Italian Potato Salad Recipe

picture of potatoes, basil, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers in a bowl

At Ajpal, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Italian Flavored Potato Salad

This is a no mayo potato salad – it is tossed in olive oil, not mayonnaise, so it is vegan, stores easily, and is perfect for potlucks!

If you love antipasti flavors – roasted red pepper strips, basil, lemon juice, Italian herbs, and artichokes – you’re going to love this super easy potato salad.

You can serve this dish warm or chilled – so it’s perfect anytime you have a craving.

This potato salad is mayonnaise free and uses oil, so it is vegetarian and vegan.

Potato salad is naturally gluten free, and we’ve made sure to use ingredients that work in a gluten free diet.

We hope you love this delicious and easy Italian Potato Salad as much as we do!

You can find our web story for this recipe here.

What Potatoes To Use For Potato Salad

Picking the right type of potato for your potato salad is important – you want your potato to hold it’s shape when boiled, and to keep a firmer texture when chopped up and tossed in oil.

We’re not making mashed potatoes – and still want some toothy bite to the potatoes.

We reccomend the following types of potatoes for potato salad:

Yellow Finn
Yukon Gold
Red Potatoes
Fingerling Potatoes
Small Boiler Potatoes

Easy Italian Dressing

This recipe relies on a fresh-made Italian Dressing for it’s flavor – you can use storebought, but we think the fresh flavors really shine when making your own quick dressing.

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, optional

In a small bowl or jar, mix all ingredients and set aside to drizzle over potato salad.

How To Boil Potatoes

This recipe relies on boiled potatoes for their delicious flavor – the potatoes should be cooked, but not fall-apart soft, for the perfect texture.

Make sure to drain potatoes well after cooking, and let all water shake off of potatoes.

Toss in oil quickly after cooking to prevent potatoes from drying out – they will dry out quickly after boiling, so it is best to assemble ingredients for the salad while potatoes boil, so you can immediately toss the salad when they are done.

Other Easy Potato Recipes

If you love rich, delicious potato recipes, find some of our favorites below:

Butter Poached Potatoes

Grilled Potatoes

Garlic and Chive Potatoes

Irish Colcannon (Buttery Potatoes and Cabbage)

Sausage Vegetable Soup

Skillet Irish Potato Bread

Cheesy Ground Beef Hashbrown Casserole

Roasted Potatoes and Sauerkraut

You can find our complete potato recipe index here.

What to Serve With Italian Potato Salad

This recipe is truly great with a variety of dishes – from baked pork tenderloin or broiled lobster, whole roasted chicken, salmon, and even cauliflower steaks – or it is perfect for a cookout, potluck, or other big meal!

You can find some of our favorite grilled meaty recipes that pair perfectly with potato salad here: