Eggless Red Potato Salad

Potato salad is one of those summertime staples you’ll find at nearly every gathering or barbecue. But something about it has never been “exciting.” Sure, I’ll add it to my plate of ribs or tri-tip. I’ll eat it when it’s served as a side at my favorite barbecue food truck. But I’m never craving an ice cream scoop-sized serving of classic potato salad. Instead, I make this eggless red potato salad recipe that’s been proven to be a favorite of friends and family.

When I think potato salad, I often think of the following adjectives: mushy, eggy, meh. Now, there’s nothing wrong with eggs — I love them! Just… not in potato salad. I know, eggs are one of the staple ingredients in said side dish! However, I wanted something lighter and fresher, with more distinguishable ingredients (read, not mushy potatoes).

Ingredient Swap

Classic potato salad is comprised of the following ingredients:

• Yukon gold potatoes
• Mayonnaise
• Pickle relish
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Herbs and seasoning

In this summer red potato salad recipe, I’ve simply swapped the first four staple ingredients for lighter and fresher alternatives. There are several variations of potato salad when it comes to the herbs and seasonings, so you just might find that this one is similar to your own recipe but with the heavier ingredients exchanged or omitted.

Red Potatoes vs. Yukon Gold

I started out by using red potatoes over Yukon gold, for obvious reasons. Yukons are great for mashing potatoes, but I wanted these to hold their form. I wanted one to look at the dish and know that it was a salad made of diced red potatoes. You can choose between large and baby red potatoes. If you’re using baby reds, simply cut them into quarters.

Skip the Mayonnaise

Another tried and true ingredient in potato salad — mayonnaise. Hey, I’ve got nothing against mayo! I keep multiple jars in the pantry and use it often for chicken salad sandwiches, grilled cheeses, and fresh aiolis. For this potato salad, I wanted lighter and brighter. For that reason, I went with sour cream instead. Sour cream offers a bit more tang and keeps the dish tasting (and looking) brighter.

No Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are a hard pass for me in this dish. I love them on Easter, deviled, deviled and deep-friend (if you haven’t tried these, you’re not living), and the list goes on. By slightly undercooking the red potatoes, they better hold their form and your end result is a true salad of potatoes, with no need for eggs as the binder.

Fresh Herbs

There’s no doubt that fresh dill is the key to this side dish. Paired with fresh scallions, these two flavors bring this dish alive. Potato salad is often served alongside main dishes like ribs, steak, drumsticks, and so on. All of these are delicious, but heavy on their own. Fresh dill offers a reprieve from these barbecue favorites without weighing down your stomach on a warm summer evening.

Making the Potato Salad

This dish is easily made ahead. In fact, I prefer it made anywhere from 4 hours to the night before being served. The easiest way to prepare this dish ahead of time is to boil the potatoes the night before. Just slightly undercooking them will keep them intact without making your salad mushy. If you feel like you’ve overcooked them by a few minutes, throw them into an ice bath.

• Drain potatoes immediately in a colander or mesh strainer
• Fill a large mixing bowl with plenty of ice
• Place your colander or mesh strainer on top of the ice
• Run water over the potatoes until they’re submerged
• Let them rest in the ice water for about 5-10 minutes

Placing your colander over a large bowl of ice will keep the melting ice from getting stuck in the potatoes. If add the ice directly to the bowl of potatoes, you’ll have to wait until all of the ice melts, which is why I prefer this method.

Choose your ingredients

Of course, not everyone loves (or has in their fridge) fresh dill, scallions, brown grain mustard, lemons, sour cream, etc. Try swapping some of the ingredients to your taste by using:

• Plain or Greek yogurt
• Cilantro or parsley
• Honey mustard
• Pickled onions
• Dill or sweet relish
• Chipotle powder

Start making this delicious red potato salad!

Print

Summer Potato Salad

• Author: Nancy
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 7 minutes
• Total Time: 22 minutes
• Yield: 10 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Cook

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

---

Description

Skip the mayonnaise and eggs in this fresh and brightly seasoned red potato salad!

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

4 cups red potatoes, diced

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tbsp brown grain mustard

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup celery, diced

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp scallions, chopped

1 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

---

Instructions

1. Gently scrub and rinse red potatoes. Diced into small cubes.
2. In a large pot, add diced potatoes and cover with water. Season heavily with salt, about 1/4 cup.
3. Bring water to a boil and stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes. Using a butter knife, test one of the potatoes by trying to cut it in half. Immediately drain into a colander or mesh strainer.
4. Rinse under cold water until they begin to cool, or submerge into an ice bath.
5. Cover the potatoes in an airtight container and refrigerate until your wet ingredients have been prepared.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together sour cream, mustard, and lemon juice. Add diced celery and 1/3 cup of chopped scallions and 1 tbsp chopped dill, reserving the remaining quantities for later.
7. Add the potatoes to the bowl and gently fold together all ingredients. Top the potato salad with remaining 1 tbsp chopped scallions and 1 tsp chopped dill.
8. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

---

Equipment

Nylon Mesh Strainer

Buy Now →

---

Notes

Greek or plain yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. Potato salad can be prepared up to 24 hours prior to serving.

Keywords: potato salad, eggless potato salad, no mayo potato salad, summer potato salad, best potato salad recipe, easy potato salad recipe