Potato salad is underrated. Perhaps it’s because grocery store varieties often look like a tub of white goo with a sprinkle of celery and dollop of egg yolk. Or perhaps it’s because the dish has a reputation for being unhealthy in light of low-carb diets. No matter the reasoning, it’s time to rekindle our love for potatoes — and yes, even mayo.
These 11 potato salad recipes are not only healthy, but they’re also crazy diverse in flavor — from classic and creamy to herby and light to spicy and funky. You’ll be looking for a reason to carbo-load stat — though, really, who needs a reason?
11 potato salads that make spuds your best buds
This recipe is as light and simple as it gets. Made with a dressing of olive oil, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice and mixed with fresh parsley, garlic, and celery, it has the perfect amount of tart and crunch. Bonus: It takes only 20 minutes to make, including prep.
For those who desire a more indulgent recipe, look no further. Full of potatoes’ besties — sour cream (use Greek yogurt for a lighter spin), bacon, and cheddar cheese — this dish is the perfect flavorful side dish at a barbecue.
Mix the sour cream with a packet of ranch dressing, top with green onions, and don’t be alarmed if you find yourself licking your plate.
If you can’t decide whether you want a sour cream, mayo, or mustard-based potato salad, try this on for size. It uses the three popular bases mixed with all kinds of seasoning to create a fun Southern twist on the already-Southern classic. Feel free to skip the sugar or substitute honey.
Super simple and super healthy? Potato salad dreams do come true!
This dish uses Greek yogurt and whole-grain mustard, and is topped with green onions and fresh dill. As with most potato salad recipes — especially ones that use red potatoes — this dish is best served with the skins on.
Avocados are so versatile you can put them on pretty much anything. They work particularly well in this super creamy dish, which also uses Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar as a dressing.
Topped with cilantro and red onions (a nice departure from parsley and green onions), this dish tastes extra special with a dash of chili powder.
If you’re gluten-free and have a hankering for an Italian sub (it happens to the best of us), whip up this recipe. Salami is generously sprinkled throughout the salad and pairs perfectly with the honey, coarse-ground mustard, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. Insider tip: Add chopped pepperoncini and black olives.
This recipe sneaks in extra greens with arugula, green beans, and pesto. It’s a-OK to use store-bought pesto, but we love the extra bite the homemade version gets from the addition of arugula. The recipe also tastes great with red potato and sun-dried tomatoes.
Sometimes you just want creamy, mayo-rich, egg-filled potato salad. This recipe uses all the classics — russet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, celery, red onion, yellow mustard — and doesn’t disappoint. It even uses milk to take it the extra (creamy) mile. Make sure to chill before serving so the potatoes absorb all the deliciousness.
German dishes may have you dreaming of bratwurst, but this traditional recipe’s shining star is actually bacon. Made with a vinegar, chicken stock, and mustard dressing, and topped with fresh herbs, the dish tastes both decadent and light. Definitely cook the onions in leftover bacon grease — it’s the essence of the entire recipe.
This potato salad recipe is unlike any other. It skips the mayo, mustard, vinegar, and yogurt, and instead uses a variety of spices to give it a rich, authentic flavor. The dish pairs well with pretty much every protein, so feel free to go wild.
Ditch the chip bag and dare to try this version of salt and vinegar potato heaven.
The recipe can be made vegan with a vegan mayo or would be equally good with olive oil. The radishes and red onion provide a crunch almost as good as biting into a chip (celery is a great addition too), and the distilled white vinegar creates a perfect tang. It’s not your average potato salad, but it just may become your new favorite.
When it comes to potato salads, there’s a lot more variety than the same-old, same-old dish that shows up at every barbecue. With their mild flavor and delectable creaminess, spuds are a veritable blank canvas for dressing up with herbs, spices, intriguing dressings, meaty add-ins, and more. You say potato, I say, well, whatever you want!
