Best Potato Salad Recipe

How to Make Potato Salad

Potato Salad Ingredients:

• Baby or new potatoes – keep reading to learn why these are the best for this recipe!
• Celery – I’m not usually a big fan of raw celery, but it works perfectly in this recipe.
• Fresh dill
• Fresh Italian parsley
• Green onions
• Shallots
• Greek yogurt
• Sour cream
• Whole grain mustard – Dijon mustard would work too
• Fresh garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Lemon
• Salt & pepper

Why this is the BEST Potato Salad Recipe:

Potato salad is one of the most versatile summer sides, and is perfect at any gathering, picnic, or BBQ. Aside from my go-to Macaroni and Cheese, potato salad is one of my new favorite side dishes because of its versatility.

Most potato salad recipes are heavy on the mayonnaise, making it taste a little heavier. My brand new potato salad recipe is mayo free! This lighter potato salad dressing contains Greek yogurt and sour cream as its base, and contains a ton of fresh herbs, onions for zip, celery for crunch, as well as red wine vinegar and whole grain mustard, all melding together beautifully to make this potato salad absolutely FULL of flavor! The celery, green onions and shallots, and fresh herbs (fresh dill and Italian parsley) brighten and make the potato salad so earthy and delicious!

For the dressing, we are skipping the mayonnaise, and opting instead for the much lighter, but equally tasty, Greek yogurt and sour cream. We then round this deliciousness out by mixing in whole grain mustard, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper.

All these combined bring such a bright, summery, flavorful twist to the ultimate classic summer BBQ side dish!

What are the best potatoes for potato salad?

In this recipe, we use baby potatoes, or new potatoes. Different potatoes will give you different textures. We want our potatoes to hold their shape, without falling apart or becoming slightly mashed when mixing in the dressing. These baby or new potatoes are perfect for the lighter dressing we will be using, and will give you a deliciously light potato salad! I also love opting for the multi-colored bag at the store to make this look extra vibrant and beautiful.

Russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes would also work in a pinch.

How long do I boil the potatoes for?

This will depend on the size and variety of the potatoes you’re using, so go more on ‘feel’ than timing. They will probably need about 8-10 minutes boiling on the stovetop to cook, but test them regularly and stop cooking once they are just “fork tender” (meaning that you can easily pierce the potato pieces with a fork with little resistance).

Make sure you do not overcook the potatoes, or you will get a mushy potato salad! Once potatoes are cooked, drain the potatoes and run them under cold water to stop them from cooking any further.

Can I add eggs to this potato salad?

Sure! Feel free to add as many chopped hard boiled eggs as you wish.

Can this potato salad be made ahead of time?

Mostly. You can make all the components ahead of time, but I advise against mixing everything together until you’re about to serve. If it’s all mixed together, stored overnight and not served until the next day, the potatoes absorb a lot of the salt and flavor, so you will need to add more seasoning the next day. The salt will also leach out additional moisture from the potatoes, yogurt, and sour cream overnight, so it then pools on the bottom and loses its creaminess.

I also advise waiting until you’re about to serve to add the fresh herbs. As the herbs sit in the dressing, they will lose some of their color and fresh look, so they will appear dull and lifeless. If you want to make everything ahead of time, hold back some of the fresh herbs to add for presentation, so at least some of the herbs will look ultra fresh on top.

Can you freeze potato salad?

No, this potato salad cannot be frozen. The thawing process will change the texture of the dressing, and it will not be as creamy.

How long does potato salad last?

Potato salad should not sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. If covered and refrigerated, the salad will last 3 to 4 days. The potato salad will get soupy and the fresh herbs will lose some of their color, but it will still taste fine!