Best Country Vegan Potato Salad

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This Vegan Potato Salad is excellent for family gatherings and picnics. No one will ever realize it’s a low-fat, healthier version. I promise, if my family can’t tell, yours won’t either.

close up of vegan potato salad in white bowl

I am from the Carolinas where potato salad, coleslaw, and tomato sandwiches are necessary meal staples. This was a real issue for me after switching to a plant-based lifestyle because you know what all these foods require right? Mayonnaise!

brown wooden bowl full of potato salad

Potato salad made with vegan mayonnaise

The southern potato salad recipe I had used for 35 years called for mayo, and that wouldn’t work anymore due to the eggs and oil. This was a very sad realization for me.

But did it have to be? I decided to search for a compliant, heart-healthy mayonnaise option that would allow these foods to continue to be a part of my and my family’s lives.

vegan mayo in glass jar with tomatoes in background on wooden table
Low-Fat Vegan Mayo in only 5-minutes!

Unfortunately, I quickly found out that store-bought mayo options–though they were vegan–were certainly not healthy. They contained lots of artery-clogging oil and loads of fat.

Then, I ran across a recipe from Dr. John McDougall‘s wife, Mary McDougall.  She had this Easy Eggless Low-Fat Mayo recipe that tastes delicious.

One of my first tests was to try it in my decades-old southern potato salad recipe. It’s a recipe that has been in my family for years. I remember my grandmother preparing it for Sunday dinners after church when I was a child.

This new healthier version of potato salad has officially passed the test because no one has even noticed the difference!

brown wooden bowl with potato salad, white bowl of potato salad in background

Ingredients in vegan potato salad

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

How to make vegan potato salad

First, peel, wash, and dice the potatoes into bite-sized chunks that are about 1″ in size.

russett potatoes on wooden board being diced

While you’re chopping, now is a good time to go ahead and dice up the onion. I really love to use red or purple onion when making this because it makes the dish stand out beautifully, but you really can use almost any other onion such as white or yellow.

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

Add the diced potatoes (but NOT the onion) to a large pot of boiling water, and allow them to cook on medium-high until they are tender–approximately 15-20 minutes.

potato slices in large stock pot boiling

Be sure not to overcook the potatoes. You want them soft enough for a fork to go through easily but not cooked to the point of being mushy or falling apart easily.

Once the potatoes have finished cooking, use a colander to drain the cooked potatoes.

Add all other ingredients–onion, low-fat mayo, mustard (this is the refrigerator kind, not dry ground), garlic powder, parsley flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper.

mixing bowl with cooked potatoes diced, red onion, mayo, and spices

Just recently, I began adding a little Indian black salt to mine because it gives it just a hint of eggy flavor that the traditional potato salad has. It’s a great option to kick it up a notch.

Mix together thoroughly and serve. We love to make this no-egg potato salad for picnics and family gatherings.

Serving suggestions

When I take this vegan potato salad to family get-togethers, the bowl is always empty when I bring it home. These are some dishes that go well with potato salad whether you’re serving it at home or at a function.

Tips and substitutions

  • Potatoes- This vegan potato salad can be made with many different types of white potatoes. Traditionally, Russets or even yellow potatoes.  Sometimes I make this with red potatoes and leave the skins on for a more nutritional bang!
  • Cook time- Don’t overcook the potatoes because they will become too soft and mushy–more like mashed potatoes than potato salad.
  • Secret ingredients- The Vegan Mayo along with the perfect amount of salt and pepper are key ingredients here. After you’ve made it, if it needs a little tweaking to suit your taste preference, these are the three ingredients to adjust.
overhead shot of potato salad in white scalloped bowl and wooden bowl with wooden spoon

*Originally published August 2015.

Other great side dishes

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

close up of vegan potato salad in white bowl
4.49 from 29 votes

Vegan Potato Salad

This vegan potato salad is excellent for family gatherings and picnics. No one will ever realize it's a low-fat, healthier vegan version. I promise, if my family can't tell, yours won't either.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 6 medium-large potatoes
  • 1 small onion (purple onion makes it prettier)
  • 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish with a little juice
  • 1-2 rounded tablespoons low-fat vegan mayo Homemade Mayo Linked
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (not dry mustard)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
  • 1 pinch smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to your taste preference
  • Black ground pepper
  • 1 pinch Indian black salt optional for eggy flavor

Instructions

  • First, peel, wash, and dice the potatoes into bite-sized chunks that are about 1″ in size. While you’re chopping, now is a good time to go ahead and dice up the onion.
  • Add the diced potatoes (but NOT the onion) to a large pot of boiling water, and allow them to cook on medium-high until they are tender–approximately 15-20 minutes. Be sure not to overcook the potatoes. You want them soft enough for a fork to go through easily but not cooked to the point of being mushy or falling apart easily.
  • Once the potatoes have finished cooking, use a colander to drain the cooked potatoes.
  • In a large bowl, add all other ingredients–onion, low-fat vegan mayo (try my homemade version), mustard (this is the refrigerator kind, not dry ground), garlic powder, parsley flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper. Just recently, I began adding a little Indian black salt to mine because it gives it just a hint of eggy flavor that the traditional potato salad has. It’s a great option to kick it up a notch.
  • Mix together thoroughly and serve. We love to make this no-egg potato salad for picnics and family gatherings.

Video

Notes

Tips & Substitutions
    1. Potatoes- This vegan potato salad can be made with many different types of white potatoes. Traditionally, Russets or even yellow potatoes.  Sometimes I make this with red potatoes and leave the skins on for more nutritional bang!
    2. Cook time- Don't overcook the potatoes because they will become too soft and mushy--more like mashed potatoes than potato salad.
    3. Secret ingredients- The Vegan Mayo along with the perfect amount of salt and pepper are key ingredients here. After you've made it, if it needs a little tweaking to suit your taste preference, these are the three ingredients to adjust.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 4g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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19 Comments

    1. Hi Cindi, yes, it just means one package of tofu. They do come in slightly different weights, but I haven’t found that to be a problem.

  1. Is it really just 1 tablespoon of mayo for all those potatoes? Thanks, it looks really good, but it doesn’t seem much!

    1. Ha! Admittedly, I do add a ‘heaping’ tablespoon full (which is probably closer to 2 Tbsps) because I love the creamy texture and taste. 😀

  2. This was great! I did a few tweaks for personal preference. Definitely will be making this over and over. Thank you! 🙂

  3. Is this a typo on the amount of mayo?It seems like it would be really dry with only 1 T of mayo for that many potato

    1. Hi JoAnn- It’s actually a ‘heaping’ tablespoon of mayo which would equal out probably to be more like 1.5-2 level tbsp. It’s really just for flavoring and does quite well. I would suggest starting with 1 heaping Tbsp and taste testing for your preference. You can always add more if desired. Hope you enjoy it!

  4. Just made the potato salad and it’s fantastic. I must have had bigger taters because the mayo mixture wasn’t enough. Just added more. Thank you thank you for your recipes! I love them.

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