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Potatoes are a staple at my family gatherings in one form or another. Cheesy potatoes at Thanksgiving and Christmas, baked potatoes loaded with chili for Halloween, and the ever present potato salad at all summer events. I’ve never been a fan of any kind of mayo… so I took up the challenge to make a vegan dill potato salad recipe only using fresh dill, creamy mustards and olive oil to bring color and flavor to your next BBQ.
What Makes this Potato Salad Vegan?
Traditional potato salad has eggs either in the mayonnaise or hard boiled in the salad itself. My potato salad swaps the mayo for a delicious olive oil + mustard blend dressing, and loads up on fresh veggies.
Switching from a mayonnaise base to an olive oil one also lightens up the salad a bit. I find mayonnaise-based dishes are fairly heavy, while this lovely recipe remains light and bright… plus, it’s just SO colorful without that white sauce covering everything up!
Tips for Vegan Potato Salad
What are your must-have ingredients for potato salad? Mine include dill pickles, fresh dill, and black olives… because those were always in the salads of my childhood. Yet the original salads from my childhood weren’t vegan, so I love the new take this vegan potato salad recipe has on the classic dish.
I don’t peel the red potatoes for my salad, as boiling them with the skin on helps retain more nutrients. Dijon mustard elevates the flavor in this recipe, so that is my go-to in the dressing.
Potato Salad Ingredient Swaps
- I love recipes where I can easily sub in what I have on hand, and this potato salad is just such a recipe. If radishes aren’t your thing, then swap them with diced cucumbers or corn to keep in a bit of fresh crunch.
- If you really want the feel of a traditional potato salad, then swap in a vegan mayonnaise. These tend to be more processed, yet can give you the feel of enjoying your family’s fav old recipe and that extra creaminess.
- The pop of color in the red potatoes is super fun, yet feel free to use any potato you want (Yukon golds work great too!). If you really want a fresh change up, try using a white sweet potato… and then let me know how it turns out!
- While I love using Claussen pickles for this recipe, I bet a lot of you have great local options you might prefer. I’m a true pickle lover, so tell me your fav kind and I’ll give it a try. For a less vinegary taste, try sweet pickles.
More Scrumptious Vegan Side Dishes
I’ve got so many great vegan salads and side dishes you can share at your next backyard BBQ. Just pick the flavors that you want and get choppin’:
If you make this vegan dill potato salad, please let me know in the comments how it turned out!
Vegan Dill Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups golden potatoes chopped into 1/2″ cubes
- 2 tbsp red onions diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tbsp black olives sliced
- 1 radish halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp dill pickles diced
Dressing
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp pickle juice
- 1 tbsp fresh dill stems removed + finely chopped
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- โ tsp ground turmeric
- โ black pepper
- โ smoked paprika
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water. Bring to boil then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, mix all dressing ingredients together.
- Add the potatoes and remaining vegetables and herbs into the dressing and stir well.
- Garnish with radishes and paprika.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Dill Potato Salad Common Questions
Traditional potato salad has eggs in it, either in the mayonnaise or hard boiled. My potato salad swaps the mayo for a delicious olive oil based dressing, and loads up on fresh veggies.
I’ve had it both ways! The potatoes are cooked, yet I like mine to chill a bit in the fridge before serving. Honestly, letting the salad refrigerate overnight before serving will bring out the best flavor.
I love using red potatoes. They are super easy to slice up, and taste delicious. You can also use Yukon Gold potatoes for a buttery taste.
Super good and very refreshing. Had it as a side with our dinner tonight.
I loved the fresh vegan loaded potato salad. Anything with potatoes is a WIN for me I shopped, prepped and made the salad. #goal I enjoyed the salad as a side (finding the salads to be really filling, recipes more than enough). I loved the different textures and pops of crisp freshness from the celery, red onion and radish I made mine before I saw the mustard edit but it still was good. โญ๏ธ
Nice, great cold, Potato Salad, but did change one thing, exchanged black olives with Kalamata.
So easy to make this salad! I mixed with the potatoes still warm and it was delicious.
Right up my alley! This was tasty and loved the pickles. I added a bit more salt because I ate it right away and thought it needed it. I will be interested to try the 2nd half after it’s had time to rest in the fridge. We aren’t big on mayo in our family so this is a great alternative!
Iโve never put olives in my potato salad before! Awesome. Fresh dill makes so much difference!
This was pretty good. I had to add a little sea salt and more Dijon mustard. The flavors will probably deepen as it sits overnight. I will probably add some capers too.
Loved idea of pickle juice, dill and radishes. Think our salad needed more spice and crisper potatoes. Liked alternative to mayo.
Not a potato, corn or black bean fan. This is not one I will keep on my go to list. Great recipe, just not for me.
Totally understand, keep on rawkin it!
I am so glad I signed up to participate in the salad challenge. Awesome recipe.
I really enjoyed this potato salad! I might leave out the radishes next time because the store only had a massive bag and Iโm not the biggest fan so I have to google how to use up the rest of them.
Roast them, my husband hates radish unless it’s roasted!
Delicious! We added tuna and eggs for a one dish meal.. so not so vegan any more. But great flavors.
Really liked the absence of mayonnaise. Much lighter tasting. The dill added a delicious fresh flavor.
I really liked this potato salad, it is very similar to the one I usually make. Pickles are must for me every time. I prefer yellow mustard though so I used that and I left the radishes out.
Yummy, way to make it totally you!
I did not care for this potato salad. I added more seasonings and more olive oil and just still didnโt really enjoy it. I think I will stick with Mayo and just let potato salad be a once in a while special treat
So yummy. Easy and so tasty.