Fitness / March 31, 2024

Healthy Potato Salad (Delicious!)

With the help of some fresh ingredients, you can take your potato salad from dud to total spud!

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I used to be a picky eater when I was little (who wasn’t, right?) but one thing that I would always eat no matter its shape was a trustworthy spud. I was always eager to eat a potato no matter whether fried, baked, mashed, or flaked. Apparently, I wasn’t alone in this sentiment! Picky eaters, at least as recognized in a medical sense, typically stick with blander “safe” foods that console them without pushing their boundaries – a lot of potato dishes fit in that comfort zone!

Potato salad is notorious for just such blandness (and can typically be very fattening) which makes it perfect for picky eaters (but bad for their health!)

Our healthy potato salad will help broaden your picky eater’s horizons or put a delicious spin on a dish you already know and love. The best way to make sure your picky eater is getting all the good stuff or (if you’re a former picky eater like me) to zest up your go-to comfort food is to incorporate fresh, healthy ingredients and a bit of flavorful fun in every bite!

Not only is this potato salad easier to prepare than a lot of other potato salad recipes out there but healthier, too! With a savory palate of mustard and fresh herbs, along with a satisfactory bitable cut profile, you won’t make potato salad the same again!

Is Potato Salad Healthy?

Typically? No. A lot of potato salads compromise to get that creamy texture by adding mayonnaise and other sources of unhealthy, saturated and trans fats. More often than not, the more convenient the potato salad was to acquire (especially when it’s pre-made), the guiltier you’re going to feel eating it.

However, our potato salad recipe is a different story!

Our delicious and healthy potato salad takes a dish that typically gets left behind at a dinner party and turns it into a star support for any entrée! It’s vegan, making it the perfect accompaniment for any dish and our recommended olive oil is a friendly choice for cholesterol-sensitive diets! Our version of potato salad uses entirely fresh ingredients and doesn’t compromise, bringing you to potato paradise without any guilt!

Let’s settle This! What’s the difference between potatoes?

We have a lot of recipes on FoodFaithFitness that use different kinds of spuds but, unless you keep all different kinds of potatoes on hand (which is a little weird, but you do you!) it might be reasonable to think you can swap out a recipe’s recommended potatoes for the ones you have on hand! Before you do, check out the differences between each of your supermarket’s most popular potatoes:

Russet Potatoes

Russet potatoes are probably the most popular potato out there. These are the spuds you imagine when someone starts talking about french fries and baked potatoes – they’re fluffy and dry on the inside, making them perfect for crisping up into homemade chips or even baking and mashing! You could even give them a roast for some delicious roasted russet potatoes to pair with a nicely seared steak!

Yukon Gold Potatoes

These are the kinds of potatoes that are perfect for making compromises with. If you keep these potatoes in your pantry, you’re more likely to be able to substitute them for a recipe that calls for russet or red potatoes instead; however, bear in mind that they have their own distinct qualities! Yukon Gold is a soft-fleshed potato perfect for mashing and frying while also holding its own in soup stocks like a red potato would! They’re even great for traditional potato salads, though be sure they don’t break apart too much during the boiling step of this recipe!

Red Potatoes

The star of today’s show, red potatoes are slightly waxy when cut and, as a result, hold their shape perfectly for dishes that require a hearty chunk of spud! They roast well while keeping form and this isn’t even our first recipe using red potatoes for potato salad! But, while perhaps not as important to everyone else as it is to me, their adorable size makes it easy to incorporate lots of them into a dish!

INGREDIENTS

2 lb small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped green onions, and more thinly sliced for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 stalks celery, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Boil

Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender, then drain, saving some water for the dressing.

Blend

Create a herbed dressing in a food processor with olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, pepper, and potato water.

Dress

Toss the warm potatoes with the herbed dressing and let them soak up the flavors.

Mix

Add celery and more herbs to the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and toss well.

Garnish and Serve

Enjoy the potato salad garnished with fresh herbs, either immediately or chilled.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Potatoes require a par boil before being made into our potato salad so ahead-of-time prep will need a little extra time just to get your potatoes hot and ready to be sliced into delicious bites. Storing healthy potato salad in the fridge is always advised, but you can reheat this kind of potato salad however you like! While the microwave is always a go-to, try searing the seasoned potatoes in a heated skillet! The oils and herbs should imbue your potato salad with a complex flavor and the thin slices should heat evenly!

Okay but can i use a different kind of potato?

Of course! Yukon Gold is my recommended alternative to red potatoes for this recipe (and any recipe using red potatoes), but russet potatoes can even be mashed into a light, fluffy potato salad with a more traditional texture!

MY kid is so picky! how am i gonna get them to try healthy potato salad?

Part of the process of getting picky eaters acclimated to new foods and experiences is by letting them see the food regularly. It’s ill-advised to force your picky eater to eat something they don’t like but it’s healthy to encourage them indirectly by having the sight, smell, and the opportunity to try new things at their own pace!

Potatoes have a lot of carbs… is there a way to make this keto?

No matter your diet, cravings always arise! If you’re going keto and don’t want to give up healthy potato salad recipes like this one, you can always try substituting our red potatoes for slices of cauliflower! Just make sure they’re heated thoroughly before tossing them in the herbs and oils!

Do I have to keep my healthy potato salad spuds whole?

Not at all! If you require softer foods or your picky eater has a texture issue with the typical waxiness of red potatoes, you can mash your spuds into the herbs and oils as a final step to ensure a homogenous mixture! If you want, you can substitute your red potatoes for Yukon Gold and whip all of the prepared ingredients into a light and fluffy mash!

Serving Suggestions

Healthy potato salad pairs nicely with lots of other hearty dishes! From heavier meals like top sirloin steak to refreshing lunches like chicken salad sandwiches, you can have healthy potato salad for lunch or dinner! It fits right in with any vegan dish and is no stranger next to modern paleo options! Try it with anything, even your picky eater’s favorite comfort foods!

Herbed Potato Salad

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine French

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 65kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

2 lb small red potatoes scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped green onions and more thinly sliced for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 stalks celery chopped

Instructions

Start by boiling the sliced potatoes with salt until tender, then drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
Blend together olive oil, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, black pepper, and the reserved cooking water to create a vibrant herbed dressing.
Pour the herbed dressing over the warm potatoes, allowing them to absorb the flavors as they rest.
Add chopped celery and additional parsley and green onions to the dressed potatoes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the herbed potato salad fresh or chilled, garnished with extra herbs.
DEVOUR!