The Best Vegan Potato Salad You’ll Ever Eat

Jump to Recipe
Just as creamy as classic potato salad but so much better for you and more flavorful! This mayo-free vegan potato salad features perfectly tender potatoes coated in a creamy, tangy dressing that’s packed with fun flavors and takes just 30 minutes. Perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, and picnics. 
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 25 minutes
Total 30 minutes
5 from 168 votes

This vegan potato salad is guaranteed to make you the star of your next summer BBQ or potluck.

It feels funny to write that because, well, I used to hate potato salad. The potato salad I grew up on was dowsed in gloopy mayonnaise, served out of industrial-sized plastic buckets at school events and fundraisers. Yuck.

But, here I am, two decades later, sharing a potato salad recipe that I genuinely love. It features perfectly cooked baby potatoes coated in an incredibly creamy dressing that’s tangy and packed with so many fun flavors. Plus, despite being made without mayo, it’s perfectly creamy and indulgent while still being pretty wholesome.

Table of Contents
1. Why you’ll love this recipe
2. Ingredient Notes
3. Step-by-step instructions
4. Tips for making this recipe
5. Frequently asked questions
6. Recipe Card

creamy vegan potato salad with dilll in a white bowl on a green backdrop

Why you’ll love this recipe

Replacing mayonnaise with something better. If you grew up in the United States, you probably have at least one childhood memory of a repulsive potato salad drenched in mayonnaise.

Here, that’s not a problem because mayo is replaced by a combination of tahini and coconut yogurt, two plant-based superstar ingredients. They add creaminess and flavor without weighing the potatoes down. The result is a potato salad that’s not only unbelievably delicious, but also gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and without added oil.

Way more flavorful than classic potato salad. A traditional potato salad always felt lacking in flavor to me (perhaps, I couldn’t taste the flavors because all I picked up was copious amounts of mayo). So, I carefully crafted this recipe to add lots of punchy and fun flavors.

ad for meal plans program with picture of woman with button

It’s tangy from two kinds of mustard as well as capers, fresh and citrusy thanks to lots of dill and lemon, sharp from red onions and chives, earthy and vegetal from celery seeds, and has a unique kick thanks to jalapeño peppers.

Summer perfect and easy. Potato salad is a quintessential summer recipe, and I promise that one bite of this recipe will bring the taste of summer. Bring it potlucks, barbecues, and picnics! Plus, it’s easy to make ahead of time and can be made in 30 minutes.

For more perfect-for-summer non-traditional salads, be sure to try my Actually Good Quinoa Salad, Vegan Pasta Salad, Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad, Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad, or Charred Corn Salad with White Beans.

close-up of vegan potato salad with onions and jalapeno peppers visible.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

This ingredient list for this vegan potato salad deviates from the standard gloopy mayo-based potato salad in a few important ways.

flatlay of ingredients for vegan potato salad with ingredients labeled

Red potatoes. A waxy, thin skinned potato works best here. Their small size mean they cook quickly and they hold their shape well. See the Tips section for alternatives and additional detail.

Tahini. Tahini adds a creamy and slightly nutty flavor to the potato salad, enhancing its richness and depth. My preferred brands are Soom Tahini, Seed + Mill, Beirut Tahini Sesame Paste, and Baron’s (affiliate links).

Unsweetened coconut yogurt: Coconut yogurt provides a delightfully tangy taste. I recommend using the best variety you can find, as it’s a key ingredient. My favorite coconut yogurts are thick and tangy: CocoJune, Culina, and GT’s CocoYo. And this should be obvious, but you need to use a plain, unsweetened variety (no one wants raspberry-flavored potato salad!

Substitute: If you can’t find a good-quality plain coconut yogurt, you can use use vegan sour cream. My preferred brands are Kite Hill Foods and Tofutti. If using sour cream, you’ll likely need to use less lemon juice and salt.

Mustard. Dijon mustard and yellow mustard combine to lend a sharp and tangy flavor, which helps to balance the richness of the other ingredients.

Celery seeds. Celery seeds contribute a subtle and slightly bitter flavor, reminiscent of celery, which complements the other ingredients and adds a pleasant herbal note.

Fresh dill leaves. Fresh dill leaves offer a fresh and herbaceous taste, bringing a unique and vibrant flavor to the potato salad. I know not everyone is a huge fan of dill. If you’re not, substitute with flat-leaf parsley or just use less.

Capers and caper brine. They add tangy and briny flavor, providing a unique and slightly acidic taste that complements the other ingredients.

Substitute: Don’t have capers? You can substitute them with 1 finely chopped dill pickle and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pickle juice.

Jalapeño pepper (optional). If included, jalapeño pepper adds a spicy kick to the salad, balancing the flavors with its heat.

