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Healthy Potato Salad has changed my attitude towards this all-American side forever and for better. It’s zippy, not bland. Creamy, not mushy. Classic without being boring. Basically it is potato salad redemption.
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I know everyone has an opinion on what makes the best potato salad, and (I might be in the minority on this) I think most of them are wrong.
With the exception of vinaigrette-based potato salads and Pesto Potato Salad, just above every potato salad I’ve tried has been drowned in mayo, the texture is monotone and mushy, and the taste beyond bland.
I would wonder why we even bother with potato salad, except that it doesn’t quite feel like a real summer cookout without one (or without Boston Baked Beans and 7 Layer Salad).
That’s where healthy potato salad with Greek yogurt comes in.
It’s made without mayo, the creamy dressing is tangy and well-seasoned, and the texture is on-point.
In fact, this creamy potato salad achieved a distinction I previously thought was impossible in the potato salad world: everyone went back for seconds!
How to Make Healthy Potato Salad
To up this recipe’s nutritional factor, I made healthy potato salad NO MAYO style.
Along with a classic creamy dressing, this potato salad receives a boost from ingredients that provide crunch, seasoning, dimension, and all-around deliciousness.
Tips for the Best Potato Salad
- Use waxy potatoes which hold their shape better than starchy potatoes.
- DO NOT overcook the potatoes or your potato salad will be mushy.
- Pour the dressing over the potatoes while they are still warm; this allows them to better absorb its flavor.
- Taste and season with salt both right after you stir the potato salad together AND again before serving. Potatoes drink up salt and need more salt than you think, or they will taste bland.
- Go heavy on the Greek yogurt dressing. While I ordinarily prefer a lightly dressed salad, when it comes to potato salad, creamy is king.
The Ingredients
- Potatoes. Containing folate and fiber, potatoes do offer nutritional benefits, especially when complemented with the other healthy ingredients in this recipe.
The Best Potatoes for Potato Salad
- Waxy potatoes, such as red potatoes, new potatoes, or fingerling potatoes are the best for potato salad. They have the least amount of starch so they retain their shape well and won’t turn to mush. Their thin skins also mean that you don’t need to peel them first, a timesaver. (Most often, I make healthy red potato salad with mini potatoes. Waxy potatoes are also my favorite for Oven Roasted Potatoes and and Grilled Potatoes.)
- Avoid making potato salad with starchy potatoes, like russet potatoes. They won’t hold up during cooking. Save your starchy potatoes for Baked French Fries and Air Fryer French Fries.
- For an in-between, you can make potato salad with Yukon gold potatoes, which are a great all-around potato that works in potato salad, Homemade Scalloped Potatoes, Crockpot Potato Soup, and more.
- Sweet potatoes also make a yummy potato salad! Check out this Sweet Potato Salad for a recipe.
- Hard Boiled Eggs. They make the potato salad even creamier and their flavor is a total classic. (You could use my Instant Pot Boiled Eggs recipe to make them.)
Tip!
Use old eggs to make hard boiled eggs. They are easier to peel.
- Greek Yogurt. The secret to a healthy potato salad without mayo that tastes appropriately satisfying and comforting. It’s my go-to for creamy dressings, like the one you’ll find on this Creamy Cucumber Salad.
Ingredient Note
- Most potato salads are not healthy to eat, because they are usually made with gobs of mayo and/or sour cream, a high-fat ingredient (and we’re not talking the good kind of fat).
- Greek yogurt offers the same creaminess as mayo, but with the bonus of health benefits, like protein and calcium.
- Greek yogurt also has a nice tang to it compared to mayo, which is more bland. That tang works well in a creamy potato salad dressing.
- Fresh Garlic + Dijon Mustard + Green Onion. Essential zip and a tasty combo with the potatoes and hard-boiled eggs.
- Capers. For brightness and brininess.
- Celery Salt. The secret ingredient! I snagged this tip from my neighbor’s grandmother and will never make a creamy potato salad without it again. It’s savory and a little peppery.
