Celery- make sure to cut the celery small so it's just a small accent to most bites.
- Dill pickles- I always use dill pickles for more of a classic potato salad taste. If you like sweet pickles, you can use them, but I would stick with dill to get that classic flavor.
- Vegan mayonnaise- We love Just Mayo, Best Foods Vegan Mayo, or Vegenaise. The base of any good vegan potato salad dressing starts with the mayo. There are a lot of great vegan mayo alternatives, but there are also some nasty ones. Make sure you like the flavor before adding it to the recipe.
- Yellow mustard prepared- If you don't like yellow mustard, I would still encourage you to keep this in the recipe- this is what gives it the tang you want. I personally don't care for mustard, but I love it in this.
- Dill pickle juice- I know this sounds like an odd ingredient; just use the brine that the pickles sit in. This helps bring some more dill flavor to the dressing.
- White vinegar- adding an acid like vinegar helps flavor the dressing. I would stick to white vinegar, you can use apple cider if that's all you have, but it makes more of a classic potato salad dressing flavor with white vinegar.
- Dill, dried- you can use fresh if you prefer, but I like the ease of using dried dill, and it's not quite as potent.
- Onion- don't leave this out. It's subtle, but it makes a difference in the flavor profile. White or yellow onions work best in this recipe. You can use red onion or green onion, but the others are preferred.
How do you make vegan potato salad?
Step 1- Cooking the Potatoes Option 1-Cooking the potatoes in the microwave. To do this, I take 2-3 potatoes at a time, depending on the size, clean them, poke holes in them, and then cook them for 3-5 minutes until they are cooked. Be very careful when removing them as they will be very hot. Let them cool on the counter to room temperature before removing the skins and cutting them into bite-sized potato pieces. Option 2 Take a large pot and place your cleaned and scrubbed whole potatoes in the pot, then cover them with cold water; you can add salt to the water for more flavor. Let the water come to a boil on medium-high heat with the potatoes in the water, then turn it down to medium. Let the potatoes cook until they are fork-tender. Once cooked, strain them in a colander.
Step 2- When they are cool enough to handle- remove the skins and chop them into bite-size pieces.
Step 3- Take a large mixing bowl or whatever large bowl that works for you. Add your vegan mayo, pickle juice, white vinegar, yellow mustard, dried dill, salt, and black pepper, and stir until combined. Then take your chopped celery, chopped dill pickles, and chopped onion, and add it to your creamy mayo dressing mixture. Stir everything so it's all nice and incorporated. Set aside until the potatoes are ready.
Step 4- Once the potatoes are cooled and chopped up, mix the potatoes into your mayo mixture. The potato salad needs time for the flavors to develop. Put in the fridge either all day or overnight for the best flavors.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Make sure not to overcook the potatoes- this is really important. No one wants mushy potatoes.
- The microwave method is superior in my opinion, for the perfect textured potato, but the stovetop will work. Just make sure to pierce holes in the potatoes before cooking.
- Make sure the potatoes aren't too hot when you're adding the dressing. The potatoes will soak up the dressing, and they will have less sauce to go around.
- Plan ahead when making this so that you have time for the potato salad to marinate in the fridge before serving.
- Make sure to use a good vegan mayonnaise; this is a heavy flavor in potato salad, and if you don't like it to begin with, you will taste it.
- Chop the veggies, pickles, and onions up small you want a little bit in each bite.
Recipe FAQS
My personal favorite is Yukon gold potatoes (yellow potatoes). It yields the creamiest, best-texture potatoes. You can also use red potatoes, baby potatoes, and fingerling potatoes; these are all waxy potatoes that make for the best vegan potato salad. Waxy potatoes make for a better creamy potato salad because they tend to be more creamy, hold their shape, and overall have less starch in them. Russet potatoes are not the best option for potato salad because they tend to get a bit mushy after cooking.
Store potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to serve. You may be wondering how long does vegan potato salad last? You can store the leftovers for 4-5 days in the fridge.
I would not recommend freezing it. Potato salad is best when it's fresh.
Yes, and I recommend that you do. It's best to make this at least 8 hours before or the night before for the flavors to marry.
Want some other vegan summer recipes...
If you loved this recipe, then give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment! I love to chat with you all. Please feel free to share on social media and tag #courtneyshomestead. I would love to see you over on Instagram or Facebook.
Vegan Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or a waxy variety
- 2-3 ribs celery chopped
- ½ cup dill pickles chopped
- 1 ¼ cup vegan mayo
- 2 TB yellow mustard prepared
- 1 TB dill pickle juice
- 2 TB white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 TB onion chopped small
Instructions
- Cook your potatoes. Fill a large pot with your cleaned and scrubbed potatoes, then cover them with water. Let the water come to a boil with the potatoes in the water, then turn it down to medium. Let the potatoes cook until they are fork-tender. Once cooked, strain them in a colander. When they are cool enough to handle- remove the skins and chop them into bite-size pieces.
- You can also do this in the microwave if you prefer *I find the potatoes are usually perfectly cooked with the microwave method. Cook in batches of three and try to match them in size. Poke holes in them and cook them for 5 minutes- more or less, depending on the size.
- While the potatoes are cooking, you can mix all of your ingredients in a large bowl. Stir everything so it's all nice and incorporated. Set aside until the potatoes are ready. Once the potatoes are chopped up, mix the potatoes into your mayo mixture. The potato salad needs time for the flavors to develop. Put in the fridge either all day or overnight for the best flavors.
Notes
- Perfectly cooked potatoes are key! Avoid mushy results by not overcooking them.
- Opt for the microwave method for ideal texture, although stovetop cooking works too. Remember to pierce holes in the potatoes beforehand.
- Allow the cooked potatoes to cool down before adding the dressing. This ensures they don't absorb too much, leaving less sauce for the salad.
- Plan ahead and give your potato salad time to marinate in the fridge before serving for maximum flavor.
- Choose a high-quality vegan mayonnaise, as it plays a significant role in the salad's taste. If you're not a fan of vegan mayonnaise, you'll notice its flavor.
- For a satisfying experience, finely chop the veggies, pickles, and onions. This ensures a well-balanced bite with a little bit of everything.
Leave a Reply