Sometimes, you just need a classic. Today is one of those days.
Say hello to my vegan-ized version of potato salad. Creamy, savory, and hearty, it requires just 10 ingredients. What’s not to love?
This potato salad is made with red potatoes – my favorite – for the ultimate potato salad texture. (Yellow potatoes tend to get too soft + I love the red skin for a pop of color.)
Fresh, chopped vegetables – I went with bell pepper, celery, and onion – add plenty of crunch and plant-based fiber. And last but not least, my cashew garlic-herb dressing marries everything together.
I hope you all LOVE this potato salad! It’s:
Hearty
Flavorful
Garlicky
Vegetable-packed
Portable
Customizable
& Delicious
If you aren’t into white potatoes, sweet potatoes could easily be subbed! And, depending on what’s in season where you live, feel free to swap out the veggies as well. The garlic-herb sauce works with pretty much any combination!
Wondering what to serve with this? How about our Chickpea Sunflower Sandwich, Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, or Portobello Steaks with Avocado Chimichurri!
If you try this recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and tagging a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Simple Vegan Potato Salad
Ingredients
VEGETABLES
- 1 pound (453 g) small red potatoes (or sub sweet potatoes // yellow work, too, but can get soft)
- 2 1/2 cups (~370 g) diced vegetables (i.e. bell pepper, celery, red onion, etc.)
SAUCE
- 1 cup (120 g) raw cashews
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) grape seed, olive, or avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) white wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp (20 g) spicy mustard
- 1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp (10 g) dried dill (or 4-5 Tbsp fresh dill)
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- optional: 1 tsp hot sauce
FOR SERVING optional
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
-
Add cashews to a small bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let sit uncovered for 1 hour.
-
In the meantime, add potatoes to a large saucepan and cover with room temperature water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium-high heat so the water is at a low boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender and a knife easily slides in and out. Then drain and set on a cutting board or counter to cool slightly.
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Once the cashews have soaked, drain well and add to a blender along with an additional 1/3 cup (80 ml) water. Then add grape seed oil, vinegar, spicy mustard, agave or maple syrup, dill, salt, pepper and garlic. Blend on high, scraping down sides as needed, until texture is creamy and thick but pourable. Add more water if it has trouble blending.
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Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more dill for herby flavor, garlic for zing/bite, salt and pepper for overall flavor, maple syrup for sweetness, or vinegar for acidity. At this time, you can also add some hot sauce for added spice (optional).
-
Chop cooked potatoes into bite-size pieces and add to a large mixing bowl along with chopped vegetables. Top with all of the sauce and stir to coat. Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve as is - slightly warm / room temperature - or cover, transfer to the refrigerator, and chill until cold - 4-6 hours or overnight.
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Leftovers keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Best in the first 72 hours.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 6 servings with all of the dressing. Calculated without parsley or hot sauce.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 6)
- Calories: 233
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated fat: 2.2g
- Sodium: 133mg
- Carbohydrates: 25.9g
- Fiber: 3.9g
- Sugar: 6.3g
- Protein: 5.8g
Hi, I'm Dana! I am a food stylist, photographer, creator of the Food Photography School and author of the 31 Meals Cookbook and Everyday Cooking.
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Yay!! So excited for this dish! It will make it’s way into many spring and summer parties :D
Hey Dana,
Is there a way to use regular mustard and make it spicy with anything?
Thanks, this looks amazing!
Sure! You could jalapeno to the veggies, or add chili garlic sauce or hot sauce to the sauce!
This looks insanely good! So excited to try this out.
Is there anyway to make this dressing nut free? I’m allergic to nuts :-(
Silken tofu is generally a good substitute for cashews! Otherwise, you could try a hummus-based dressing :D
Could you use sunflower seeds and less maple or agave?
It’s worth a shot! Let me know if you give it a try.
My son loves salad and potatoes. But never in a american potato salad. Will see how he likes it. Actually will make for lunch tomorrow ?
Love this quick and easy recipe. Will try over the weekend.
Just wanted to tell you that I think your logo is awesome!
Thanks Julie!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing!!!
Good Lord-this has all of my favorite things:-) I’m going to make it and put it over a bed of Dandelion greens…they are so pretty right now. BTW. If you ever figure out how to make a falafel that’s not deep fried please let me know.
Love dandelion greens! And will do on the falafel. Pan fried are soooooo good they’re hard to beat.
Thank your for this recipe, I have to try it. I never really liked the mayo-based version of potato salad, but your version sounds great. Usually I make a Southern German version of potato salad, which is also vegan.
Greetings from the UK. Thanks for the fab recipe.
Quick question Re:- Spicy Mustard, does this mean English Mustard (very hot & strong like Colmans) French Dijon Mustard or American Yellow Mustard?
