Say goodbye to heavy, mayo-laden salads and hello to this extraordinarily delicious herbaceous delight! Featuring tender baby potatoes tossed with crisp veggies, plenty of fresh herbs, and a tangy vinaigrette made with garlic, dijon, and extra virgin olive oil, this Potato Salad without Mayonnaise gives bold flavors—without the heavy gloopy texture. Perfect served warm, cold, or at room temperature, this crowd-pleasing herbed potato salad is ideal for every occasion.
Boil the Potatoes: Add 2 ½ quarts of COLD water to a large saucepan or pot. Then, add the cut potatoes and bring the water to a gentle boil over high heat (SEE NOTES). Once boiling, add 2 tablespoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the water. Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Let the potatoes simmer, stirring occasionally, until they're fork tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, drain the potatoes in a colander, and then transfer the warm potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, Make the Mayo-Free Vinaigrette Dressing: To a small bowl, add the oil, garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, Dijon, and crushed red pepper flakes, along with a generous pinch of sugar. Season with 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Then, grab a whisk and vigorously stir until all the ingredients are emulsified and fully combined. Add in the fresh parsley, dill, and cilantro. Whisk again until fully combined. Taste the herb vinaigrette dressing and adjust to suit your personal taste before setting it aside.
Toss the Potato Salad with Dressing and Herbs: Drizzle half of the dressing over the warm potatoes and gently toss to combine (SEE NOTES). Add in the scallions, celery, and red onion. Then gently toss the potato salad again. Next, taste the potato salad and adjust as you see fit, adding more dressing if the potatoes seem dry, salt and pepper for overall flavor, and herbs for freshness. Then, gently toss the potatoes again.
Serve The No Mayo Potato Salad: Serve the herb potato salad warm, at room temperature or chilled, depending upon your personal preferences.Serving Warm: For the best flavor, let the no-mayo potato salad sit out on the counter for 10 minutes before serving - this gives the flavor a chance to marry and meld. Serving at Room Temperature: Follow instruction above; however, let the herb potato salad sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. (Do not leave the potatoes salad at room temp. for more than 2 hours.)Serving Chilled: Store the potato salad in the refrigerator. Remove the salad from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes (Note: You want the potatoes to be chilled, not freezing cold). Gently toss the herb potato salad before serving.
Notes
Potatoes: Waxy potato varieties, such as Yukon, baby, and fingerling potatoes work great. Just be sure to check on the potatoes while they're boiling as the cooking times may vary.
Boiling potatoes: Make sure you simmer the potatoes - don't continuously and harshly boil the potatoes or they will be more susceptible to falling apart and becoming mushy.
Dressing potatoes: Be sure the potatoes are still warm when you toss them with the dressing. Warm potatoes will soak up the dressing much better than cool potatoes.
Storage: Potato salad can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Recipe Serves 10-12 people
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 10 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.