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Easy Vegan Dill Potato Salad

This easy vegan dill potato salad has been a hit at potlucks, family gatherings, and even at my baby shower! Fresh dill and scallions infuse it with vibrant summertime-inspired flavors. Dill pickles and radishes add a delicious crunch.

A perfect vegan side dish to bring to BBQ cookouts and picnics, or to use as a side for a casual homemade meal.

Easy vegan dill potato salad recipe

I’m usually pretty bad with posting seasonal recipes in time for various occasions when they’d be perfect to enjoy.

This time, with Mother’s Day approaching, I was determined to share a recipe that calls for fresh, simple ingredients, and is appropriate for a nice springtime brunch (bring on the mimosas!).

The traditional potato salad as we know it is a big American staple at cookouts and potlucks.

However, as someone raised in Russia, it always reminds me of the famous complicated Russian salads with lots of boiled or canned vegetables, bits of meat or even bologna (!), always topped with mayonnaise.

Radishes and green onions have been my springtime staple since I was a kid growing up in USSR. We were far from blessed with fresh vegetables over the winter, so everyone waited with huge anticipation for the first veggie offerings of spring to load up on vitamins.

My food preferences changed quite a bit since I moved to the US sixteen years ago. But my fondness for the combination of fork tender potatoes, creamy dressing and some crunchy things will forever stay in my heart.

For my creamy dill potato salad recipe, I decided to put a twist on the tradition by using some crunchy vegetables (pickles and radishes) added to such staples of the classic potato salad like red potatoes and mayo.

Pickles add a contrasting salty crunch to the plainness of boiled potatoes, infusing the flavor with a nice tanginess.

Vegan dill potato salad recipe with pickles

Ingredients of Vegan Dill Potato Salad

(Find the ingredient quantities and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below.)

Red-skinned baby potatoes. I find that red potatoes yield the best flavor and a great texture in a potato salad. In my opinion, Yukon Gold potatoes come out a bit too sweet and a little on the waxy side when boiled, and russet potatoes just fall apart.

Follow my secret method below for how to boil potatoes for a perfect potato salad.

Green onions (a.k.a. scallions). Onions add both a spicy “zing” and delicious crunchiness to potato salads. While regular chopped onions work just fine, I’m using green spring onions in this recipe for their beautiful green color and an unmistakable flavor reminiscent of springtime.

Red radishes. Radishes are the king of all crunchy vegetables (fight me on that!). I like them for their spiciness and for the lovely red color that their skins add to my potato salad.

Small dill pickle (or 2 baby dill pickles, each the size of a thumb). Any potato salad is a failure if its flavor doesn’t offer a touch of tanginess.

While a lot of potato salads get that tang with the help of red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, I decided to skip those in favor of the good ol’ dill pickles.

Bonus: extra crunch!

Vegan mayonnaise (I like Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart). In addition to the perfect creaminess it adds to the dressing, vegan mayo has an advantage over its alternatives like regular mayonnaise, sour cream or even Greek yogurt.

It helps the potato salad last longer in the heat of outdoor BBQ parties and gatherings in the summer.

(Say what you will, but nobody wants to go home with a food poisoning they got after eating spoiled egg-based mayo or dairy.)

Dijon mustard. Just a touch of Dijon mustard adds a new dimension to the flavor of the creamy potato salad dressing I’m using here. Alternatively, use yellow mustard.

Fresh or dried dill. Obviously, this potato salad wouldn’t be a “dill potato salad” without this herb. Few things say “Summertime!” for me quite like the smell of freshly chopped dill.

I highly recommend using fresh dill instead of dried in this recipe, but feel free to use what you have on hand.

Note: If using fresh dill, chop it and add it in with the rest of the ingredients (not in the dressing). If using dried dill, mix it into the dressing, and then toss it with the rest of the ingredients.

Black pepper and paprika. Each of these spices contributes to this recipe in a different way. Black pepper adds a lovely aroma and a touch of heat; paprika infuses the dressing with a beautiful color.

For my vegan baby shower a few years ago, I served this dill pickle potato salad in small clear cups. I sprinkled some paprika on top of each cup, and was surprised to see how much fancier it immediately looked.

Watch me make this delicious plant-based potato salad in this episode of my vegan cooking show on YouTube:

Optional Ingredients and Substitutions

Cooked fingerling potatoes make a great option to substitute red baby potatoes. Make sure to boil them whole first, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Chopped purple onions or Vidalia onions will work in place of scallions.

Capers make a good substitution for dill pickles. Leave them whole if using. I wouldn’t recommend sweet pickle relish as a pickle substitute because, in my opinion, it’s not tangy enough.

Some optional ingredients to try: diced bell pepper, chopped celery stalks, daikon radish, diced fresh cucumber. Basically, anything crunchy but not too sweet.

Regarding mayonnaise: If you aren’t a fan of full-fat, store-bought vegan mayo, feel free to look up a lower-fat, homemade mayo recipe if you’d like, and use it as a substitute. In a few of my past recipes, I’ve recommended this tofu-cashew mayonnaise recipe from Susan Voisin’s awesome FatFreeVegan.com blog.

As for myself, in the recent couple years I’ve eased up on my low-fat, no-oil conviction, partly because it’s becoming easier and easier to find good vegan alternatives in stores and thus save lots of time and effort.

Also, I got to the point when I realized that my aversion for fat was beginning to border on an eating disorder similar to orthorexia.

So I made a choice to cut myself some slack and enjoy life to the full(-fat-)est. You can read more about that experience in my post about my journey to body acceptance.

Vegan potato salad with dill and pickles

How to Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad (My Secret Trick)

I know that the traditional way to cook potatoes for a potato salad is to peel them first, then chop them into bite-sized cubes, and then boil until fork-tender.

