Vegan Potato Salad

This creamy Vegan Potato Salad is a crowd-pleasing picnic and potluck side! Just like classic potato salad, but better for you. With tender potatoes and a delicious mayo mustard dressing, no one will guess that it’s 100% vegan.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

I love potato salad! And this is the best vegan potato salad I’ve tasted. It’s a perfect side dish for all your picnics, cookouts, and potlucks.

It’s as creamy as classic potato salad, but is totally plant based. It’s made with only 7 ingredients, is dairy free, egg free, gluten free, and oil free.

After I went vegan, I went without potato salad for a long time. Eventually some store brands of vegan mayo came out, but they were so expensive. And once I adopted an oil-free vegan diet, those were not an option.

Once I created my Oil-Free Vegan Mayo recipe, the world of mayo based recipes like this vegan potato salad were back on the menu!

Bowl of potato salad with a striped napkin next to it.

My mayonnaise is made with tofu and a few cashews for added creaminess. It’s so close to the real thing, you’d never know it was vegan. And it’s so much lower in fat than any store bought mayo, vegan or not.

Bring this potato salad to any picnic or potluck gathering, and nobody will know that it is a healthier plant-based version of this classic recipe.

Ingredients for this vegan potato salad recipe

Small bowls of ingredients for potato salad in front of a large bowl of cooked cubed potatoes.

Potatoes – I love using Yukon Gold potatoes or other yellow potatoes for this salad because I love their flavor and texture. Red or purple potatoes would also be good in this recipe.
Vegan Mayonnaise – stores carry vegan mayo, but most of them are full of oil and are also quite expensive. I chose to use my Tofu Cashew Mayonnaise in this salad. If you are not following an oil free diet, feel free to use whatever mayo you desire.
Celery – I add some finely chopped celery to add a bit of crunch
Onion– I like to use finely diced sweet onion because it is a bit milder, but yellow or red onion is fine. I sometimes substitute green onions.
Yellow mustard – for some tang.
Sweet Pickle Relish – you can use dill pickle relish, but I love the sweet flavor added by the sweet relish!
Kala Namak (black salt) – to mimic the egg flavor.

What is Kala Namak?

It is an Indian black salt from the Himalayan region of India. It is a volcanic salt, and has a distinctive sulfurous flavor and aroma. When added to vegan recipes, it mimics an egg yolk taste.

How to make vegan potato salad

Cook the whole potatoes in a large pot of water until they are soft. Cooking them with the peel on gives them a better texture because they don’t absorb as much water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium to prevent the pot from boiling over.

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain them and run cold water over them to cool them down.

When the potatoes are completely cooled, peel the potatoes, if desired. The peel will come off easily. Dice the potatoes into bite sized pieces.

Add in the celery and onion.

Large bowl of potatoes, celery, and onion with a small bowl of potato salad dressing next to it.

In a small bowl, mix together the vegan mayonnaise, the yellow mustard, the relish, and the black salt.

Add the dressing to the bowl of potatoes and gently toss to coat the potatoes with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with paprika, green onion, chives, fresh parsley, or fresh dill.

Optional add-ins:

Fresh herbs dill or parsley or even cilantro or tarragon for a change of pace.
Diced red bell pepper or pimentos for added color and taste.
Other vegetables like green peas, olives, cucumber, radish, or shredded carrot.
Vegan Bacon Bits

Forkful of potato salad held over a large bowl of potato salad.

Tips for the best vegan potato salad:

Be careful not to overcook your potatoes. They should be just fork tender. Overcooking them results in mushy potato salad.
Cooking the potatoes whole prevents them from absorbing as much water. Once they are cooked, the peels slip off very easily.
Try to cook similar sized potatoes so they cook evenly. If the size varies too much, some of your potatoes will be cooked more than others. I prefer to use small waxy potatoes. They cook faster, and are easier to cook whole. If you need to use Russet potatoes, peel and cube them before cooking.
Allow the potatoes to cool completely before mixing in the dressing.

Serving suggestions

It’s a perfect side for burgers like my Black Bean Burger or my Chickpea Burger.
Serve it with this Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwich.
Pair it with BBQ favorites like Grilled Tofu Veggie Kabobs or BBQ Tofu.
Enjoy it with sandwiches like this Chickpea Salad Sandwich or this Buffalo Soy Curl Sub.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make vegan potato salad ahead of time?

Yes! Potato salad is a perfect make-ahead dish. The flavors actually improve after it has been refrigerated for a day. It should last in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

Can you freeze potato salad?

I wouldn’t recommend freezing potato salad. Freezing will change the texture of the potatoes and it will be mushy after thawing.

Is potato salad healthy?

The reason potato salad is often considered unhealthy is the high fat content in the mayonnaise that is used. This recipe uses my oil free vegan mayonnaise, and the potato salad recipe has only 2 grams of fat per serving.

Overhead shot of bowl of potato salad garnished with paprika and green onions.

This oil free vegan potato salad is amazing! As good as any potato salad I’ve eaten, and you’ll never miss the oil or eggs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Other delicious vegan salads:

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and feedback below. It only takes a few seconds, but helps other visitors to my site and helps my site gain other readers. Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment!

And come join my Oil Free Vegan Recipes and Support Facebook group, where you can share your favorite oil free vegan recipes, and give and receive support on your plant based journey.