Thanks,
Nina
Hello! I think both French Dijon and English would work. It depends on how much you like mustard. But the one I used (I presume) is closer to French Dijon which is strong but not too spicy.
i used hot english mustard and it was gross and overtook the over flavours.
I love potato salad and make several very popular types, but you lost me on that one. It has too many vegetables and too much crunch. I don’t like waxy red potatoes, cashews, agave, maple syrup or runny dressing and I never use any type of sweetener in potato salad.
IMO white russet potatoes make the best salad. You just have to know how to boil them so they don’t get mushy or fall apart.
Thanks for the feedback! Leave out the veggies if that suits you best. I like to think our recipes are flexible to suit people’s needs / preferences. Good luck!
What would be a good oil substitute?
Hi! I am not sure! If you give it a try with something else, let me know how it goes!
Hi! I frequently make sauces without oil, so I have a suggestion. Since there’s a whole cup of cashews in the recipe (i.e. already high in fat), you should be able to easily omit the oil. Just add the equivalent of water to maintain similar viscosity. … so maybe about 1/2 cup water (and no oil) total instead of the 1/3 cup water with oil.
Actually… 1/2 cup water may be too much. But you know… an amount slightly more than 1/3 cup water. ;)
This was absolutely delicious !! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Oh my! This looks fantastically yummy!
xx, Jill D
10 stars! Soooo tasty! And the dressing, velvet smooth! Im a sucker for a good potato salad!
This is perfect for me! Vegan potato salad is a go-to for me when it come to on-the-go lunches! Will definitely be making this recipe and maybe substituting in tahini instead of adding cashews? Looks so yummy!
I made this last night and it was excellent! I soaked the cashews overnight, as I wanted to be able to come home from work and make the salad right away for dinner.
I switched the veggies to a handful of arugula, celery, pickles and cherry tomatoes (just my preferences). Such a great crunch, and so filling! Definitely going to be a regular recipe on my roster now.
POTATO WIZARD.
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. The only changes I made were to eliminated celery and add a little extra salt and freshly ground pepper. I think I’ll make another batch next weekend to bring to a Superbowl party alongside cauliflower wings. Thanks for the recipe!
This salad was a.maz.ing! I didn’t have spicy mustard, just some brown mustard, but (for Dee above), I added in some horseradish sauce as well (about 1 tablespoon). Zing!! I need to make my dressing a bit more creamy next time, a tad more water I’m guessing, but the flavor is off the charts! Had it tonight it Sloppy Cauliflower Joes. Felt like summer, even in our midwest deep freeze! Thanks so much!!!
Just made this for my family and it was a hit! Not to mention super easy and quick. A really great dressing alternative to the regular mayo dressing! I will definitely make this again and add cherry tomatoes and arugula like someone else suggested. Or using hard boiled eggs.
Not vegan but when I make potato salad, I substitute about half the mayo (homemade with grapeseed oil) for hummus. I’ve also stumbled upon a great vegan mayo: 1 T brown rice flour or 2 T bean flour or 3 T almond flour (or other nuts/seeds), 1/4 t salt and garlic powder, 1/4 c water, 1 T olive oil and apple cider vinegar and 1/4 t prepared mustard. Method: Combine dries in a saucepan and slowly stir in water to form a smooth paste. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly until mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat and beat in remaining ingredients. This stuff is magic, especially when you compare how many calories are in mayo!! To make it more spreadable (again and NOT vegan) add 1/4 t gelatin powder to the dries and away you go. Good for sandwiches or where you want it to be spreadable/flexible when cold.
Thanks! I’m going to try this much lower fat version today.
Hi Dana!
I made the dressing today to use over a chickpea salad and it’s amazing!
I made a few changes. Here they are: omitted the maple syrup, increased the white wine vinegar to 4T, 1T of Dijon mustard, and used 1/2 cup of fresh dill
Thank you!!
Hi, just made a big bowl of this salad, thank you it came pretty well for being my first time… :D
love your recipes….
Alex
Incredibly delicious! I used carrots, red peppers, pickles and roasted cauliflower! For non-vegans, this would also be good with hard-boiled eggs :)
Made this today. My better half demolished his portion and I just loved it. So nice and crunchy and full of flavour. Neither of us like the celery but I make a point of trying to incorporate it in the recipes and it was amazing. Definitely making this again. Thank you! :)
Love it this. Made it with sweet potatoes, celery, red onion, and radishes (because I didn’t have bell peppers on hand). I think substituting the bell peppers with radishes worked out great. The sauce was perfect for this! It was a good, creamy consistency. I was craving for sweet potatoes and salad (not the traditional kind with all the greens) so this fulfilled my fix! My kids thought the mustard was a little too strong, but I couldn’t tell. I’m saving the leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow.
I’m allergic to all nuts. :( any suggestions for replacing cashews?
