Potato salads are a staple at picnics due to their simplicity, versatility, and ability to be prepared in advance. They are easy to transport and can be served cold, making them ideal for outdoor gatherings. Potato salads can be customized with a variety of ingredients and dressings, catering to different tastes and dietary preferences. So, try out this vegan and oil-free potato salad recipe.

Read more: 6 Vegan Pasta Salad Recipes

Traditional potato salads are typically not vegan because they often contain mayonnaise, which is made from eggs, and sometimes include dairy products like sour cream or yogurt. They may also incorporate bacon or other animal-based ingredients.

Thankfully, though, there are a wide variety of vegan potato salad recipes to choose from. One option is to use shop-bought plant-based alternatives to mayo and / or sour cream, and follow a traditional recipe with those. But the below recipe, which comes from Clean Food Dirty Girl, offers a new oil-free twist on potato salads.

Oil-free potato salad

Potato salad can be a touchy subject for some. People get very passionate about their preferences and traditions. Maybe you grew up on vinegar-based salad or your dad would only use a certain brand of mayo. Have you been burned by bland spuds or your coworker’s strange ideas of “appropriate” potato salad ingredients? No matter your experience or feelings, we’re confident you’ll love our classic plant-based potato salad recipe

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Servings cups

Ingredients

3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes, washed and cut into quarters (about 6 large potatoes / 1.4 kg)
1 cup cup celery, chopped (100 g)
1 cup onion, diced (any variety / 160 g)
½ cup parsley, finely chopped (any variety / 10 g)
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped (1 g)

Dressing

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 10 minutes (130 g)
2 tbsp dried dates, pitted and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes (about 2 large dates, we like Medjool / 25 g)
1 cup water (235 ml)
¼ cup nutritional yeast (20 g)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole (6 g)
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Add the quartered potatoes to a large pot and cover them completely with water by 1 or 2 inches. Place a lid on the pot at an angle and simmer over medium heat for 20–25 minutes until tender, or until you can pierce them with a fork.
Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool.
Make the dressing by draining the cashews and dates (discard the soaking water) and placing them into the blender, along with the new water, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, garlic, and salt. Blend until totally creamy and smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Set aside for now.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized pieces and place them into a large mixing bowl along with the celery, onion, parsley, dill, and all of the dressing from the blender.
Gently stir until everything is combined. Taste for seasoning. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

This recipe was created by Clean Food Dirty Girl. Start a trial to Plant Fueled Life for more plant-based and oil-free recipes like this. Photos by Amber Asakura.