My Mama’s Potato Salad Recipe (2024)

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  • Makes about 14 cups
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When I was a kid, I would only eat my mom and grandmother’s potato salad – I refused to eat potato salad from the grocery store. This vegan potato salad recipe is my favorite, try it and find out why!

By Del Sroufe,

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My Mama’s Potato Salad Recipe (1)

Ingredients

  • 8 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
  • 1 (12-ounce) package firm or extra-firm silken tofu
  • 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup dill pickle relish
  • 4 large stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 medium red onion, finely diced
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Place the potatoes in a large pot and add cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the potatoes until just tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse them under cold water until cool.
  • In a blender, combine the silken tofu, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  • Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the relish, and stir well to combine. Add the celery, onion, and potatoes and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cover and chill for 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
  • Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

tags:

  • summer

Comments (34)

(5 from 13 votes)

Kathleen Coffman

Reply

This is so delicious!!!!! I made it for a potluck at work tomorrow! 😁

Betsy

Reply

I made it for Super Bowl. My husband said it was the best I had ever made. Everyone liked it.

Ivi

Reply

Wow!!! I have NEVER been a fan of the traditional mayo based salads, thought it was disgusting all that mayo and mush. My Mama made a marvelous vinegar & oil & egg potato salad. Seeing as I don’t do oil or eggs anymore, gave this a try. Sooooo delicious, wow, keeper recipe!

I read through a few WFPB potato salad recipes before settling on this one and I’m not disappointed! I’m amazed at how much it tastes the the potato salad I used to love from the grocery store deli. I would definitely feel comfortable making this to share with non-vegans as well. I don’t think they’d even know it was WFPB!

Kathleen Corum

Reply

I can't use up leftovers for 8 servings very darn often. So I made this with one potato and it worked. I just whisked together everything but the potato and then mixed in the potato. I did add a little homemade soy yogurt to make it smoother. But A okay. I was specifically looking for a tofu version of potato salad. Thank you Dell!!

Shari

Reply

I saw that the recipe has 3 tbsp total of mustard. I can tolerate mustard. For example I don't mind it in the store bought potato salad. Does this have a very strong mustard taste? Thanks. It sounds so good.

Yaya

No, not a forward mustard flavour. You can taste that it’s present; but it’s not over powering

Carolyn

Reply

I am waiting to try this recipe.

Goldie

Reply

Hun can you please tell me why she used the tofu. Cause you already used potatoes so I'm not sure why you'd need tofu. Please help.

Karen Hansberger

Tofu is used in place of mayo… for creaminess.

Kevin Dye

A Potato salad with a big protein hit from the tofu- great for those watching their macros!

Carla

Reply

My husband and I both enjoyed this potato salad. He is not a whole good type of guy so I love when he likes something that is delectable and healthy. I find it is so much easier to make with tofu than raw cashews which are not easily available to me.

Lee

Reply

My first time using tofu vs cashews as a mayonnaise replacement. It was very good! I didn't tell my omni family and no one noticed a difference! I tweaked recipe to replicate my mom's recipe by using Italian seasoning and omitting relish. I already had extra firm tofu (not silken) and added some water to the blender make it more creamy.

Lindsay Parks

Reply

Just a question before making it. I’ve never seen silken tofu that was firm or extra firm. Just says silken on the various brands. I have regular firm tofu that I plan to use. Will that work? Or better to use silken that isn’t rated firm or extra firm?

Dianne

Hi Lindsay, I have the same question, I'm trying silken tofu. What did you use, and how did it turn out?

Jennifer

Mori-Nu brand (shelf stable, so sometimes in the Asian food section at grocers) is silken and has different firmness categories. Several cookbooks have noted that there is not significant difference between them — it might make for a slightly more liquid/firm sauce, but I’d imagine any would work.

Heidi

I used 10oz of ordinary silken tofu, and it turned out great! Keeping this recipe!

Janice

Reply

Thank you SO much for this recipe! I've been searching for a recipe that tasted like what I made prior to adopting a plant-based lifestyle-this is it! I made this potato salad today and it is AMAZING!!!

Kristine

When I can’t find firm silken tofu I press soft silken tofu to take out the water

Marjorie Rice

Reply

Could you replace the tofu with plain almond milk yogurt?

