Best Herbed Potato Salad (no mayo, no eggs) (2024)

4.81 from 31 votes

• ▢ 2 pounds baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half, Note 1
• ▢ 1/3 cup chives or green onions, finely chopped
• ▢ 1/3 cup herbs, chopped, Note 2 (fresh parsley, dill, chives and/or basil)
• ▢ zest of 1/2 lemon

Vinaigrette, Note 3

• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil

US Measures – Metric

• BOIL THE POTATOES: Place potatoes in a pot of cold water. Use just enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to boil, lower to medium heat and cook the potatoes until easily pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes. Drain and put potatoes in a large bowl.

• MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk the lemon, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil and whisk until well blended.

• COMBINE: Pour all the vinaigrette over the warm potatoes (or slightly cooled potatoes). It might look like more than you need, but it will be absorbed into the potatoes for great flavor. Add the green onions (or chives), herbs and lemon zest. Toss gently to coat the potatoes well. Serve warm or at room temperature. I often make the dish an hour or two ahead to let the flavors develop at room temperature.

1. Kind of potatoes to use:
   • I generally use baby red potatoes (new potatoes). If the baby potatoes are on the larger side, cut them in quarters instead of halves.
   • If you can’t find baby potatoes, buy other waxy potatoes with thin skins such as Yukon gold potatoes or fingerling potatoes. Just cut them into small bite size chunks.
   • I suggest not using russet potatoes as they don’t hold their shape as well and would need to be peeled 🙁
2. Herb options:
   • Use whatever you love. Good ones for this recipe are parsley, dill, chives, basil and/or tarragon. Cilantro is great if you love it (many people hate it).
   • If you don’t have green onions, you can substitute red onion.
   • You can also use part fresh herbs and part dried herbs (or frozen cubes). 1 tablespoon fresh = ~ 1 teaspoon dried.
3. Dressing variations:
   • I love the lemon-garlic-Dijon-herb combination, but almost any type of vinaigrette will do.
   • You can certainly replace the lemon with white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
   • Or, for a shortcut, use a store-bought Italian dressing or an olive oil dressing (add lemon zest to it to make it a tangy dressing).
4. Make Ahead: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days, then bring to room temperature when ready to use. If you are making the herb potato salad earlier in the day to serve that evening, just let it sit on the counter at room temperature.

Nutrition values are estimates based on a nutrition calculator.