- KOSHER SALT. Potato salad desperately needs to be properly seasoned, or no matter what else you add to it, it will be bland. Salt the potatoes’ cooking liquid, salt the dressing, then taste and salt again as needed just before serving.
- Celery. Let there be crunch!
The Directions
- Boil the potatoes until tender, and hard boil the eggs.
- To a food processor or blender, add the dressing ingredients.
- Blend until smooth.
- Drain and cut the boiled potatoes into 1 1/2-inch chunks.
- Pour dressing over the top.
- Stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add theremaining ingredients.
- Stir to combine. ENJOY!
Potato Salad Safety
Potato salad and other mayo-based salad recipes are often blamed for any post-picnic illness, but it isn’t necessarily the mayonnaise that is at fault. The issue is that once the mayo is mixed with potatoes (which have a very low acid profile), it can become unsafe.
Even though this potato salad is made without mayo, don’t let it sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours (if it’s hot, no more than 1 hour). If possible return it to the refrigerator or cooler as soon as you finish serving.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftover potato salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Taste and season with additional salt before serving.
- To Freeze. No, you cannot freeze potato salad (sorry!). The potatoes will become mushy and the dressing will separate.
Meal Prep Tip
While I prefer to assemble the potato salad within a few hours of serving, you can make and refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance.
Leftover Ideas
Mix leftover potato salad with avocado and pile it on toasted bread for a picnic spin on avocado toast.
What to Serve With Potato Salad
Potato salad is the perfect side for any of your favorite grilling recipes and will be a hit at cookouts!
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- Instant Pot. One of my favorite ways to cook hardboiled eggs!
- Saucepan. Perfect for boiling potatoes (and making hardboiled eggs if you don’t have an Instant Pot).
- Mini Whisk. Ideal for mixing up dressings (and so much handier than larger whisks).
This will be my go-to side this summer and my favorite potato salad forever more. It can’t wait to be a part of your cookouts too!
Healthy Potato Salad Video
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PrintHealthy Potato Salad
4.79 from 19 votes
This easy, healthy potato salad is a potluck winner! It's super creamy thanks to a simple olive oil and Greek yogurt dressing with no mayo.
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 25 minutes mins
Total: 40 minutes mins
Servings: 6
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Ingredients
- 3 hard boiled eggs*
- 1 1/2 pounds mini potatoes I use yellow or red, washed with peels on
- 3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste and for cooking the potatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 green onions divided
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained
Instructions
Prepare the hard boiled eggs if needed (see notes for an easy how-to). Peel and dice small.
Place the potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Salt the water generously. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 20 minutes depending upon their size. DO NOT overcook, or your potato salad may be mushy.
Prepare the dressing: To a food processor or blender, add the Greek yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, celery salt, and black pepper. Cut 2 of the green onions into 4 pieces each and add them to the food processor as well.
Finely chop the third green onion and set aside. Blend the dressing until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times as needed.
Drain the potatoes. As soon as you can handle them safely, cut potatoes into 1 1/2-inch chunks (depending upon the size of your potatoes, this will be either halves or quarters). Transfer to a large bowl.
While the potatoes are still hot, pour 3/4 of the dressing over the top.
Gently stir to combine (it will look like a lot of dressing). Let sit 10 minutes, stirring once or twice as it rests.
Add the celery, capers, and eggs. Reserve a tablespoon or so of the remaining chopped green onion for garnish, then add the rest to the bowl. Stir to combine. Taste and add more salt/pepper as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Just before serving, add the remaining dressing as desired, taste once more for salt (potatoes drink it up! I usually add a few big pinches), and sprinkle with the reserved green onion. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- *To Hard Boil Eggs. Place the eggs in a small pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water boils, immediately remove the pot from heat and cover for 8 minutes. Prepare an ice bath. After 8 minutes, transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool.
- To STORE. Store leftover potato salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Taste and season with additional salt before serving.
- To FREEZE. No you cannot freeze potato salad (sorry!). The potatoes will become mushy and the dressing will separate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1of 6Calories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgPotassium: 574mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 205IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg
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Erin Clarke
Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!
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