Tia :)
Hi! Thank you from Italy! I love your recipes. I’ve done this salad for me and my not-vegan mom and sister and it was a great success!
Can I just soak the cashews overnight rather than covering with boiling water?
Yes!
I made this the other day. I not quite sure why, but I added a couple of spoons of homemade vegan mayonnaise as well. Not necessary, I know ;-) I started eating it immediately after making it. The next day after the flavors had had some time to mingle, its tasted even better. This is now officially my go-to potato salad. Thanks Dana!
I made this with 1 red bell pepper, green onions, and celery for my veggie mix and everything as written. This is the absolute best potato salad I have ever had- vegan or otherwise. My boyfriend was shocked when he found out it’s vegan. I can’t wait to make it again!
Hey. I made this twice and love it. But I don’t think I really like the dill. Do I need it? Is there a substitution? The taste bothers me a little. I still love it, but rather not use it. Thanks. I love all your recipes !! And I’m not even vegan !
Hi Kat! Leave it out and add the same amount of a herb that you like!
Yum! I’m planning on making this tonight, and adding some roasted chickpeas on top!
Would mustard spice/powder work instead of the fresh mustard?
Thanks!
I made this today, and I loved it! I will make it regularly. I was just looking for a vegan potato salad recipe, and this one so conveniently made use of ingredients that I already had on hand. I added some cunks of extra firm tofu for an egg-like ingredient. The salad was garlicky, crunchy, interesting, satisfying and delicious!
I think the garlic overwhelmed the other flavours, so next time I’ll use less. Still a lovely dish, I mixed it with smoked vegan bacon squares and cherry tomatoes. Oh and I used rosemary instead of dill, just because I didn’t have any dill.. and I love rosemary on my potatoes.
Made this using roasted potatoes and veggies (radishes, onions, carrots) and my husband’s response was “let’s have this every week.” Next time I’ll make it with fresh “summer” veggies which I’m certain will be wonderful. The dressing is really very, very good. I ground dill seed and celery seed (cuz that’s what I had) to make about 1/2 tsp of seasoning. Used agave, apple cider vinegar, Frank’s Hot Sauce, and olive oil. Super!!
Hi! I want to make this tonight but don’t have dill. Is there any other herb I could sub? Maybe rosemary or basil? Thanks!
Hi Laura! Add the same amount of a herb that you like! Both of those would work nicely I think!
Just made this and it’s really good. I only used 1 Tbs of dill and I doubled the salt. It was just right. I added the optional hot sauce and I really liked the extra flavor. I made the dressing in my nutribullet and it came out great. I would like to try it again and use rosemary instead of dill. Thank you for the recipe!
This potato salad was so delicious and fresh!!! I’m going to make it again and again. Bon appétit!
I make this dressing all the time! I frequently use it as a regular salad dressing as well!!
Dana, your sauce is absolutely delicious and my new favorite for both salads and sandwiches. Thank you!
Oops, I forgot to rate it.
I am obsessed with this recipe! I made it a couple of months back for myself then about two weeks ago made it for a picnic with family and friends, they loved it too!
However, I was wondering how long you think it keeps in the fridge? Would it depend on the cashews or the overall vegetable ripeness?
Thank you!
Hi Madison! Leftovers keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Best in the first 72 hours.
Just made this Vegan Potato salad. It is really good. I did not add the oil but added some hummus I had in the fridge. Super good super easy and I will definitely make it again I am bringing it to a 4th of July party at my in laws house I will let you know how it goes.
This is incredible! I just added some corn and chili oil for spice. It was devoured at a friends BBQ.
Very good. Substituted the nuts for sunflower seeds and turned out great. Thank you!
I’ve been asked to bring this along to every gathering this summer. It’s been a hit with everyone.
Just made this and it’s absolutely delish! I upped the garlic because we’re garlic heads and my husband will be adding his hot sauce to his own bowl ;) haha. Thank you!!
I’m in love!
I was skeptical because I’m not a fan of American foods and this potato salad is very different to let’s say what grandma used to make.
Then I was unsure about all the crunch, in the end I left out the celery and added peas and corn but kept the rest of the original ingredients.
One word, wow….this has become a staple for me and once the potato is gone whatever is left makes a great coleslaw style dish, I put a lot of vegetables in so generally I’ll have a bowl of onions, peas, corn, capsicum etc all covered in that amazing sauce.
Your site has been my go to for most recipes so thanks again!
I did go to a Japanese restaurant and had fried tofu in breadcrumbs, sticky rice with soy and some type of seasoned cabbage and carrot — amazing and I’ve managed to recreate the tofu but I’m still working on the rest, if you could create a copy of something like that it would be great.