Charlotte

Reply

89g of carbs for one serving?

Leisa B

Reply

It's my husband, with coronary artery disease, that I am trying to satisfy. My daughter & I love pretty much everything on this site. He willingly went whole food plant based NO fat, but boy oh boy he doesn't do well with so very many salads & greens & the likes. He's 6'4", 190 pounds & it's really hard to fill him up. He. Loved. This!! And it sticks to his bony ribs. lol So happy. So thankful. FYI, he hadn't eaten beef or pork in over 10 years after finding out he had the hereditary sticky cholesterol. His dad died at 56. But even whilst eating only poultry, fish & olive oil he developed a 100% blocked artery & a second one at 45-50%. Dr. Calwell Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" started our journey... the Food Revolution led me here where most of the recipes fit within our diet parameters.He's 61 & plans to live another healthy 30+ years.

Charlebois Kimberly

Reply

What was the dill pickle relish for that was listed in ingredients.

Sharon

You add it in step 3.

Ciara Roots

Leisa, so glad your husband discovered the problems with his arteries. I had the same issue. Have been a vegetarian--vegan about 70% of the time--and exercised, didn't smoke, didn't drink alcohol, didn't use drugs, didn't have diabetes or kidney issues, and no heart issues. I was not a candidate for peripheral arterial disease, and because of this, doctors could not figure out what was wrong with my legs--why I was starting to have so much trouble walking. A very observant podiatrist referred me to a practice whose only focus is blocker arteries. Thankfully, they found the severe blockage I had in both legs and cleaned them out. They told me if it had gone undetected for much longer, I probably would have had to have my leg amputated!!! As with your hubby, my problem was strictly hereditary, and that's why no doctor before even thought that might be the issue.I am telling everyone to get their arteries checked. This disease is silent until the blockage becomes severe. The test is painless and takes about 30 minutes. The procedure to remove the plaque is an in-office visit that takes about an hour, but you're there anywhere from 3-5 hours for prep, the procedure, and recovery. There is virtually no pain at all with this procedure, and it is covered by most insurances. Even though I'm a long-time vegetarian, I am now switching to a whole-foods, plant-based diet entirely. Please, everyone, do not neglect this advice--it could save your leg!!!

Elizabeth Brinker

Reply

I would love to know the macro nutrient breakdown for this recipie.FatsCarbsProteinThanks!

Cindy Contractor

Me too, especially the fat grams

Kevin L

Nutritional analysis per servingCalories: 460; Fat: 6 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Trans fat: 0 g; Carbs: 89 g; Fiber: 12 g; Sugars: 13 g; Protein: 20 g; Sodium: 416 mg; Calcium: 343 mg;

Karen Sellers

Reply

Incredible taste! One of my friends said it was the best potato salad she's ever had, and I certainly did not tell her that I substituted tofu for mayonnaise. No one could tell the difference anyway. Thanks

Heather

Reply

SPOT. ON. This tasted exactly like my grandmother's potato salad. I have never used tofu before and didn't know what to do with it, so I recommend draining it and drying it (I didn't) so the sauce isn't too runny. Outside of that, I followed the recipe exactly with a generous amount of black pepper. It was excellent. Thank you.

John Casey

Hi Heather, my wife, now a vegetarian, had some 6 or 7 strokes in 2017 and not only have I become her 24/7 Caregiver, I am also the cook, dishwasher, shopper, maid, etc., etc. I have been vegan since 2005 and love it! Tofu has become a staple in our house and the only time I dried it was when drying it for back-packing or making a mock jerky many years ago. I purchase only Organic Water-packed and after opening (Over The Sink) I drain and generally press it by hand to rid some of the water. If your hands are small or you would rather not use your hands, there are a number of Tofu presses on the market (check Amazon). I generaly purchase Extra-Firm as I can easily use it in most things from Tofu Scrample to sauces. I really like the sound of this recipe and will be trying it soon!! Thank you Del Sroufe for the recipe

Yvonne

Reply

I ❤ potato salad and this recipe is a great guide even w/o tofu. I added red pepper, fresh herbs, and doubled the dijon and lemon juice.

