Potato Salad without Mayo

Our mouthwatering Potato Salad without Mayo—it’s a must-try, bursting with flavor and the perfect side dish for your summer gatherings. This simple recipe begins with petite golden potatoes tossed in a delicious dressing that everyone will love!

This Potato Salad without Mayo

This potato salad is made without mayonnaise, making it a perfect choice for those looking for delicious dairy-free salad recipes. Rather than mayonnaise, this potato salad is made with a delicious blend of Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of vinegar. It’s so tasty that you’ll want to go back for more!

Growing up in an Italian-American family, our mom rarely used mayonnaise in her salads. Instead, she always prepared her salads with a simple vinaigrette, even for her most popular pasta salads.

And, if you’ve been following 2SR for a while, you might recognize some of her recipes, such as Maria’s Best Carrot Salad, Easy Italian Potato Salad, and Green Beans and Carrot Salad – Italian Style, to name a few.

The only difference with this potato salad and our mom’s recipe… is that we added some Dijon mustard and fresh dill. And, it turned out mouthwatering and delicious!

What makes this potato salad so special?

For one thing, the petite gold potatoes have a delicate skin and golden flesh, with a buttery and sweet taste.

Secondly, they are boiled until perfectly tender. Boiling potatoes perfectly is key. What does that mean?

If the potatoes are undercooked, the salad won’t turn out well. And, the same goes for if you overcook the potatoes, you will end up with a mushy potato salad that’s not very appealing.

Plus, it’s all about the dressing! The dressing makes this salad special because of its rich flavor in every bite of tender potatoes covered in zesty fresh herbs. It’s phenomenal—everyone will be returning for a second serving! 😉

What are the main ingredients?

For our Potato Salad without Mayo, you will only need 6 ingredients, plus a bag of small, petite golden potatoes.

What else makes the dressing?

The dressing consists of Dijon country-style mustard and fresh herbs like dill, thyme, and Italian parsley. Then we’ve added a good quality of extra virgin olive oil, some salt, and a splash of cider vinegar. Perfect! A simple vinaigrette that makes exquisite flavors in every bite? Makes this potato salad gourmet-worthy! ( the Italian way!)

How to cook these potatoes perfectly?

When boiling potatoes, and especially the petite potatoes, it’s important to remember these important tips:

• First, always boil the potatoes whole. Do not slice or cut them. Boil them “whole” in a pot filled with water.
• Second, salt the water. Toss in the pot about 2 teaspoons of salt into the water to flavor the potatoes while they’re boiling.
• Third, get a timer. You will need a timer, and set it for the approximate time needed to boil them ( it should say it on the package). Usually, the time to boil could be anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the small potatoes.
• Lastly, check on them. Use a fork or knife to poke a potato to see if it will go through easily. If it does, immediately drain and run cold water over them to stop the cooking process.

How To Make Potato Salad without Mayo?

This is a very easy recipe to follow, even if you have no cooking skills. Plus, no special equipment is required! Besides, our full printable recipe card is located at the bottom for your convenience. But first, let’s run through these three easy steps:

1. Boiling the Potatoes: Because these potatoes are very small, they don’t need a lot of time to boil. So you will need to keep an eye on them after 5 minutes. Depending on how small, it could be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. They need to be tender. So when you can slip a knife through one easily, they are done! Then drain them in a colander, and run cold water over them immediately for a few minutes to stop the cooking. Set them aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. Prep the Potatoes: Slice each potato in half and transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Add the Dressing: In a small bowl (or in a mason jar) add all the ingredients, whisk to blend. (NOTE: We prefer to toss everything in the bowl with the potatoes as in our photo below; it makes it easier.) Add the dressing to the potatoes, gently toss, then taste and adjust the seasonings and vinaigrette to your taste. Serve or chill for at least 30 minutes or more before serving.

Recipe Tips and FAQ’s!

• Can we Make Ahead? Yes! This is a great salad to make ahead, chill, and then serve.
• Allow to Marinate: The longer the potatoes marinate with the dressing, the more flavorful they become.
• Adjust the Dressing as Needed: Sometimes the potatoes will absorb some of the vinaigrette; no worries! Just add additional olive oil and vinegar to your liking.
• For Storing: These are great to keep chilled in the fridge and for up to one week (if they last that long). Best to cover them with clear wrap, transfer them to an air-tight container, and store them in the refrigerator.
• Can we make it Using Other Potatoes? Yes, you can. You can use larger potatoes, like golden potatoes, which are more flavorful than Russet potatoes. Be sure to keep an eye on them when boiling as well.
• Can we Use Other Herbs? You can make this potato salad to your liking. If you prefer other herbs, go for it! But always use “fresh herbs” to achieve the best flavor!
• What if we don’t have the country-style Dijon mustard, or it’s not available? You can use any brand of Dijon mustard with this recipe. Start with a small amount, about 1 teaspoon, and you can easily increase it to your liking.
• Can we Use Other Vinegars with this recipe? Yes. We have made this potato salad many times with either white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
• What can we serve this Potato Salad With? You can serve it with any grilled meats or poultry, like our grilled chicken with Dijon wine cream sauce, grilled sausages. Plus, hamburgers, hot dogs, or sandwiches.

More Delicious Salads

• Easy Italian Tomato Salad
• String Beans and Chickpeas Salad
• Chickpea Salad with Cucumbers and Peppers
• Easy Cauliflower Salad
• Best Broccoli Salad (Keto)

Don’t forget! If you make our potato salad with mayo recipe, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating!   Have fun and snap a photo, and share it on our Instagram, and be sure to tag us @2sistersrecipes.  We’d love to see what you cooked!

Happy and Healthy Cooking! 🙂

xo anna and liz