My main experience with potato salad is that it is usually 50% mayonnaise, 45% potatoes, and 5% unidentifiable vegetables that were probably shredded carrots at one point, until they drowned in all the mayo. This recipe, however, is a. not gross, b. pretty delicious, actually, and c. has vegetables. Also: vegan!
Mayonnaise-Free Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
2 lb small potatoes (e.g., red and white. The colours make it look more interesting)
1 bunch of asparagus
1/4 lb snow peas
1/4 lb green beans
4 medium-sized radishes
For the pickled onions:
3 spring onions
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp whole grain mustard (regular mustard will not lead to the end of the world)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Wash (but don’t peel) your potatoes, stick them in a saucepan, and cover them with an inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes, until you can stab one with a knife easily. Drain and run under cool water until approximately room temperature.
2. While they cool, pickle your onions. This seems like it should be hard, but it is the easiest thing ever: whisk the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar together in a jar until the salt and sugar dissolve. Thinly slice the bulbs and paler green bits of the onions, and stick them in the jar too (you will need the green onion parts later, so don’t throw them away). Cover and refrigerate. If you are on top of your shit, do this step in advance and let it sit overnight. If you’re not, that’s OK too.
3. Fill a saucepan with salted water (pro tip: use the same pot you used for the potatoes) and bring it to a boil. While you’re waiting, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Also wash and trim the asparagus, green beans, and peas. When the water boils, add the asparagus. A minute later, and the beans and peas. Two minutes after that, drain the pot quickly and throw your vegetables into the ice water until chilled. Remove them and spread them over a towel to dry a little.
4. Slice the vegetables into smallish pieces (1/2 inch) and place them in what will be your largish salad bowl. Chop the potatoes into medium sized chunks and add them, too. Slice the radishes as thin as is humanly possible given your love of not cutting off your fingers, and add them, along with a few thinly chopped pieces of onion greens (only a few, you’ll be adding more onions soon).
5. Within an hour or so of eating the salad, or immediately if you are hungry, re-whisk the dressing and toss with the salad to taste, Sprinkle a few pickled onions in there, or all of them if you just really like onions, and season with salt and pepper.
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
I am so gonna have this for lunch right now:)
No. 1 substitute for mayo: Avocado. Yes mate.
This sounds so good!
My potato secret: boil in veggie broth! For potatoes that are peeled or cut in half, though.
I am elated that you posted this. Especially since mayonnaise has always made to make me want to retch even before I went vegan.
I definitely also get that feeling. I used to know someone who ate mayonnaise sandwiches. Ie just white bread and about an inch of mayonnaise. It was probably the grossest thing ever.
yeah add me into the “i loathe mayo” club
just thinking about that makes me want to freak out
this proves it, we are twins separated at birth.
sick =/
oh sheesh, I loathe mayo and would have gagged if I had to see someone eat that (I gagged at the thought of it).
Terrifying. So excited about mayo-free everything.
I LOVE POTATO SALADS OF ALL VARIETIES
I love mayo, and I think I’m ok with that! Phew, had to get that off my chest!
I also love the sound of this recipe, but if I put mayo on it will I run the risk of spontaneously bursting into flames!? as I’m fairly sure I don’t love it that much!
Sounds delicous! Can’t wait to try it out.
The only way I can eat a potato salad is with lots and lots of (black) pepper sauce. I think I have an issue with potatoes. That is weird.
I’m about as vegan as a tiger on Atkins, but this looks fucking awesome. The only thing mayo can touch without destroying is sushi.
This looks like a great recipe. But I’d still probably end up throwing some Veganaise in there. (Then again, I’d probably marry Veganaise if it were legal. I’m kind of in love with it.)