Step-by-step instructions

Cut small potatoes in half (larger potatoes in chunks) and cover with cold water; season with salt. Simmer just until tender – a fork pierced into the potatoes should offer the slightest bit of resistance. Drain the potatoes and rest in the colander for 5 minutes to dry out but keep warm.

baby red potatoes steaming in a colander

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the tahini, coconut yogurt, and mustards.

ingredients for potato salad dressing

Add in the garlic, lemon zest and juice, celery seeds, caper brine, salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing until well combined.

ingredients for potato salad dressing

Add in 1 tablespoon of the chopped dill and stir to combine.

woman's hands whisking dill into potato salad dressing

Coat the warm potatoes in the dressing, gently tossing.

woman's hands tossing potatoes in dressing for vegan potato salad

To the potato salad, add the capers, red onions, jalapeños (if using), and toss gently.

adding onions and capers to potato salad

Finish with the remaining dill and chives, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

adding chives and dill to vegan potato salad

Serve warm or chill for at least one hour.

closeup photo of vegan potato salad with dilll in a large white bowl

Tips for making this recipe

Pick small, waxy potatoes

For potato salad, you want distinct pieces of potatoes, not mushy blobs stuck together So a waxy, thin-skinned potato is best, as they have the least amount of starch and keep their shape when boiled. Thin-skinned potatoes also cook more quickly, and to keep things even speedier, I use small-sized potatoes (they cook in just 8 to 12 minutes).

The most common varieties of small, waxy potatoes to use in this recipe: baby red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and new potatoes. At some grocery stores, you might also find “peewee potatoes” (also great and very cute).

If you can only find full-sized red potatoes, cut them into chunks about the size of the halved baby potatoes (see the photos in in the “how to make vegan potato salad” section for a visual reference). And if you can only find Yukon gold potatoes, these are your next best bet. They are not as waxy, but also not as starchy as Russets (I do not recommend using those in this recipe). Again, cut them into chunks.

Cook potatoes in cold water and season with salt

Cooking potatoes in cold water helps them cook more evenly. They’re dense little guys and require more time to heat through than most other veggies (are potatoes considered veggies? thoughts?). Adding them to boiling water can lead to mushy on the outside and undercooked on the inside.

And seasoning the water with salt is essential for a rounded depth of flavor. If you wait to add salt at the end, it won’t penetrate into the interior of the potatoes.

Don’t overcook the potatoes!

Soft potatoes are great for creamy mashed potatoes, but not for potato salad. For reference, I simmered these baby red potatoes for just 8 minutes.

Tip: To test whether the potatoes are done, insert a fork into a potato. It should give just the slightest resistance. You do NOT want to wait until they fall apart when forked.

Allow the potatoes to dry

I allow the potatoes to briefly dry in a colander for 5 minutes to drain off excess water. Drier potatoes will enable the dressing to better cling to each potato, making for a delightfully saucy potato salad.

Dress the potatoes while warm

The nice thing about making a non-mayo-based potato salad, is that you can serve it warm (if you wish). I love serving it warm after making it – it feels a little more grown up and elegant. And since we’re not using any egg-based ingredients, it’s okay to dress the potatoes while warm. Dressing while the potatoes are still warm helps them absorb more of the dressing and the flavors.

That said, if you have leftovers, this potato salad is also very tasty once chilled.

creamy vegan potato salad with dilll in a white bowl with garnishes on a green backdrop

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I serve potato salad with?

This potato salad makes a wonderful addition to any barbecue, potluck, or picnic. It would be just perfect next to a veggie burger or some charred veggies hot off the grill.

It would work beautifully alongside these grilled tofu skewers. And I have a whole guide to vegan grilling for you to check out.

For a comfort food pairing, serve alongside my Crispy Baked Mac and Cheese.

And if you have my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, this potato salad would be FABULOUS with the Baked Beans in Chapter 2.

Can I make this ahead of time? How do I store it?

Sure, if you don’t care to serve it warm, you can certainly make it ahead. It will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

How can I customize this potato salad?

Glad you asked! There are lots of options.

Substitute the capers for pickles (see the “notes” in the recipe card). Swap the celery seeds with finely celery leaves (or thinly sliced celery).

Not a dill fan? Add some parsley for color and freshness instead. You can also replace the chives with thinly sliced scallions. Got baby mouth? Skip the jalapeño. Or for more tangy, add a spoon or two of pickled jalapeños.

