This simple red potato salad recipe is creamy yet light and refreshing with delightfully fresh herbs and flavors.
I LOVE a good potato salad. You know, the delicious homemade kind that just makes you think of childhood and picnics. Not too bland, not too vinegar-y, just right.
With this red potato salad, I wanted to see if I could keep the creaminess intact but also lighten things up a little by replacing some of the mayonnaise with olive oil. Then, to achieve maximum flavor I added fresh herbs like dill in addition to some Dijon mustard in the dressing. It's so delicious that I'll never go back to the all-mayo version!
Looking for more warm weather favorites? You'll love this jicama slaw and fresh berry salad. Or, make it a summer meal and pair this potato salad with these delicious turkey burgers and some fermented carrot sticks.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Lighter potato salad with less mayo
- Full of fresh, seasonal herbs
- Delicious and versatile summer side dish
- Saves well for make ahead meals
- Takes less than 30 minutes to make
🌿 Ingredients
The ingredients for this red potato salad are simple and also flexible. If you don't have one of the fresh herbs on hand or want to use the dried herb version, no worries! You can also substitute finely chopped shallots or onion for the scallions; it'll all still be delicious.
Pro tip: To add some extra protein to this side dish you can also add up to four hard-boiled eggs to this salad (see instructions below on how to make hard-boiled eggs.)
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
For the potatoes, first wash them off using a colander, chop into bite-size pieces and place them in a large pot. Then, add enough cold water to the pot to just cover them and sprinkle some sea salt over everything for extra flavor.
Pro tip: You can either leave the skin on or peel the potatoes in this recipe. I prefer to leave them on for extra texture, nutrients and fiber.
Then, place the pot over medium-high heat until the water is boiling. Once it boils, set a timer for 15 minutes and check the potatoes with a fork at that point. If they are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, they're ready. If not, boil a minute or two more and check again until tender.
Once they're ready, just drain in the colander and set aside to cool.
How to make hard boiled eggs
If you're using eggs in this recipe, you can multitask and cook them at the same time as you're boiling the potatoes. Easy peasy.
Place the eggs in a smaller pot and cover them with cold water just like you did with the potatoes. Then, heat them over medium-high heat until boiling, and cook for 14 minutes. Promptly remove from heat and drain the hot water (carefully) as you add cool water from the faucet.
Pro tip: Try not to pour cool water over the shells directly to avoid cracking them; just pour it into the warmer water as the hot water slowly drains off.
Set the pot with cool water aside to let the eggs cool naturally.
While the potatoes and eggs are cooking, you can get everything else prepped and ready for final assembly.
Chop the celery, herbs and scallions, and then mix the mayo, olive oil, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Once the potatoes have cooled down, combine everything in a large bowl, add some salt and pepper to taste, and you're done!
📋 Substitutions
As written, this potato salad recipe is dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian. Feel free to make any of the following substitutions as necessary:
- Red potatoes - substitute baby red potatoes or new potatoes
- Celery - use green bell pepper instead
- Scallions - substitute some finely chopped shallot or onion instead
- Fresh chives - use half the amount of dried chives, or leave out
- Fresh dill - use half the amount of dried dill
- Mayonnaise - substitute vegan mayonnaise for egg free and vegan potato salad, or use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt instead
- Olive oil - substitute avocado oil
- Champagne vinegar - use white wine vinegar or white vinegar instead
- Dijon mustard - substitute stone ground or yellow mustard
📖 Variations
Here are a few of my favorite variations on this recipe; they're all delicious, and you can combine more than one together to make your own creation!
- Red potato salad with egg - chop up to four hard-boiled eggs to add to the potato salad (see instructions above for how to make hard boiled eggs)
- Red potato salad with bacon - cook up to four slices of bacon, chop when cool and mix into the salad; you can sprinkle a few smaller bits on top for garnish
- Red potato salad with sour cream - replace the mayo with sour cream (this variation goes great with bacon as well!)
- Roasted red potato salad - instead of boiling the potatoes, you can roast them on a lined baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes instead; coat them with a little olive oil and sea salt just before roasting
🍱 Storage
Red potato salad will stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It does not stand up well to freezing.
🎉 Top tip
Red skin potato salad is a delicious side dish for burgers, grilled meats, cookouts, picnics and more. It saves well so you can easily have it prepped and made in advance of your event and store chilled for up to four days.
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
Yes, feel free to use baby red potatoes or new potatoes in this potato salad and simply halve or quarter them to make bite sized pieces before you boil them.
Yes; to make this potato salad egg free with no mayo, substitute sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise, or use vegan mayonnaise instead.
Once chopped into chunks, red potatoes should be placed in salted, boiling water for 15 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork.
Besides fresh herbs like dill and chives, you can add extra flavor, texture and nutrition to red potato salad by adding hard boiled eggs or bacon, or substituting Greek yogurt or sour cream for the mayo.
🍳 Recipe
Red Potato Salad with Dill
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Boil: Wash the potatoes, chop into bite-size chunks and place in a large pot filled with enough cold water to just cover them. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water starts boiling, set a kitchen timer to 15 minutes and then check the potatoes to see if they can easily be pierced with a fork. If not, boil for a minute or two longer and test again. Once they're done, drain and let cool in your colander.
- Prep: Chop the celery, scallions, chives and dill; set aside. Combine the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar and mustard in a medium bowl; stir well to incorporate everything.
- Combine: Once the potatoes are cool, place everything in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Garnish: Season with salt and pepper, garnish with extra fresh herbs and scallions if desired, and enjoy!
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