Italian Potato Salad

No-mayo Potato Salad in a blue bowl sitting on a wooden table.

Italian Potato Salad is easy to make, healthy and full of the bright and delicious flavors of Italy. This is a perfect make-ahead side dish for picnics, BBQ's, cookouts or potlucks because it has no-mayo. Additionally, without the garnish of parmesan cheese, this is a gorgeous vegan salad that everyone will love.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian Potato Salad, Lemon Potato Salad, No Mayo Potato Salad, Vegan Potato Salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Cooling Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 320kcal

Author Heather

Ingredients

5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes *or red potatoes, see note #1 below
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil see note #2 below
1/3 cup lemon juice *from approximately 2 large lemons, see note #3 below
1 tablespoon crushed garlic *from approximately 3-4 large cloves, see note #4 below
1 tablespoon Lemon zest *from 2 large lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch Italian parsley *finely chopped, about 2 cups
12 large basil leaves *chiffonade, about 1/2 cup- see note #5 below
1 cup fresh oregano *finely chopped, from 1 container- about 1/2 cup
1/2 medium red onion finely diced, about 1/2 cup
garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano *optional, see note #6 below

Instructions

Scrub potatoes riding them of any dirt or debris. Transfer washed potatoes to a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water covering the potatoes by 1 inch.
Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat and then lower to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender but with a slight firmness, about 12-14 minutes.
Drain and let potatoes cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl whisk together the oil and lemon juice. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest, salt, cayenne pepper, fresh herbs and red onion.
Once cooled, cut the potatoes into round disks and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Pour the dressing over the top of the potatoes and mix well. This potato salad can be eaten immediately. However, it tastes even more amazing the next day after resting in an airtight container in the refrigerator over night.
Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. (optional)

Notes

Recipe Notes

Note #1- Any type of waxy potatoes (aka thin skinned potatoes) work beautifully for this recipe. The most important element is to use similar sized potatoes for even cooking.

Note #2- A good quality olive oil will have an estate or mill name on the bottle along with a harvest date.

Note #3- Red wine vinegar can be a substitute for anyone with citrus allergies.

Note #4- This is my favorite garlic press.

Note #5- Chiffonade means to cut leafy vegetables or herbs into slender ribbons and it is best done with a quality chefs knife. To Chiffonade the basil, wash and stack the leaves on top of each other. Roll the basil into a tight roll. Make thin slices with your knife on the rolled basil.

Note #6- Parmigiano Reggiano is authentic parmesan cheese. It can be found in the speciality cheese case in many larger grocery stores. Also, use this tool for grating the cheese and zesting the lemon.

Note #7- For a family of 4 use these amounts and follow the recipe as written.

2 1/2 pounds potatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic (about 2 large cloves)
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
6 large basil leaves

Nutrition