This healthy vegan potato salad was made without mayo, yet it’s creamy, satisfying, delicious, and comforting! It can be enjoyed during the grilling season in summer, or as a traditional side dish on Christmas Eve. The recipe is plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free), oil-free, protein-rich, light, guilt-free, and very easy to make!
Healthy vegan potato salad without mayo
I am a huge fan of potato salad, especially when it’s super creamy! However, I know how unhealthy a classic potato salad is because it normally contains mayonnaise and tons of oil. To me, potato salad should be a light dish and not a meal that makes you feel full and heavy.
That’s why I created this recipe for a vegan potato salad without mayo, which is actually guilt-free!
Perfect in Summer and Winter
The grilling season will start soon, and what do I love most about it? Potato salad, of course! I love all kinds of salads, whether it is pasta salad, bean salad, cucumber salad, or tomato salad. But since I grew up in Germany, as a child of Czech parents, it’s no wonder that I love a good German potato salad most!
Europeans, especially Germans, eat A LOT of potatoes! And we love potato salad! In our family, it was a tradition to eat a creamy potato salad on Christmas Eve! Because of these beautiful memories, I had to create my own vegan recipe for a creamy potato salad!
Even though I don’t live in Germany anymore, I still enjoy it with my boyfriend and my pet chicken Erna (she also loves potatoes, haha!).
How to make a vegan potato salad without mayo
- This recipe is seriously very easy to make and has only 5 simple steps! First, you need to chop the potatoes and veggies. Cook the potatoes in water until fork tender (which takes just 10 minutes). You don’t want them mushy, so don’t cook them too long.
- Meanwhile, you can prepare the oil-free dressing, which is also super easy. All you need to do is blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until completely smooth. What I love most about the dressing is that it’s made with healthy ingredients. I used cannellini beans (which add healthy plant-based protein), dairy-free milk, hemp seeds, and a few condiments.
- Finally, you can assemble the potato salad in a large bowl. And that’s it!
Eat it either right away or the next day. It actually tastes best a day later, but it’s also delicious on the same day. Check the easy instruction pictures below:
This salad never gets boring
Your friends will be very happy if you bring a homemade potato salad to a vegan potluck! It’s simply the best salad which you can enjoy together with friends and family. And it never gets boring because you can choose your favorite veggies.
Instead of peppers, you could use chopped tomatoes or celery, for example. I love that it’s so versatile and easy to make!
Which potatoes to use for the best potato salad?
I prefer using “all-purpose” potatoes such as Yukon Gold. Red or white potatoes also work well because they are waxy. If you love a mushy potato salad, go ahead and use starchy potatoes such as Russet. However, I love it when the potato salad has some texture and isn’t mushy.
Want to learn more about the different potato types? Check out this helpful chart!
How to store?
The potato salad tastes best when it’s cold, in my opinion, but you can also eat it right away when the potatoes are still warm! Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You will love this dish because it’s:
- Vegan
- Protein-rich
- Gluten-free
- Guilt-free
- Oil-free (no mayo)
- Low-fat
- Satisfying
- Comforting
- Creamy
- Hearty
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Perfect as a summer salad
- Much healthier than other potato salads
Tips for this recipe
- Use your favorite veggies (e.g. celery, tomatoes…).
- You can cook the potatoes whole (unpeeled, not chopped) a day in advance.
- Double the batch and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Prepare it a day ahead (it tastes best after 24 hours).
- Bring it to a vegan barbecue (BBQ) or surprise your co-workers.
Should you recreate this healthy German potato salad, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes! If you love salads, definitely also check out the following recipes:
- Vegan Lunch Bowl With Hasselback Potatoes
- Vegan Buddha Bowl
- Lebanese Fattoush Salad Recipe
- Brown Rice Salad Recipe
- Keto Coleslaw Recipe
- Mexican Avocado Salad (vegan)
Vegan Potato Salad
Video
Ingredients
Potato Salad:
- 2 pounds (900 g) waxy potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 green pepper chopped
- ½ red bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- ¾ cup chopped dill pickles
- Optional: olives, silver-skin onions
Dressing:
- 1 (15 oz) can white beans rinsed and drained (see notes)
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) plant-based milk
- ¼ cup (40 g) hulled hemp seeds or 1/3 cup of soaked cashews (see notes)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2-1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp sea salt + more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- fresh dill to taste
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.
- Peel and chop potatoes. You can leave the peel on for more texture if you prefer. Add potatoes to a medium/large saucepan and cover with water and some salt. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender (but not mushy!), then drain and set aside.
- Add cannellini beans, plant-based milk, hemp seeds (or soaked cashews), garlic cloves, mustard, lime juice, vinegar, and 1/2 tsp sea salt to a blender. Blend on high speed and scrape down the sides if needed until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes, chopped peppers, onion, and dill pickles. Pour over the dressing and stir to combine.
- Taste and add more salt/pepper/vinegar if needed. I added 1/2 sea salt in addition.
- Garnish with fresh herbs of choice and serve at room temperature or cold. Enjoy! It tastes actually best after 24 hours! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can use any white beans, e.g. Cannellini beans, Navy beans, or Great Northern beans. Use canned beans or cook them from dry.
- If you don't have hemp seeds, you can use either soaked cashews (soak in hot water for about 30 minutes or until soft) OR you could use 2 heaped tbsp of cashew butter or almond butter.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
„Simple and Delicious Vegan“ Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
I loved it! thank you so much for making these healthy recepies!
Thank you so much! 🥹❤️ That truly means a lot to me. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes, and I hope you find many more favorites! 😊🌱