I made this for dinner tonight along with your lentil sloppy joes. Both were really good! I could not get the dressing texture right–it remained grainy no matter how long I blended it or how much water I used (ended up doubling the called for amount.). It was still very tasty, but it would be even better if it were actually creamy. Is a high-powered blender necessary to get the right texture (I have a KitchenAid)? I tried it in my mom’s blender and my food processor as well, and none made any difference. It still had the texture of grainy mustard. Would soaking the cashews longer help? I did for just over an hour. Thanks for any suggestions!
Holy smokes – this was the BEST potato salad I’ve ever made & that’s according to my picky potato salad boyfriend :)
I used German mustard, omitted the celery (just because I don’t like it), & added a wee bit more water (although I think I had a little more than a cup of cashews). I didn’t have time to soak the cashews for an hour so I just boiled for a straight 10 minutes & it worked perfectly. I’ll definitely be bringing this to the next family BBQ ! Thanks for this awesome recipe! :)
I am not exaggerating, this is the BEST potato salad I have ever made and the best part is it is vegan! I loved the sauce so much I doubled it.
Thank you for this recipe!
This looks wonderful and wondering if the dressing would still be good if made without cashews? I’m trying to find a vegan salad but without nuts due to a nut allergy.
Thanks!
Hi Andrea! Silken tofu is generally a good substitute for cashews! Otherwise, you could try a hummus-based dressing! Hope this helps!
This recipe looks amazing! Only issue, the ads on the page keep skipping me backward and I’m unable to see the actual recipe. Do you have it posted anywhere else that I might see it? In fact, this was insanely difficult to type with the skipping.
Hi Jennie! Thank you for letting us know! If you continue to experience problems, please email support@minimalistbaker.com
So so yummy! I was hesitant about the cashew dressing as I’m newly vegan and have little experience with cashews as dairy replacement but I followed the recipe and it came out better than any traditional potato salad I’ve had! Seriously you cannot tell its made with cashew! I added about 1/4 cup vegan mayo but honestly it probably didn’t even need it. The dressing came out looking really green, I think because I threw the dill in the blender so next time just for presentation I will stir in the dill at the end. Thanks for this, it satisfied and surpassed my craving for good old fashioned potato salad!
Very tasty; I added a big dollop of tahini and substituted sweet chilli sauce for the maple syrup.
Another delicious recipe! Thank you!
I made this yesterday and it is INCREDIBLE. We ate it warm yesterday, but it’s even better cold today!!! Even my non-vegan, not-so-healthy family loved it. Thank you!
Made this tonight! I enjoyed it except the sauce ended up being too sweet for my taste. I added jalapenos and capers to balance it out.
Hello! I really wanted to say THANK Yesterday my hubby asked for potato salad. He is a fan of it but Im not. So I almost never do it. But this morning I came across this recipe in Instagram and because I had all the ingredients I made it. We aren’t vegans but we try to eat as healthy as possible. So the veredict is: this recipe is AMAZING. My hubby didn’t miss mayo at all. I really liked it too. Follow the exact recipe. Just twitch a little bit the seasonings but other than that it was excellent. I told my hubby I will add carrots next time and his answer was: “No, why mess up perfection” :)
Curious as to what vegetables you used Dana? Any in addition to what you listed?
We used the ones suggested! (bell pepper, celery, red onion) but feel free to add in any other favorites along with fresh herbs! :D
Thanks! Made it and loved it, about to make it again … how long do you boil the sweet potato?
I used cashew butter instead of nuts cause I didn’t need have any nuts. I added little extra water. Turned out great!
Thanks for sharing, Rachel!
Thanks! Made it and loved it, about to make it again … how long do you boil the sweet potato?
15-20 minutes!
This is such a great recipe! I took it to a picnic of non-vegans and it was a HUGE hit. I just suggest starting off with half the maple syrup and trying it first.
I also added a couple of tablespoons of coconut yogurt (minimalist baker recipe!) just to add some extra creamy tangy goodness 😉
Great addition, Sam! Glad it was a hit :D
Thank you! Your recipes are the best ❤️
This was great. I used black salt instead of regular. I’m taking this on our camping trip. Thanks
Woot woot!
The sauce is wonderful, I didn’t want to stop eating it.
Such a tasty potato salad! I made it for dinner tonight to accompany BBQ. My daughter had two friends over who said they had never liked potato salad before! I know what they mean!! This one stands alone!!
I made this to accompany our BBQ dinner tonight. My daughter had two (teenage) friends over and they both said that they had never like potato salad before now (I know what they mean – this one stands alone!!)
Just made this and love it! Finally a potato salad I don’t feel guilty eating!
Your recipes are anything but minimalist, but I have to admit that they are always amazing! Great success with the vegan potatoes salad, and my friends stopped making fun of what vegans can eat at BBQs because of it! Thanks for sharing your great recipes!
Wow! This potato salad is really delicious! Creamy and flavorful. Thank you for this recipe.