A twist on the classic recipe, this No Mayo Potato Salad is light, tangy, and packed with incredible flavor. It's a great side dish to any meal and ideal to make in advance. The longer the potatoes absorb the dressing, the more flavorsome it becomes.
No Mayo Potato Salad
This No Mayo Potato Salad is surprisingly simple and quick to put together. Made using basic ingredients, you can have this deliciousness ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
The dressing is loaded with fresh herbs, olive oil, cream cheese, or Dijon mustard. Perfect eaten warm or cold.
Any type of potato can be used in this recipe. My favorite is baby potatoes. Simply scrubbed cut in half and no peeling necessary making it convenient and easy.
If you are using medium-sized potatoes, cut them into 4 pieces. Larger potatoes can be cut into 5 or 6 pieces.
Ingredient list and substitutes if needed
Here’s a quick overview. The full printable recipe with detailed instructions and ingredients is available at the end of this post.
Potatoes: For this salad, choose a starchy potato variety so it absorbs the dressing and flavors rather than just coating them. Be mindful while boiling, as they soften quickly and can become mushy. Cook until a fork easily slides out when pierced, but the potatoes should retain their shape.
For the Dressing:
Garlic: Use crushed or finely grated garlic for the best flavor.
Cream cheese / Cottage cheese or Dijon mustard: Either cottage cheese or cream cheese works well, but for a dairy-free option, Dijon mustard is a great alternative to cream cheese.
Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, as bottled lemon juice may alter the flavor due to preservatives.
Oil: Use canola oil or extra virgin olive oil.
Chopped chives: Also known as shallots, scallions, or spring onions.
Chopped parsley: If you don't have parsley, celery leaves, coriander, dill, or fennel leaves are good substitutes.
Ground black pepper
Sugar or honey: Optional, but I love adding either for a balance of tangy lemon and a touch of sweetness.
Salt
How to Make No Mayo Potato Salad
While the full printable recipe are written below, this is the process with step-by-step pictures to guide you.
For the potatoes
- Place the scrubbed and cut potatoes in a large pot and cover completely with cold water
- Bring to a boil over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. The cooking time will also depend on the type of potatoes you are using. You want it to keep its shape so cook just until a fork slides easily out of the potato when pierced.
- Keep an eye on it while it boils, because they soften quickly and turn mushy. Drain well and transfer to a bowl.
For the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Pour the whisked dressing ingredients over the hot cooked potatoes. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix the potatoes with the dressing.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dressing to absorb into the potatoes for at least 30 minutes before serving. The longer the potatoes marinate the more flavorsome it becomes.
- The dressing must be added to the cooked potatoes while it is hot. This allows the dressing to be absorbed into the potatoes and not just coat it.
Frequently asked questions and tips
- How Long to Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad
Depending on their type and size, boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until a fork slides easily out of the potato when pierced.
- Cream cheese or Dijon mustard?
If this potato salad is going to be left out of the fridge the entire day, for example, a BBQ, I suggest using Dijon mustard instead of cream cheese.
- How Long Does No Mayo Potato Salad Last?
This potato salad will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Served warm or cold?
Delicious served warm, cold, or even at room temperature. This versatility makes it perfect to serve as any side dish.
- Can I Use Other Herbs in This Potato Salad?
Sure, The best part of this recipe is you can use whichever herbs you like most or have on hand or growing in the garden. Some great herbs to try are:
- Dill
- Parsley
- Basil
- Thyme
- Cilantro
recipe
Enjoy ♥
No Mayo Potato Salad
For the potatoes
- 2 pounds potatoes See note 1
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Boiling water enough to cover the potatoes
For the dressing
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive or canola oil
- ¼ cup chopped chives See note 2
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ¼ cup chopped parsley See note 3
- 1 Tablespoon cream cheese or Dijon mustard See note 4
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar or honey optional See note 5
Cook the potatoes
- Scrub and cut in half (for baby potatoes) If you are using medium-sized potatoes, cut them into 4 pieces. Larger potatoes can be cut into 5 or 6 pieces.
- It is not necessary to peel the potatoes, but you can if you prefer.
- In a large pot, add salt and enough water which will be able to cover the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil and add in the chopped potatoes.
- Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. The cooking time will also depend on the type of potatoes you are using. You want it to keep its shape so cook just until a fork slides easily out of the potato when pierced.
- Keep an eye on it while it boils, because they soften quickly and turn mushy. Drain well and transfer to a bowl.
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Pour the whisked dressing ingredients over the hot cooked potatoes. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix the potatoes with the dressing. Cover the bowl and allow the dressing to absorb into the potatoes for at least 30 minutes before serving. See note 6
- The longer the potatoes marinate the more flavorsome it becomes.
- With this type of salad, you want the potatoes to absorb the dressing and flavors, not just coat it. To do this it's best to use a starchy type of potato.
- Also referred to as shallot, scallions, or spring onion.
- The best part of this recipe is you can use whichever herbs you like most or have on hand or growing in the garden. Some great herbs to try are: Dill, Parsley, Basil, Thyme Cilantro
- You can use either cottage cheese or cream cheese. For a dairy-free potato salad, Dijon mustard makes a better alternative to cream cheese. If this potato salad is going to be left out of the fridge the entire day, probably for a BBQ, I suggest using Dijon mustard instead of cream cheese.
- Using sugar or honey is totally optional. I just love it for the combination of the tangy from the lemon and the sweet from the sugar or honey.
- The dressing must be added to the cooked potatoes while it is hot. This allows the dressing to be absorbed into the potatoes and not just coat it.
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