144 Shares

The best vegan potato salad recipe

This dill "pickle" potato salad is so different and so delicious, you will love it. It is mayo free, allergy friendly and vegan. The tangy and slightly sweet dressing is made by combining dijon mustard with white vinegar, maple syrup and fresh dill. I put the word pickle in quotes because there are no ready made pickles in the recipe. The "pickle" is actually made by adding fresh cucumbers and red onions to the dressing and making quick pickles. This salad has crunch, tons of flavor and is an original twist on regular mayo based potato salad. I hope you love it as much as instagram did!

What is potato salad?

Potato salad most likely originated in Germany but has become a staple dish in America. Most American potato salad consists of boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, mayo and possibly onions and celery. German potato salad usually has boiled potatoes, eggs, onions, bacon or pickles and either vinaigrette dressing or a mayo based one. Potato salad in America has become a classic side dish to accompany a main dish. It is most often seen at barbeques. I developed this dill "pickle" potato salad originally for a Memorial Day BBQ. It was a hit!

A Potato Salad Story

I grew up eating potato salad. My Dad would make a big batch on Summer Sundays to eat over the week. His special potato salad had copious hard boiled eggs, a heavy mayo dressing and raw onions. I had a love/hate relationship with Americana type foods like this. I enjoyed eating them but somehow all that mayo always made me feel heavy. My palette always craved more intense flavor so I always added some Italian dressing to my plate. I think my Dad would approve of this dill "pickle" potato salad even if it is not traditional.

Why is this called dill "pickle" potato salad?

So many people on the internet got mad that I called this salad dill "pickle" potato salad! After all, there's no jarred pickles in there. For some reason, many people did not understand that we are actually making pickles when we make this salad. Pickles do not only come from jars, they are made by marinating cucumbers! This salad has cucumbers and onions that are dressed in a tangy, sweet, vinegar, dijon and dill dressing. This in essence, pickles them. Henceforth the name dill pickle is quite appropriate. Especially if you make this salad a day or two in advance. The longer it sits, the more pickled they become!

Ingredients for dill "pickle" potato salad

This salad has a modest ingredient list. It can be made year round, but will certainly shine brighter in summer. I use English cucumbers here because they release less water than a typical cucumber. They have a few small seeds and their skin is pleasantly crunchy and thin. I leave them unpeeled for color and texture but you can peel them if you like. Red onions are my favorite for this but vidalia will work nicely as well. Those were always my Dad's favorite.

yukon gold potatoes
english cucumber
red onion
lemon
white vinegar
dijon mustard
maple syrup
olive oil
salt
dill
green onions

How do you make Dill "Pickle" Potato Salad?

This potato salad is really easy to make! It is basically just a few steps. Boiling, cooling and cutting the potatoes. No peeling necessary! Mixing the dressing. Chopping the veggies and mixing it all together. Voila you have a healthier, mayo free potato salad that every one will love!

First boil the potatoes. Add them to a pot whole, with skins on and boil until fork tender. This can take 15-30 minutes depending on how large the potatoes are. Pro tip: put the larger potatoes on the bottom and small on top then cover with water and boil. Once tender, drain water and let cool until ok to touch without getting burned. Cut in bite sized pieces. Reserve until last step.
Make the dressing by combining vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, dill, salt and green onions in a small bowl and whisking.
To a large bowl add the cucumbers and red onion. Add ½ the dressing and toss. Then add the potatoes, the rest of the dressing, a pinch of salt and black pepper and half a lemon juiced. Toss until well combined.
This salad is good for up to 4 days as the cucumbers and onions get more pickled with time!

Tips for making the best potato salads

These are some pro-tips and tools for making the best potato salads possible. I am including links to buy some of my favorite kitchen tools. These are affiliate links and I make commission. Thanks for supporting my work.

First, always select the freshest produce for salads. Save ugly, wilted produce for soups.
Be sure to cut any "eyes" off of the potatoes before consuming. These little sprouted roots are not edible and can make you ill. If your potato has sprouts and is soft or shrivelled do not eat them. But if they are firm to the touch and not slimy, just cut off the sprouted bits.
Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. They are best kept in a cool dark place for best quality.
Peeling potatoes is a waste of time and nutrients. Just leave the skins on. But be sure to wash them and buy organic.
You need proper cooking tools to be a great cook. A sharp knife, a quality cutting board and a big mixing bowl are going to make your life much easier and more efficient. Here are my favorites.

More vegan Summer side salads

Dill "Pickle" Potato Salad

Original and different riff on the classic. This one is mayo free, egg free and vegan. It's allergy friendly and easy to make. You will love the "quick pickled" cucumbers and onions and the sweet and tangy mustard, vinegar and dill dressing.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, sides

Cuisine American, california, fusion, German

Servings

Calories 234 kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes
1 large english cucumber sliced thin
½ red onion sliced thin according to your preference
½ lemon squeezed
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp dill chopped
2 green onions chopped white and green parts

Instructions

First boil the potatoes. Add them to a pot whole, with skins on and boil until fork tender. This can take 15-30 minutes depending on how large the potatoes are. Pro tip: put the larger potatoes on the bottom and small on top then cover with water and boil. Once tender, drain water and let cool until ok to touch without getting burned. Cut in bite sized pieces. Reserve until last step.
Make the dressing by combining vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, dill, salt and green onions in a small bowl and whisking.
To a large bowl add the cucumbers and red onion. Add ½ the dressing and toss. Then add the potatoes, the rest of the dressing, a pinch of salt and black pepper and half a lemon juiced. Toss until well combined.
This salad is good for up to 4 days as the cucumbers and onions get more pickled with time!

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 197mgPotassium: 925mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 134IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg

Keyword allergen friendly, BBQ sides, cucumber, fresh, mayo-free, onions, pickles, potatoes, salad, summer

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pin144