Old-Fashioned Potato Salad (No Mayonnaise)

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/29/21
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This basic potato salad is a simple combination of potatoes and onions, tossed with seasoned vinegar and oil dressing. The dressing is a refreshing change of pace from the heavier sour cream or mayonnaise mixture.

Old-fashioned potatoes

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds large potatoes, about 3 large potatoes)

  • 1 large onion

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

  • 1 clove garlic, mashed and finely minced

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for potato salad
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  2. Peel the potatoes and put them in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.

    Peeled potatoes
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  3. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the potatoes are fork tender—about 20 to 25 minutes.

    Boiled potatoes
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  4. Drain and cool completely in the pan with the cover ajar.

    Cover pot
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  5. Slice the cooled potatoes into 1/4-inch slices and put them in a large bowl.

    Sliced potatoes
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  6. Peel the onion and slice it in half lengthwise. Cut it crosswise into thin slices and add to the bowl with the potatoes.

    Chopped vegetables
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  7. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, minced parsley, sugar, salt, and black pepper.

    Whisking egg in bowl
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  8. Pour the dressing mixture over the potatoes and onions, then toss gently to combine the ingredients.

    Chopped in a bowl
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  9. Taste and season the salad with additional salt and pepper, as needed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.

    Saran wrap over bowl
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  10. For best flavor, make the salad at least 2 hours before you plan to serve it. 

  11. Enjoy.

Tips

  • Choose low-starch potatoes for salads, such as red-skinned, Yukon Gold, fingerlings, or new potatoes. Those types of potatoes are lower in starch than russets and other baking potatoes, and they tend to hold their shape better.
  • If you want to make this dish in advance, up to 24 hours before serving, cook and cube the potatoes, slice the onions, and combine the dressing ingredients. Refrigerate the ingredients in separate containers. About 2 hours before serving time, combine the ingredients and toss to blend. Refrigerate until serving time.
  • This potato salad is an excellent choice for a picnic or cookout. Even though there's no mayonnaise included, you should still keep the salad as cold as possible. Make sure it doesn't stay out of a cooler or refrigerator for more than 2 hours (no more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90 F) or nestle the salad bowl in a bed of ice to keep it at the safe temperature of 40 F or below for serving.

Recipe Variations

  • The salad is versatile as well. Consider adding fresh chives or dill to the salad along with the parsley. If you don't care for raw garlic in a salad, use about 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in the dressing or leave it out altogether.
  • Alternatively, add some sliced cucumber to the salad. Cut the cucumber—peeled or not—in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and slice the halves thinly. Toss the cucumber with the potatoes and onions.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
249 Calories
9g Fat
39g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 249
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 193mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 17mg 87%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 860mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)