Vegan Potato Salad

Vegan potato salad is the perfect picnic or barbeque side dish. Creamy and full of veggies, this classic vegan potato salad recipe is so delicious that you won't believe it's vegan! Make this beautiful salad in 15 minutes!

With summer right around the corner, we often barbeque. And this vegan potato salad recipe is essential for your next BBQ. My mom made the best classic potato salad on our street when I was a kid. Whenever we had people over to BBQ, my mom's potato salad was the first empty bowl on the picnic table. 

Jump to:

• Salad Ingredients
• Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• Dressing Ingredients
• Dressing Substitutions
• How to Make the Salad
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Other Great Vegan BBQ Recipes 
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Since becoming plant-based, I have been on a mission to continue to eat my favorite foods but vegan versions. So, I took my mom's recipes and 'veganized' them to taste healthier and even better. And nothing tastes better with a burger or a carrot dog than a heaping serving of potato salad.

Although making this salad is easy, I figured out how to make this vegan potato salad recipe even easier than Mom used to make. 

Salad Ingredients

I made this salad so often with my mom throughout childhood that I could do it without a recipe. So once I figured out a way to make vegan potato salad taste like my mom's recipe, I wrote it down to make it whenever I go to my next picnic or BBQ. 

• Potatoes: I used peeled baking potatoes for this recipe. I prefer using a vegetable chopper to cut the potatoes uniformly and the other ingredients in the salad.
• Dill: If I had to pick a favorite herb, dill would win! Dill has a deliciously fresh, citrus-like taste with a slightly grassy undertone. 
• Red Bell Pepper: I love the flavor of red bell peppers. Red peppers are said to be the sweetest and juiciest bell peppers. They are fully ripe and the most mature. Since they are fully ripe, they contain more nutrients than the other peppers (including vitamins A and C.
• Celery: Potato salad isn't potato salad without celery. Celery is both mild and strong at the same time. It's watery but also salty in an unusual way with a lingering bitterness.
• Red Onions: Red onions are subtly sweet and mild enough to eat raw. 
• Green Onions: I added green and red onions for a sweet and mild combination of onions. And I love to include the green ends of the green onions as well.
• Parsley: Parsley adds a freshness to the potato salad.

Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Any potatoes work well. Cut them into equal sizes to cook at the same rate when boiling.
• Any color bell pepper works well. Green ones are a little harsher, while yellow or orange varieties are milder in flavor.
• Tarragon is a great herb to add to potato salad.
• Also, adding some spice to potato salad is a great option.
• Yellow onions are an excellent replacement for red onions, but they tend to be stronger, so if you use yellow onions, I suggest skipping the green onions.

Dressing Ingredients

• Raw cashews: I love using organic raw cashew to make a creamy dressing. Soak the cashews overnight, or for a quick and easy way to soften them, boil them for 10 minutes, drain, and blend.
• White vinegar: I like white wine vinegar with this dressing. White vinegar has a strong, sharp flavor profile. It smells and tastes very sour. It's made by fermenting grain alcohol (similar to vodka), which produces acetic acid.
• Yellow mustard: Yellow mustard has a crisp, tart-and-tangy flavor.
• Water: Water thins the dressing and acts as an emulsifier.
• Garlic powder or fresh garlic: I prefer fresh garlic over jarred garlic or garlic powder.

Dressing Substitutions

• Substitute silken tofu or white beans for a nut-free option.
• Choose dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard for a more savory taste.
• Add a small amount of cayenne or red pepper flakes for some spiciness.
• Try adding chopped dill pickles for a zesty addition.
• Use your favorite jarred vegan may and stir in mustard and garlic.
• Some people prefer apple cider vinegar instead for a more tart taste.

How to Make the Salad

• So, I peel and cut my potatoes first using the 13.6 mm dicer. Then, when all the potatoes are cut, I rinse them again to remove excess debris. 
• Once I peel and cut my potatoes, I place them in a large pot and cover them with cold water.
• Next, I boil the potatoes for 8 minutes and rinse them in cold water to stop cooking. 
• While the potatoes are boiling, chop all the vegetables and make the dressing.

• Make sure the potatoes are cool before assembling the salad. Then, gather the ingredients in a large bowl.

• Next, pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine.
• As with most salads, it is best to refrigerate it after it's dressed to have all the flavors come together. 

Simply changing a few ingredients and herbs, and the possibilities are endless. Consider giving it an Italian or Greek potato salad flare. Or, if you like your potato salad warm, German potato salad is always a nice change. But if you're feeling spicy, a Cajun-inspired potato salad may be fun! The possibilities are endless.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• If meal prepping, peel and cut the potatoes, and place them in cold water until you are ready to boil them.
• Using a vegetable chopper for both the potatoes and the other vegetables is a time-saver and helps keep the vegetables uniform.
• To test if the potatoes are cooked, remove one piece and piece with a fork. If tender, remove the pan from the stove and drain it in a colander.
• Running cold water over the potatoes in the colander is a fast way to cool the potatoes down to make the salad.
• Leave the skin on the potatoes for added nutrition.
• Use silken tofu or white beans in the dressing instead of nuts for a nut-free option.
• This salad is also gluten-free.

Summer is here, and it's BBQ season. Don't skip your favorite foods because any recipe can be 'veganized,' like vegan potato salad. As a result, you are eating healthier and enjoying the same great foods, just plant-based versions. 

Other Great Vegan BBQ Recipes 

If you love our vegan potato salad, give it a 5-star rating and comment below! We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe