Our Vegan Potato Salad has no-mayo and is egg-free. But beyond that, it’s also absolutely loaded with flavor. Flavor and creativity are always top of mind when we develop recipes, and it’s a happy accident that this recipe turned out to be vegan. Which we think is a pretty good sign. You know it’s good when you accidentally make something vegan—just means it’s going to be a killer vegan potato salad!
What makes this salad so delicious is the simple tangy and savory vinaigrette we toss the potatoes in. White miso adds depth of flavor and nuttiness while vinegar brightens things up and za’atar adds an earthy herbiness.
How to Make Vegan Potato Salad
This recipe is quick and easy to make. We’ll cover the ingredients you need then we’ll talk through the simple process.
Ingredients
Red-Skinned Potatoes: the best type of potato for potato salads are waxy potatoes like fingerlings, new, and red potatoes. We like to use red potatoes here because they are gorgeous. But you can substitute with fingerlings or baby golds.
Oil and vinegar: we recommend using extra-virgin olive oil because it adds a nice fruitiness to the potato salad. Pair the evoo with rice vinegar which pairs wonderfully with the miso and za’atar. You can also use white wine vinegar or regular white vinegar.
White Miso: White miso is a type of miso paste (made from fermented soybeans) and is generally lighter in color and milder in flavor than other types of miso paste, such as red miso or barley miso. We recommend using white because of its mild nature. Find miso paste sold in the refrigerated section of your grocery store near the tofu. You can also buy miso online.
Za’atar: za’atar is a pungent Middle Eastern spice blend traditionally made of sesame seeds, dried marjoram, dried thyme, and sumac. It’s often served as a dip for bread, mixed with olive oil and salt but is also commonly sprinkled over meats and vegetables. It’s absolutely delicious in this potato salad! You can make a homemade za’atar spice blend or buy it online. Use the rest of your za’atar on our Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls or sprinkled over hummus or labneh for a quick tasty appetizer.
Sugar: just a touch of sugar balances out the tartness of the vinegar. You can use honey (if you aren’t following a strictly vegan diet) or pure maple syrup.
Toasted Sesame Oil: a splash of toasted sesame oil just round out all of the flavors and adds a certain robustness to the dish. Feel free to season the potato salad with more to taste. You can find toasted sesame oil in the Asian aisle of your grocery store or near the other cooking oils. You can also get it online.
Herbs: scallions and parsley add a bright herbiness to the salad. You can use any herbs you like and have on hand. Chives and cilantro are also great options. If you have leftover fresh herbs, be sure to store them correctly so they last longer!
Shallots: a small minced shallot adds just a bit of oomph to this salad. If you aren’t keen on raw shallots, give the minced shallot a quick rinse under cold water in a fine mesh sieve—this will rinse off some of its potency.
Instructions
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until fork-tender.
2. Toss the cooked drained potatoes with some of the vinegar and let cool.
3. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, miso, za’atar, sugar and sesame oil.
4. In a large bowl, toss the cooled potatoes with the miso vinaigrette, scallions, parsley and shallot. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional toasted sesame oil.
Helpful Tips
- Potatoes need a lot of seasoning—so when you think you only need a few pinches of salt, you probably need double that (be sure your cooking water is generously salted as well).
- Undercook your potatoes and you’ll suffer through a crunchy potato salad. Overcook them and you’re potato salad will turn into something resembling mush.
Start testing the potatoes for doneness 10 minutes into boiling. To do so, use a fork to gently pierce a few of the potato pieces. Is the potato still firm enough that it’s hard to pierce with a fork? Then the potatoes need more time. Continue to test every 1–2 minutes.
When you think they’re getting close to being done, start taste testing the pieces. They should be somewhat toothsome and tender, but not mushy.
Storage
This vegan potato salad can be made up to 2 days ahead of time (though it’s best served the day of making).
Store potato salad in a glass airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored this way, the potato salad will last 1 week.
Serving Suggestions
Potato salad is a natural pairing with anything BBQ and we love these Vegan BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches made with our Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.
Pair this salad with our Cauliflower Steaks and Chimichurri.
Fill out the side dishes on the menu with our Watermelon Tomato Orzo Salad or this Simple White Bean Salad.
FAQs
Potato salad can be very one noted and vinegar adds tang, balances out the savory flavors and just brightens the entire dish. We recommend any light vinegar like rice vinegar, white wine vinegar and white vinegar.
We’ve got two great options for you! Our Mushroom Veggie Burgers are so savory and delicious. You can also try our Ultimate Veggie Burgers which features black beans, lentils and tons of veggies.
No, brown sugar is not common in potato salad. A dash of white sugar is though.
Vegan Potato Salad Recipe
Description
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds red-skinned potatoes, cubed
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon za’atar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until fork-tender, 10–12 minutes.
- Drain potatoes, transfer to a baking sheet, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons vinegar; cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons miso, 1 tablespoon za’atar, 2 teaspoons Dijon, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
- Toss potatoes, ½ cup sliced scallions, ¼ chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons minced shallots with dressing to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
This sounds so delicious! Love that you added miso – one of my favorite ingredients. Can’t wait to make this at home!
Thanks Billy! I hope you enjoy it!
Can this be made ahead and kept cold and brought to room temp or?
Hi Leanne, great question! This can definitely be made ahead. One day ahead is the best, but it can be made up to two days ahead. I would store it in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator. Then pull it out about 30 minutes for serving!
Let me know how it goes, I love this recipe!