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This classic vegan potato salad is the best! This crowd pleaser is creamy and tangy, mixed with celery, green onion, and dill pickles.
Looking for a great summer side dish? Here it is: the very best vegan potato salad! It’s classic and creamy, just like the classic potato salad your Grandma makes, or that one at the deli counter. Except this one is made of plant based whole foods and it tastes even better than the classic. No one will know it’s vegan! We’ve tested this on friends and family over the years, and no one can stop eating it. Ready to get started?
Ingredients for vegan potato salad
Of course, you can make vegan potato salad by just swapping in a vegan mayo to your favorite recipe. However, it’s hard to find one that tastes great! So instead, we’ve created a deliciously creamy vegan potato salad using a homemade cashew cream. And man is it good. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Celery
- Green onion
- Dill pickles
- Cashews
- Olive oil
- Yellow mustard
- White wine vinegar
- Maple syrup
- Garlic powder and salt
Tips for making cashew cream
The only part about vegan potato salad that requires some forethought is making the cashew cream! You’ll need to think in advance to soak the cashews: but otherwise it’s as simple as whizzing together a few ingredients! Here’s what to know:
- Soak the cashews 30 minutes to 1 hour (or even overnight). Soaking cashews in water makes them break down to make a smooth sauce. We have a high speed blender, so we only soak for about 30 minutes, 1 hour if we have time. But the longer you soak the cashews the better! Soaking overnight is fantastic. A high speed blender is perfect for blending the cashews, or a really good standard blender. The cashews form a thick cream when blended.
- Blend the cashews with spices and seasonings. This recipe uses yellow mustard, white wine vinegar, garlic powder, and a hint of maple syrup. The result is a creamy spread that tastes like mayo, but it’s fully vegan and dairy-free!
Keys to the best vegan potato salad
For this vegan potato salad we wanted that classic American style potato salad. You know, the kind your Grandma makes, or the kind you can pick up from the grocery deli counter? We did quite a bit of research into classic picnic potato salad. Here are a few tips that are essential to getting the right flavor:
- Use Yukon gold potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are perfect for classic picnic potato salad because they hold their shape when boiling and absorb the creamy sauce.
- Add vinegar to the potatoes after boiling. This is a typical trick for potato salad that we also use in our French potato salad. It really does make for the tangy flavor that’s typical of a classic potato salad.
- Mince up some dill pickles. Our favorite potato salad uses chopped dill pickles along celery and green onion to add a satisfying crunch.
How to serve it!
This vegan potato salad was a huge hit in our family — and beyond! Our son Larson absolutely adores it. A dear friend of ours has declared it her favorite potato salad: ever! She makes it often in the summers and it’s always a huge hit with her family! Basically: all signs point to delicious on this one. How to serve this potato salad? Here are a few ways we’d recommend:
- For a cookout. Serve it alongside your favorite grilled veggie burger or grilled portobello burgers.
- For a picnic. Serve with Chickpea Salad Sandwiches and fresh fruit.
- With a trio of salads. Pair it with Black Bean Salad and Cucumber Salad for a tasty salad luncheon. Or browse our Vegan Salad Recipes!
Storage info
This vegan potato salad saves well! It actually gets better in the fridge. Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 days. Or, you can make this salad ahead up to 2 days in advance.
More potato salad recipes
Here are a few more potato salad recipes you might enjoy: and several are vegan! Here are some family favorites:
- Try tangy French Potato Salad with a tasty vinaigrette (vegan!)
- Opt for Dill Potato Salad, full of herbaceous fresh dill (also vegan!)
- Go for Creamy Red Potato Salad
- Mix up Green Bean Potato Salad with Dill
This vegan potato salad recipe is…
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Classic Vegan Potato Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
Description
This classic vegan potato salad is the best! This crowd pleaser is creamy and tangy, mixed with celery, green onion, and dill pickles.
Ingredients
For the potato salad
- 1 cup Cashew Cream (below)
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 3 large celery stalks
- 5 green onions
- ½ cup minced dill pickles
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- Fresh ground black pepper
For the cashew cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with water. Soak them while making the recipe, at least 30 minutes if using a high speed blender and about 1 hour for a regular blender. If you think ahead, you can soak the cashews overnight before making the salad. (You also can make the cashew mayo in advance.)
- Boil the potatoes: Quarter the potatoes, keeping the skins on. Place them in a large saucepan filled with cold water. Bring it to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until tender when pricked with a fork. Drain and rinse the potatoes under cold water. Allow to cool slightly, then peel the skins off with your fingers and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Place the potatoes into a bowl and sprinkle with the white wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix and let stand until ready to assemble.
- Slice the celery stalks in half lengthwise, then thinly slice them. Thinly slice the green onions. Mince the dill pickles.
- Make the cashew cream: After the cashews have soaked at least 30 minutes (more, if time), drain them. In the bowl of a blender, place the cashews, water, olive oil, yellow mustard, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Blend on high for several minutes until smooth and creamy. (Makes about 1 cup; store refrigerated if making in advance.)
- In the bowl with the potatoes, mix in the cashew mayonnaise, celery, green onions, pickles, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Do you know what the total sodium content is?
I’m not sure, sorry!
This is my favorite vegan potato recipe. TY! I used lemon juice instead of vinegar. I did not add the tablespoon of yellow mustard to the first ingredients but did add the 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of yellow mustard to the cashew mayonnaise as the recipe instructs. I added chopped radishes. Delicious! I don’t even like potato salad with eggs in it now after having this!
Let us know if you have any questions!