Susan

Hi Yvonne, Did you use the tofu in the above recipe? ❣

Milt Hill

Reply

Thank you for this recipe! Since I changed to WFPB, I have really been missing potato salad. I made this recipe as directed, except that I used six medium Idaho potatoes and doubled both mustards. I gave my wife a taste, and I almost could not convince her to eat more, as she said that it had to be "cheating!" I made this with barbeque (soy curls and Hughes SF barbeque sauce) with sides of black-eyed peas and steamed broccoli. What a dinner!!

My Mama’s Potato Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

My Mama’s Potato Salad Recipe? ›

The skin on a potato adds a nice texture and flavor to the potato salad and it's also the healthiest part.

What not to do when making potato salad? ›

Mistakes That Could Be Ruining Your Potato Salad
  1. Starting The Spuds In Hot Water. Contrary to most recipes that require you to bring the water to a boil before adding your ingredient, when it comes to potato salad, you should be starting with cold water. ...
  2. Forgetting To Salt The Water. ...
  3. Not Getting The Cook Time Right.
Jun 24, 2023

Why don't you peel potatoes for potato salad? ›

The skin on a potato adds a nice texture and flavor to the potato salad and it's also the healthiest part.

Should you rinse potatoes in cold water after boiling for potato salad? ›

Rinsing potatoes helps remove excess starch, so it is recommended to rinse the potatoes before cooking. To ensure even more starch is out of the way, it's recommended that they even be quickly rinsed after boiling. We recommend using hot water for rinsing after boiling and cold water prior to boiling.

Should you peel potatoes before boiling for potato salad? ›

Drop a whole russet into the pot and by the time the outside has cooked through, the inside will still be raw. Larger potatoes should be cubed to ensure they cook evenly (peeled first if desired). Smaller potatoes tend to have thin skins and can be boiled whole, no peeling required.

Should you boil potatoes whole or cut up? ›

Starchy potatoes tend to fall apart or become water-logged when boiled, so I recommend boiling them whole instead of cubed.

Which type of potato is best for potato salad? ›

To keep your salad from falling apart into mush, it's important to use the best potatoes for potato salad. Skip the russet potatoes and use a waxy variety instead, like Yukon gold, red potatoes or fingerlings.

How long do you boil potatoes for? ›

The cooking time is going to come down to size — whether your potatoes are small or large, and cubed or whole. In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes.

What is in Walmart potato salad? ›

POTATOES, MAYONNAISE (SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, SALT), MUSTARD (WATER, VINEGAR, MUSTARD SEED, SALT, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, TURMERIC, PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER, SPICES, ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR], XANTHAN GUM, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR), DILL PICKLE CUBES (CUCUMBER VINEGAR, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, NATURAL ...

Why are my potatoes hard in my potato salad? ›

Undercooking or overcooking the potatoes.

Don't let them cook long enough, and you'll be left with firm, crunchy potatoes — not a texture potatoes should ever take on in this dish. Cook them too long, and you'll have mushy potatoes. → Follow this tip: The potatoes should be cooked so they're soft, tender, and creamy.

Does potato salad contain vinegar? ›

All you need is four ingredients for this simple potato salad recipe: scallions, mayonnaise, white-wine vinegar, and Yukon gold potatoes.

Why is my potato salad always watery? ›

Potatoes can retain moisture. To prevent this, drain the potatoes very well in a colander or pot. Allow all the steam to escape the potatoes before mixing them with the dressing and other ingredients.

What goes bad in potato salad? ›

But the truth is, mayonnaise isn't your main concern when it comes to spoilage. The actual culprit is the potatoes. Yes, it's true! The humble, reliable potato is a hotbed for bacterial growth if improperly stored after cooking.

How to prevent potato salad from getting watery? ›

Potatoes can retain moisture. To prevent this, drain the potatoes very well in a colander or pot. Allow all the steam to escape the potatoes before mixing them with the dressing and other ingredients. Steaming the potatoes instead of boiling them is a good way to ensure that excess moisture isn't trapped inside.

How do you keep potatoes from turning brown in potato salad? ›

Soak them in water

The best (and most popular) way to keep cut potatoes from turning brown is to completely submerge them in a bowl of water. Store the water-covered potatoes in a bowl in the refrigerator until you're ready to use them, up to one day in advance.

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