This creamy vegan potato salad is easy, and it’s a great make-ahead recipe for barbecues, putlocks, and summer cookouts.

For more summer salads, try our macaroni salad, broccoli salad, creamy pasta salad, and vegan tuna salad.

Vegan potato salad.
Vegan Potato Salad

When summer hits and the grill is sizzling, this is our go-to vegan potato salad.

Louise and I make this on repeat all season long because it’s comforting, flavorful, and effortlessly simple to prepare.

We mix perfectly cooked potatoes in a creamy, tangy dressing made from vegan mayo and just a few pantry-friendly ingredients.

If you’re building a summer spread, it goes beautifully alongside black bean burgers, chickpea salad, and focaccia bread.

It’s a staple for picnics, BBQs, or easy weeknight dinners when we pair it with store-bought plant-based burgers for an easy, satisfying meal.

Vegan potato salad.

Ingredients

Potato salad ingredients
  • Potatoes: We use Yukon Gold potatoes. Cook the potatoes with the peel, as they’ll absorb less water this way. Also, it’s effortless to peel them after boiling them.
  • Apple cider vinegar: We use it twice to drizzle on the boiled potatoes and once in the dressing. Substitute white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar.
  • Vegan mayo: You can use store-bought or homemade vegan mayo. Substitute half of the mayo for vegan sour cream.
  • Shallots: Substitute scallions or red onions for shallots, although red onions are sharper in flavor.
  • Celery: We use a fresh stalk, finely cut, to add crunch and freshness.
  • Mustard adds a mild, pleasant, spicy, and subtly bitter taste that perfectly fits this recipe. You can use regular yellow American mustard or Dijon mustard.
  • Pickled cucumbers or gherkins add a delicious tang and a delectable taste. Substitute pickle relish (if you like a touch of sweetness).
  • Herbs: We use chopped dill, chives, and flat-leaf parsley. You can also use fresh coriander.

How to make vegan potato salad

STEP 1: Boil potatoes. Add the potatoes to a pot with 1/2 gallon of cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then cook for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

Drain them, let them cool down for a few minutes, then peel them with the help of a paring knife.

hands and potato peeling

Chop the boiled and peeled potatoes into bite-size pieces and add them to a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle them with apple cider vinegar while still warm.

potatoes sliced into pieces

STEP 2: Make the dressing: To another bowl, add thinly sliced celery, finely chopped shallot, finely chopped dill, parsley, and chives, vegan mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, chopped pickles, salt, pepper, and optionally celery seeds.

Stir until well combined.

Pour the dressing into the bowl with the potatoes and toss gently until the potatoes are completely coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust for salt.

Vegan potato salad in a glass bowl

You can serve it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Transfer into a serving bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of paprika.

Dairy-free potato salad.

Variations

Our no-mayonnaise potato salad is delicious for a lighter potato salad.

vegan potato salad with vegan pesto

You’ll need the following:

  • 2 pounds (900 g) of Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 cup (160 g) chickpeas
  • 3 tbsp (40 g) hazelnuts
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 handful arugula
  • 1 handful of flat-leave parsley
  • 1 handful dill
  • ½ cup (120 g) potato cooking water
  • ¼ clove garlic
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) lemon juice
  • 2 green onions
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 pinch of black pepper

Scrub the potatoes, then cut them into 2 inches (0.5 cm) thin slices—no need to peel them.

Add one tablespoon of coarse sea salt and the potatoes in a large pot with 1 gallon of cold water.

Bring to a boil, then cook for 7 minutes when the water starts to boil.

Save one cup of potato cooking water, drain the potatoes, and rinse them under cold water to lower their temperature.

To a blender, add 1 slice of boiled potato, green oniondillparsley, the juice of half lemon, garlicsaltolive oil, potato cooking water, and black pepper, and blend for a few seconds.

To a large mixing bowl, add the potatoes, the dressing, chopped hazelnuts, and chopped arugula, and toss gently. Garnish with finely sliced green onions and serve.

Serving suggestions

Or you can have it for dinner, with plant-based meat options, either store-bought or homemade:

Questions

Where is potato salad from?

Traditional potato salad is believed to have originated in Germany and was brought to the US by German immigrants in the 19th century.

Is vegan potato salad gluten-free?

Yes, our recipe is gluten-free. However, read the label if you add other ingredients, such as vegan mayo.

Can potato salad give you food poisoning?

Traditional potato salad might cause food poisoning due to the eggs and mayonnaise in it.

