This healthy potato salad with yogurt dressing is perfectly creamy, tangy, and zesty. You can cook the potatoes and green beans in just 1 pot, which makes it very easy to prepare. It's the perfect dish for an easy lunch, a summer grilling party, a spring brunch, a potluck, or a picnic.
I've never really liked traditional potato salads, which always felt a little bland-tasting and boring to me. Hence, why I created this vegan potato salad with punchy flavors and pickled red onions for a tangy kick. No mayonnaise, eggs, or celery required.
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Key ingredients and substitutions
- Baby potatoes: Their thin skin and small size make them the perfect potatoes for a salad as they require very little prep time. They also cook quicker and more evenly than regular potatoes, which avoids overcooking and mushy pieces. Red or yellow baby potatoes work well in this recipe.
- Green beans: A true classic that pairs well with potatoes and adds an extra serving of veggies to the salad.
- Canned white beans: For some plant-based protein. I recommend small white beans over cannellini beans. But truly any type of white beans work.
- Unsweetened soy yogurt: It's a great substitute for mayo and the perfect base for a light and creamy dressing. The simpler the ingredients list, the better. Don't swap it for coconut yogurt which would be a little overpowering.
- Yellow mustard: Adds a sweet and spicy note to the dressing. If you don't like the sharpness of mustard, try using a sweetened kind of mustard (simply check the ingredients on the back) or add a bit of maple syrup to the dressing.
- Lemon zest & juice: To bring out those spring and summer flavors, you wanna add some bright citrus notes to the dressing. Make sure you're using the zest of an organic lemon.
- Fresh dill: To enhance those bright citrusy flavors. It's the perfect herb for this healthy potato salad. If you're feeling fancy, you can complement it with flat-leaf parsley and mint.
- Pickled red onions: They are so easy to make and beautifully finish off the salad. If you don't like pickled onions, try these homemade pickled baby cucumbers.
Elo's tips
- Choose the right potatoes. You wanna look for small waxy potatoes that will hold their shape well.
- Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces for even cooking.
- Don't overcook the potatoes. Start cooking them in COLD water, which heats them slowly and promotes even cooking. Check doneness with a fork a few times. The fork should easily slide in with small pressure but the potato should not fall apart.
- Toss the WARM potatoes with a little juice from the pickled onions. The flesh will absorb the flavor, which prevents them from tasting bland.
- Chill the salad. The bright and zesty flavors of the dressing stand out best on cold potatoes. Let the potatoes cool down for 20 minutes at room temperature. If possible, put them in the refrigerator for another hour.
- You can make this salad up to 24 hours ahead of time. This gives it plenty of time to cool. But toss it with the dressing right before serving.
- Add chopped almonds for some crunch since all the elements of this salad are pretty soft.
- Finish it off with fresh lemon zest and fresh dill right before serving.
How to make a potato green bean salad (step-by-step)
STEP 1: Cut the baby potatoes in half or into quarters depending on their size. Add them to a large pot of COLD water with a generous pinch of coarse sea salt.
STEP 2: Prep the green beans. Place them on a cutting board or flat surface and trim off the ends. Wash them thoroughly.
STEP 3: Cook the green beans with the potatoes. Once the potatoes have been cooking for 8 minutes, you can add the green beans to the same pot. The potatoes will finish cooking and the green beans will be al dente.
STEP 4: Make the vegan yogurt dressing. Add the unsweetened soy yogurt, mustard, lemon zest and juice, dill, garlic, and salt to a small bowl or dressing jar. Stir to combine. If the dressing is a little thick you can add 1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened plant-based milk to thin it out.
STEP 5: Make the pickled onions. Thinly slice the red onions and add them to a glass jar. Make the brine with red wine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar. Pour it over the pickled onions. Add in the spices. Let it cool. Make sure to check out the step-by-step instructions.
STEP 6: Combine. Drain the potatoes and beans and let them cool down. Then, add them to a large salad bowl with the drained and rinsed white beans and yogurt dressing. Stir to combine. Serve with more lemon zest, chopped dill, and pickled onions.
Storage tips
- If you're making this salad ahead of time, store the dressing separately and add it at the very last minute. Unlike traditional potato salads, this one does not have to sit in the dressing beforehand.
- Store leftovers of the dressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat it within 48 hours–this is one of those salads that tastes best fresh.
- Leftover pickled onions can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Serving ideas
- Serve this healthy potato salad as a side with chimichurri tofu.
- You can also serve it alongside your favorite grilling recipes during summer. Try these veggie burgers, grilled falafel, grilled sweet peppers, and grilled mushrooms.
- Make it for brunch with homemade bagels and a vegan quiche.
- Bring it to a potluck or pack it for a picnic.
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The recipe
Healthy Potato Salad With Yogurt Dressing (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) baby potatoes
- 12 oz (340 g) green beans
- 15 oz (400 g) canned white beans the smaller the beans, the better
- Pickled onions
For the dressing
- 1 cup (225 g) unsweetened soy yogurt
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- Zest of ½ an organic lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons unsweetened plant-based milk optional depending on the thickness of the yogurt
Instructions
- Potatoes: Wash the baby potatoes and cut them in half. Cut larger potatoes into quarters. Start cooking them in cold water with a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes.
- Green beans: Wash the beans and trim the ends. Cut them in half or into thirds. Add them to the pot with the potatoes and cook everything for another 8 minutes. Check the doneness of the potatoes with a fork a few times to prevent overcooking. The fork should easily slide in upon small pressure but the potato should not fall apart. Drain when everything is cooked.
- Season and cool: Add the warm potatoes and beans to a large bowl and season with 2 tablespoons of pickled onion juice. Then, cool to room temperature for 15-20 minutes. If time allows, place them in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
- Make the dressing: Add the soy yogurt, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped dill, garlic powder, and salt to a small lidded jar. Shake until combined. Add a little milk if you like a thinner consistency.
- Combine before serving: Drain and rinse the white beans. Add them to the potatoes and green beans. Pour the dressing over the potato salad and toss to combine. Top with pickled onions, more dill, and lemon zest.
Notes
- Choose the right potatoes. You wanna look for small waxy potatoes that will hold their shape well. Small yellow or red potatoes are great.
- You can make this salad up to 24 hours ahead of time. This gives it plenty of time to cool. But toss it with the dressing right before serving.
- Add chopped almonds for some crunch since all the elements of this salad are pretty soft.
Nutrition
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