For a nutrition punch, add 1/2 cup of blanched green beans or asparagus, or thinly sliced raw radishes, red/yellow bell peppers, or finely shredded red cabbage. The potato salad is quite saucy so it should be able to coat this amount of veggies.

closeup photo of vegan potato salad with dilll on a white platter

Watch! How to Make Vegan Potato Salad

The Only Potato Salad Recipe You'll Ever Need
The Only Potato Salad Recipe You'll Ever Need

If you love this herbed vegan potato salad, please leave a rating and review with your feedback and tag me on Instagram with your remakes :)

The Best Vegan Potato Salad

5 from 168 votes
Just as creamy as classic potato salad but so much better for you and more flavorful! This mayo-free vegan potato salad features perfectly tender potatoes coated in a creamy, tangy dressing that’s packed with fun flavors and takes just 30 minutes. Perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, and picnics. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet Vegan
Serving size: 6 to 8

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds (900g) baby red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or new potatoes

Dressing

  • ¼ cup (56g) tahini well-stirred
  • 4 ounces (112g) unsweetened coconut yogurt*
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed with a press or finely minced
  • 1 medium lemon, zested (2-3 teaspoons zest)
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds (optional but recommended)**
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • ⅓ to ½ cup (5 to 8g) fresh dill leaves, finely chopped***
  • 1 tablespoon caper brine****

Salad ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • ½ cup (50-55g) thinly sliced or shaved red onions
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced (this is optional; keep the seeds in for a spicy kick)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped chives (or thinly sliced scallions)
  • Flaky sea salt

Instructions

  • Wash and scrub the potatoes but leave the peels on. Cut baby/new/fingerling potatoes in half; cut larger potatoes into chunks.
  • Transfer the potatoes to a saucepan and cover with an inch of cold water. Season generously with kosher salt. Bring to a simmer and maintain a decent simmer for 8 to 12 minutes until just tender. If the fork pierces the potatoes with the slightest bit of resistance, the potatoes are done.
    Note: For reference, the halved baby red potatoes I used took only 8 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, Dijon mustard, yellow mustard, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, celery seeds, caper brine (not the whole capers), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper until well combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped dill and stir together.
    Note: If the dressing is too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of cold water.
  • Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander (reserve a little of the cooking liquid in case it's needed). Let the potatoes rest in the colander for 5 minutes to dry out, but don’t wait until they have cooled down.
  • Add the warm potatoes to the dressing and coat evenly and well. If needed, add a spoon of the cooking water to bring everything together (I didn't need to).
  • Add the capers, red onions, and jalapeños to the potato salad, and toss again gently. Sprinkle the remaining dill and the chives on top before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve warm, or chill for at least 1 hour.

Notes

* If you can’t find a good-quality plain coconut yogurt, you can use use vegan sour cream. My preferred brands are Kite Hill Foods and Tofutti (this one is quite thick, so you might need to add a spoon of water). If using sour cream, you’ll likely need less lemon juice and salt. 
** If you don’t have celery seeds but have celery salt, substitute 1:1 and use ½ teaspoon kosher salt instead of 1 teaspoon. Or, add 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves when you add the dill to the dressing.
*** Use the lower end if you’re not a big fan of dill (I love dill, so I use the full ½ cup)
**** Don’t have capers? You can substitute them with 1 finely chopped dill pickle and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pickle juice.

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 540mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @rainbowplantlife and hashtag it #rainbowplantlife

Leave a Comment & Rating

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating along with your comment! It helps others discover my blog and recipes, and your comments always make my day :) Thank you for your support!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe




261 comments on The Best Vegan Potato Salad You’ll Ever Eat

  1. Michelle

    5 stars
    Wow! I cannot believe how good this is. I am a novice cook and most of the time really hate the dishes I make even when I follow a recipe. Now rainbowplantlife is the only blog I follow for recipes since they always come out perfect!! Thank you so much. <3 This meal felt both yummy and nutritious. Was so good And filling I didn’t even eat the main course I prepared with it!

    For this dish, do you think I could just keep the small potatoes whole? I’m wondering if it would change the flavor. I am a slow chopper and I think this would really cut down on my cook time. I spent 30 min just chopping potatoes :(. Other than my slow chopping this recipe was a really quick to make.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi there Michelle, we are thrilled you love the potato salad! And yes, you can definitely eat the potatoes whole as long as they’re small enough. If not, you could add the potatoes to a food processor and pulse a few times. Happy cooking!

  2. Jackalyn

    5 stars
    Potato salad is one of those dishes I hated from my pre-vegan days. But Nisha has turned me into a believer with so many other ingredients and dishes that I had to try for the sake of science. I’m sooo glad I did! Her potato salad so flavorful and easy to make, it’s a new regular in the rotation — words I’m shocked and delighted to say.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      We agree with you! Nisha’s rendition definitely knocks all other potato salads out of the park! Thanks for the great review Jackalyn :)

  3. Amanda

    5 stars
    Best potato salad I’ve ever tasted!!!
    All of your recipes are amazing!!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thank you for the awesome review, Amanda!

