This Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Salad is so rich and delicious you'd never know it's oil-free. Perfect for serving at a summer cookout or picnic. Made with a silken tofu Aioli, your non-vegan friends and family won't believe how much it tastes like the real thing!
Nothing says summertime quite like a cookout--and potato salad is a quintessential side dish to any great BBQ or picnic. But the classic American potato salad is made with mayonnaise (and sometimes hardboiled eggs). Thankfully, you can make a veganized version that's not only creamy and delicious, but it's also so good your non-vegan friends won't even know the difference. Plus this recipe for Vegan Potato Salad is oil-free, so it's actually healthy! Can it be true? Yes, it can.
You'll Love This Vegan Potato Salad Recipe Because It's:
- Quick & Easy
- Tastes just like the real thing
- Oil-free
- Gluten-Free
- Eggless & Dairy-Free
- The perfect vegan make-ahead side dish for any picnic, cookout, or BBQ
- Creamy and Delicious!
Is Vegan Potato Salad Healthy?
Like most recipes, vegan recipes can be healthy or unhealthy. It really depends on how they are made. This recipe is oil-free and uses a homemade, silken tofu-based mayo. Plus it's full of colorful veggies and potatoes, which are high in fiber, potassium, Vitamin C and B6. So this vegan potato salad can be called healthy!
Can I Make this Vegan Potato Salad Ahead of Time?
Definitely! In fact, I think it tastes even better after the potatoes and dressing have sat together for awhile in the fridge. Just hold off on adding the chives (or any garnish you choose) until you are ready to serve.
How to Make this Oil-Free Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Salad
To make this vegan potato salad, you start by chopping and boiling the potatoes. (As an alternative method, you can roast the potatoes in the oven, which is also delicious, but is somewhat less creamy).
While the potatoes are boiling, you can prepare the vegan oil-free aioli and chop the celery, onions, sweet pickles, and chives. Once the potatoes are fork-tender, just drain, rinse with cool water, and then start assembling.
Pouring the vinegar over the potatoes first will give them a nice acidic kick. Wait a minute or two, then add everything else except the chives (save those for a garnish).
After the vegan potato salad is assembled you can serve right away or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. This is a great make-ahead dish! Perfect for summer picnics--and since it has no eggs or mayonnaise, you don't have to worry about it spoiling on a hot summer day.
How to Store Vegan Potato Salad
You can store this vegan potato salad for 5 to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.
If this recipe for Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Salad speaks your language, you might also love:
- Oil-Free Oven Fries with Garlic & Oregano
- No-Bake Carrot Cake Bites
- Cilantro-Lime Avocado Dressing (Oil-Free!)
- Easy Oil-Free Tofu Nuggets
- No-Bake Pretzel Brownie Bites
Easy Creamy Vegan Potato Salad (Oil-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs yellow/gold potatoes
- 3 to 4 ribs of celery, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- ½ cup sweet pickles, diced
- ⅔ to 1 cup vegan mayo or aioli (see recipe link below)
- 2 tbsp yellow or brown mustard
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- fresh cracked black pepper
Optional
- 1 tsp sea salt or kala namak (kala namak adds an eggy flavor)
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes to remove any dirt or bad spots. Chop the potatoes into cubes (chop into quarters lengthwise and then chop each quarter into 2 to 4 cubes depending on the size of the potato). The cubes should be about the size of your thumb (but this is really a matter of personal preference).
- Add the potato cubes to a medium or large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender (about 10 minutes, depending on the size of your cubes).
- Using the instructions linked below, assemble the vegan oil-free aioli. (Alternatively, you could use vegan mayonnaise or unsweetened yogurt of choice).
- While the potatoes are cooking, assemble the other ingredients: dice the celery, onions, and sweet pickles. Chop or use kitchen shears to cut the chives.
- Drain and rinse the potatoes under cold water. Let the potatoes cool in the strainer for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are no longer warm.
- Add the potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour the vinegar over the potatoes and gently stir to combine. Let rest about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add all of the other ingredients except the chives. Gently fold the ingredients through the potatoes with a rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the potatoes.
- If serving right away top with the chives and enjoy! If you're making this dish ahead to serve later, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Top with chives just before serving.
Notes
- For this recipe I used yellow/gold potatoes. You can substitute with red potatoes, if you prefer.
- I like to keep the skins on the potatoes for more flavor and nutrition, but you can certainly peel them before boiling if that's your preference.
- I made this recipe using the vegan oil-free aioli linked below. This has a very strong garlic flavor. If you don't like raw garlic, simply omit and use as is. If using a storebought vegan mayo or yogurt and you want more garlic flavor, add 1 tbsp garlic powder in when you combine the ingredients.
- When adding the aioli or mayo, start with ⅔ cup. You can add more later according to preference.
- For a soy-free alternative, try using cashew or almond cream (boil 1 cup for 10 minutes, and then drain, rinse, and blend in a high-speed blender).
Recipe for: Oil-Free Vegan Aioli!
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