This delicious fresh herbed potato salad is so light and fresh, and packed with flavour! Warm potatoes are tossed in a simple herb-Dijon vinaigrette, absorbing all those delicious herby flavours. Naturally gluten free, this mayo-free potato salad is also vegan and egg-free.
This potato salad without mayo is so easy to make, and is perfect for BBQs, potlucks or parties as well as being a delicious side for a family dinner.
Don’t get me wrong, there is always a place for a classic potato salad; however sometimes it is nice to have a potato salad without mayonnaise; and this is where this herb potato salad comes in!
Instead of a creamy mayonnaise dressing, the dressing for this potato salad is a herbed oil, made with olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard and array of fresh herbs. It’s tangy, fresh, and packed with flavour.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Potatoes – the best potatoes for a potato salad are waxy potatoes because they hold their shape.
- If you are in the UK: Jersey Royals, Charlotte or new potatoes are beautiful in a potato salad like this one, especially if you don’t want to peel them. Or an all rounder like Desiree.
- In Australia: Colibon (baby ‘chat’ potatoes) have thin skins, an allrounder like Desiree, or waxy Dutch Cream or Kipfler.
- In America: like Red Bliss, fingerling potatoes, new potatoes, Yukon Gold or white potatoes.
- If you have some homegrown new potatoes in the veggie patch, they are so delicious in this salad!
- Dijon mustard – this tangy mustard adds a delicious flavour to the dressing.
- Olive oil – I recommend using EVOO for its flavour, however, feel free to use your favourite regular olive oil if you prefer.
- White wine vinegar – or use red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or fresh lemon juice.
- Fresh herbs – this salad uses a combination of fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh dill, fresh mint and fresh chives. If you don’t have parsley, have a look at these parsley substitutes; or fresh basil or tarragon would also be delicious!
- Spring onions – scallions / green onions – or use half a small red onion, thinly sliced.
How to make this potato salad without mayo
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Boil the potatoes: seasoning the water the potatoes are cooking in with salt helps season them from the inside and this adds to the overall flavour of the finished dish. Whether your potatoes are larger or smaller, or even a mixture of sizes, chop them so they are all roughly the same size. This helps them cook evenly.
- Drain the potatoes: and leave them to cool slightly – but not completely as they absorb the dressing better when warm! When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in to bite size cubes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, make the herb vinaigrette: in a large bowl whisk the olive oil with the vinegar and Dijon mustard. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper then whisk to combine.
- Add the warm potatoes to the herb vinaigrette: and then stir gently to combine – you don’t want to break up the potatoes. You can serve the herb potato salad immediately, or place in the fridge for a couple of hours to allow the flavours to develop.
FAQ
No, I do not recommend freezing this salad.
Soft herbs like parsley, chives, mint, dill, tarragon and basil are all delicious in potato salad.
My recipe tips
- Salt the potato water – the potatoes will absorb some of the salt, seasoning them from the inside out.
- Simmer the potatoes rather than rapidly boiling them – this prevents them from breaking down.
- Potato skin or no skin? I love the look of the salad with the potato skin still on, especially when using red skinned potatoes; however feel free to peel them before cooking if you prefer not to have the skins on them.
- The potatoes are cooked – when you can easily pierce them with a fork.
- Toss the potatoes gently in the herby dressing – to avoid breaking up the potatoes.
- Leftover herbs – if you have any leftover herbs, use them in this feta and herb platter, or add them to this sautéed silverbeet / Swiss chard (you can use spinach instead if you prefer.)
Serving Ideas
This salad is the perfect pairing for grilled meats, especially chicken, lamb or steak. It is also is a delicious side for salmon or other grilled fish, halloumi or roast veggies.
Make ahead/storage
Fridge: Store any leftover salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 3 days.
If you are wanting to make the salad ahead: I recommend cooked the potatoes and tossing in the dressing as per the recipe but adding the herbs at the last minute as they can lose their colour and darken.
Freezer: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Why not try…
You may also like these other easy side dishes:
Herbed Potato Salad
Author: Robyn
Ingredients
- 900g (2 lbs) small yellow or red potatoes
- ½ tablespoon salt for cooking the potatoes
Herby Vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
- 2 spring onions / scallions finely sliced
- Salt and black pepper to season
Instructions
- If you are using larger potatoes, chop them in half or into quarters. If using smaller potatoes, you can leave them whole.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot / pan and cover with water. Add ½ tablespoon salt.
- Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork.
- Drain then leave to cool slightly.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle (this takes around 5-10 minutes) cut into 1.5 cm (½ inch) cubes.
Make The Vinaigrette
- Whilst the potatoes are cooling, in a large bowl whisk the olive oil with white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, chopped dill, chopped mint, chopped chives, chopped scallions / spring onions, and season with salt and black pepper.
- Tip the warm potatoes into the dressing and toss gently to combine.
- Taste the salad to check for seasoning, adding a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. (Best served up to a few hours after making.)
Nutrition
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