However, this creates two issues:

  1. Potatoes may become water-logged and mushy if you accidentally overcook them. This creates a major pain in the neck when you try to mix them with the rest of the ingredients.
  2. A lot of flavor and nutrients get washed out of the potatoes, and are then discarded when the potatoes are drained. No bueno.

This is why I like to leave the skin on the potatoes, and then boil them whole in salted water. Once the potatoes are cooled, I dice them into bite-sized pieces.

The resulting potato pieces are way more flavorful, plus they hold their shape better when I’m mixing everything together.

Follow the recipe instructions to see how it works.

How to Make Vegan Dill Potato Salad

(See the printable recipe card below to find ingredient quantities.)

In a large pot, boil the unpeeled baby red potatoes in lightly salted water until fork-tender. Drain, set aside to cool to room temperature for 30 minutes or longer. (Alternatively, put the drained potatoes into the refrigerator to speed up the process.)

While the potatoes are cooling, chop the remaining ingredients: radishes, pickles, green onions, and dill. Set aside.

Peel about half of the cooled potatoes, and keep the peel on the other half. (Or, don’t peel any of the potatoes to make your potato salad look more colorful, or peel all of them for a lighter look.)

Dice the potatoes into bite-sized cubes, about 3/4 to 1 inch in size. You should end up with 4-5 cups of diced potatoes.

Put the diced potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Top with chopped green onions, dill* (if using fresh), diced radishes and pickles. Mix in the dressing (see below). Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

Sprinkle additional paprika on top for a festive presentation. Enjoy right away, or let the salad rest in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small bowl, whip together all of the dressing ingredients – vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, dill (if using dried dill), black pepper, paprika. Mix with the potato salad ingredients.

Easy vegan dill potato salad with pickles

How to Store Vegan Potato Salad

To store prepared vegan potato salad, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Mix again before serving.

I don’t recommend freezing vegan potato salad with mayo – its texture becomes a little “off” once defrosted.

More recipes from the blog:

If you’d like a versatile potato salad recipe that doesn’t call for any mayo at all, check out my warm potato salad recipe with spinach and chickpeas. It goes great as a Sunday brunch option, or a tasty side dish any day of the week.

This potato salad goes well with other vegan BBQ party staples like easy mayo-free Italian-style vegan macaroni salad, easy vegan pesto pasta salad made with dairy free kale cashew pesto, vegan poppyseed coleslaw or vegan chipotle coleslaw, BBQ tofu sandwich, etc.

Looking for summer-inspired Southern comfort foods? Check out my vegan fried green tomatoes recipe (I offer directions for both stovetop and air fryer).

Anyway, here’s my vegan dill potato salad recipe at its finest! If you make it, please give it a star rating below!

Yield: 6 servings

Easy Vegan Dill Potato Salad

Classic vegan dill potato salad

This easy vegan dill potato salad has a delicious flavor that will remind you of summertime! A true crowd pleaser at your next BBQ party or a potluck. Mix cooked potatoes with bits of crunchy vegetables and fresh herbs, and dress them up with a simple vegan mayo-based dressing. A gluten free, dairy free, egg free vegan potato salad recipe.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Time to Cool Potatoes 20 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad;

  • 1 lb small red-skinned potatoes
  • 3-4 radishes, diced
  • 1 small dill pickle, diced
  • 3-4 green onions, chopped
  • Chopped fresh or dried dill*

For the Dressing:

  • 4 Tbsp vegan mayo (I like Follow Your Heart or Just Mayo)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • pinch of black pepper
  • pinch of paprika, to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork-tender. Drain, set aside to cool for 20-30 min. (Alternatively, put the drained potatoes into the refrigerator to speed up the process.)
  2. While the potatoes are cooling, chop the remaining ingredients: radishes, pickles, green onions, and dill*. Set aside.
  3. Peel about half of the cooled potatoes, and keep the peel on the other half. (Or, don't peel any of the potatoes to make your potato salad look more colorful, or peel all of them for a lighter look.)
  4. Dice the potatoes into bite-sized cubes. You should end up with 4-5 cups of diced potatoes.
  5. Put the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Top with chopped green onions, dill* (if using fresh), diced radishes and pickles. Mix in the dressing (see Step 7). Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
  6. Sprinkle paprika on top for a festive presentation. Enjoy right away, or let the salad rest in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend.
  7. TO MAKE THE DRESSING: In a small bowl, whip together all of the dressing ingredients - vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, dill (if using dried dill), black pepper, paprika. Mix with the potato salad ingredients.

Notes

*If using fresh dill, chop it and add to the rest of the ingredients in Step 5. If using dried dill, mix it into the dressing in Step 7.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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I hope you enjoy my easy vegan dill potato salad recipe as much as we do in our family!

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.

Brian

Friday 26th of May 2017

I did, it turned out really amazing hah! Surfing your website right now for another one :P

Alina

Friday 26th of May 2017

That's great, Brian, thank you for letting me know! Hope you find other recipes to your liking on my site!

Brian

Saturday 13th of May 2017

Hey, great article! My wife is an vegan and she also loves running. I'm quite an opposite actually, working out heavily on gym, but I'm slowly getting to follow her footsteps so I find your blog very appealing! Oh and great recipe by the way. I promise I'll try it!

Alina

Saturday 13th of May 2017

Awesome Brian, let me know how it comes out!

Sandy

Wednesday 10th of May 2017

I add chopped sweet pickles and sliced green pimento stuffed olives to my vegan potato salad. I also use yukon gold potatoes and chopped green onions. For the dressing, I use reduced-fat veganaise with stone ground mustard and white pepper.

Alina

Thursday 11th of May 2017

Wow, I love the pimento-stuffed olives idea! And I should try a different type of mustard too - stone-ground sounds amazing! Thank you for your input, Sandy!

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