Our vegan potato salad is unlikely to cause food poisoning as it contains no eggs, meat, or dairy.

Vegan potato salad and serving.

Storage

Make ahead: vegan potato salad is an excellent recipe to make ahead as it keeps well for 3 days. After one day in the fridge, the salad will taste even better as the flavors meld.

Refrigerator: you can store this vegan potato salad in an air-tight container or a bowl covered with a lid for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Freezer: Transfer the potato salad to a freezer-friendly container and keep it in the freezer for 3 months.

Thaw: to thaw it, remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator until completely thawed (it can take about 12 to 24 hours). You must thaw your potato salad in the refrigerator because doing it at room temperature will foster bacterial growth on the dish’s surface.

More Salad Recipes

If you tried this Vegan Potato Salad or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!

Vegan potato salad.

Vegan Potato Salad

5 from 8 votes
This creamy vegan potato salad is easy, and it's a great make-ahead recipe for barbecues, putlocks, and summer cookouts.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Potlucks, Side dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients 

FOR THE POTATOES

  • pounds of potatoes Yukon Gold
  • ½ gallon of cold water
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

FOR THE POTATO SALAD DRESSING

  • ¾ cup of vegan mayo
  • 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 stalk (2 oz) of celery + ½ teaspoon celery seeds optional
  • ½ cup of shallot
  • 2 tablespoons of mustard
  • 1 cup of fresh herbs dill, parsley, chives, or a mix of all
  • 4 pickled cucumbers
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of paprika

Instructions 

  • Add 2½ pounds of potatoes to a pot with ½ gallon of cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then cook for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
    Drain them, let them cool down for a few minutes, then peel them with the help of a paring knife.
    hands and potato peeling
  • Chop the boiled and peeled potatoes into bite-size pieces and add them to a large mixing bowl.
    Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar while still warm.
    potatoes sliced into pieces
  • To another bowl, add ¾ cup of vegan mayo, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 stalk (2 oz) of celery (thinly sliced), ½ cup of shallot (finely chopped), 2 tablespoons of mustard, 1 cup of fresh herbs (finely chopped), 4 pickled cucumbers (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
    Stir until well combined.
    Vegan potato salad sauce with herbs
  • Pour the dressing into the bowl with the potatoes and toss gently until the potatoes are completely coated in the sauce. Taste and adjust for salt.
    Transfer into a serving bowl and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of paprika
    Serve immediately or keep in the fridge for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld.
    Vegan potato salad with white spoon

Video

Vegan Potato Salad

Notes

Nutritional information is an estimate for 1 serving of vegan potato salad out of 8 servings.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Apple cider vinegar: sub white wine or red wine vinegar.
Vegan mayo: sub vegan sour cream for half vegan mayo.
Shallot: sub spring onions or red onion.
Pickled cucumber: sub pickled relish or any other pickled vegetable.
Fresh herbs: use one or more of dill, chives, parsley, and cilantro.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
Make ahead: this is an excellent recipe to make ahead as it keeps well for 3 days. After one day in the fridge, the salad will taste even better as the flavors meld. So make it half a day or one day ahead of time if you plan on bringing it to potlucks or picnics.
Refrigerator: you can store this vegan potato salad in an air-tight container or a bowl covered with a lid for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Freezer: transfer it to a freezer-friendly container and keep it in the freezer for 3 months.
Thaw: remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator until completely thawed (it can take about 12 to 24 hours).
You must thaw your potato salad in the refrigerator because doing it at room temperature will foster bacterial growth on the dish’s surface.
Never thaw food at room temperature; unless it takes less than 2 hours to thaw.
Once thawed, add 1 tablespoon of vegan mayo and a handful of freshly chopped parsley, give it a mix, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Potassium: 678mg, Dietary Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 332IU, Vitamin B6: 0.5mg, Vitamin C: 33mg, Vitamin E: 0.1mg, Vitamin K: 54µg, Calcium: 38mg, Folate: 33µg, Iron: 2mg, Manganese: 0.3mg, Magnesium: 42mg, Zinc: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or mention @theplantbasedschool on Instagram. We love hearing from you ⭐️ 💚.

Nico and Louise in front of the Consolazione church in Todi

Hi! We are Nico & Louise

We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.

Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.

5 from 8 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This potato salad is amazing even after just making! I even played with it due to lack of ingredients and it turned out fantastic. Can’t wait to serve it tomorrow!

    1. Fantastic, Kerri, I’m super happy you liked the potato salad 🙂
      Thank you for your comment here, we appreciate it.
      All the best,
      Louise