  4. Elsa

    5 stars
    I made this today and was absolutely fantastic. Flavor galore, such a great combo! Thank you, Nisha!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for the lovely feedback, Elsa!

  5. Kristen

    5 stars
    Made this to bring to a picnic tonight but contemplating keeping it for myself and buying store bought potato salad on the way….

    So creamy and good!!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      LOL, glad you loved this recipe! I hope you brought the version to the picnic and were able to show them how tasty vegan potato salad can be! ;)

  6. Gloria

    5 stars
    I made this Herbed Potato Salad. It was the best potato salad that I have ever made. I am not vegan but every thing I made from your recipes turned fabulous. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. You are so beautiful, smart and awesome!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Love to hear that, Gloria! Thanks for giving our recipes a shot despite not being vegan! :)

  7. Chris

    5 stars
    Third time making this in 2 weeks, love it that much. And everyone who’s had it loved it just as much!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      We love to hear that, Chris! So happy you’re enjoying the recipe.

  8. Aashish R

    5 stars
    I made this and it was delicious! My whole family loved it.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      So great to hear that, Aashish!

  9. Michelle H.

    5 stars
    Nisha I made this potato salad for our 4th of July family celebration and it was accompanied by the traditional one made by my MIL. I would say this one is packed with flavor and I felt good that I was serving a side dish safe from the warm weather. Loved the crunch of the red onion and the tang of the capers with the brine. Yum thank you.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome, Michelle. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  10. Whitney Cook-Oleman

    Excited to make these with dinner tonight!! Would it be worth using the instant pot with the potatoes? How long do you think it would take? :)

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi there Whitney, it’s up to you! If you’re using baby potatoes like we did, they are really quick on the stove, as mentioned in the recipe card. If you’re using the instant pot, we would suggest adding some water to the instant pot, put the potatoes in a steamer basket, and pressure cook them for 5 minutes with a quick pressure release.

  11. Nancy Halloran

    5 stars
    This was fantastic. A real hit. This is the first time I’ve ever used fresh dill. What a great flavour. We are new and this is our first plant based summer season. It will be a go-to for sure.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      The first time you’ve used fresh dill?! How exciting! So happy to hear you love the recipe, Nancy :)

  12. Laura

    5 stars
    This may be the best potato salad I’ve ever tasted. It’s so good that next time I may add some tofu and a green veg (broccoli? Green beans?) so I can make it the main course.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Great idea, Laura! So thrilled you thoroughly enjoyed the recipe!

  13. Charlene

    Everything I prepare from your recipes is the most delicious meal. When I discovered you on youtube I already had your cookbook and was enjoying the instant. My vegan heart sings! Thank you

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thank you for the kind words, Charlene!

  14. Sara M

    5 stars
    Best Tater Salad EVER! So much pow, pop, and wow in my mouth. I used shallots because I had a lot of them on hand and I like ‘em better than red onions. We’re having this today with leftover Charred Corn Salad and Baked Beans. Yum!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Isn’t this potato salad amazing, Sara?! Thanks for the wonderful review!

  15. Krista

    Outstanding. This will be my go-to salad for summer get-togethers. Thank you. You are my one-stop shop for delicious vegan recipes. I know every one I try will be delicious!

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Hi Krista, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!

  16. Sophie

    5 stars
    I served this at an outdoor gathering for 20 people so I tripled the recipe. It was delicious, and I appreciated not having to worry about giving everyone salmonella poisoning with the vegan dressing. The leftovers are still delicious and didn’t dry up at all, unlike mayo-based potato salad. I’m not a dill fan so I replaced it with tarragon, which worked great. Thank you for another great recipe!

  17. Renee

    5 stars
    I accidentally bought vanilla unsweetened coconut yogurt but I don’t think it drastically affected the flavor. I loved this dish! It was perfectly tangy and I definitely prefer it over non-vegan potato salad.

  18. s

    5 stars
    I had this warm and used the potatoes I had available (a mix of white, orange sweet potato and purple inside Japanese sweet potato) and it was delicious. It also tasted good cold. the flavours intensified.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Awesome. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!

  19. Gwen Greco

    5 stars
    WOW a burst of flavor!! Closed my eyes after the first bite to admire the deliciousness. I would eat this everyday, truly. Perfect for the warmer days ahead, too.

    1. Support @ Rainbow Plant Life

      Thanks for the lovely feedback, Gwen!

  20. AVey

    Did you just call me “baby mouth”? 😂🤣❤️

Development Alchemy + Aim