Vegan Southern Potato Salad (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free, Eggless) (2024)

This super easy Vegan Southern Potato Salad is just like the classic old-fashioned recipe you love! A traditional Southern-style mustard potato salad that's eggless, gluten-free, and allergy-free! This simple, creamy, make-ahead side dish is perfect for your next cookout or potluck!

It's potato salad season and that means it's time to give those 'ole spuds the spotlight! A staple side dish for any summer cookout, bbq, or potluck! Nothing fancy is required for this VEGAN version of the old-fashioned classic Southern-style potato salad! We're ditching the hard-boiled eggs and swapping the mayo with vegan mayo. We're keeping all the creamy mayo-mustard fusion you love and the slight crunch, tang, and sweetness.

What's in Southern Potato Salad?

A traditional Southern potato salad is made with russet potato, mayo, yellow mustard, hard-boiled eggs, celery, sweet onion, scallions, vinegar, and sweet relish, topped with a bit of paprika! In this vegan recipe, you only need a few simple ingredients!

• Russet Potatoes
• Vegan Mayo
• Yellow Mustard
• White Vinegar
• Sweet Onion
• Green Onion/Scallions (to top, or chives!)
• Celery
• Sweet Relish (or Dill)
• A dash of Garlic, Pepper, and Paprika

What type of potato should you use?

If you want this to be a true Southern-style potato salad, you'll want to use russet potatoes (which I know is odd for potato salad). You typically are told to use a lower-starch Yukon Gold or waxy yellow or red-skinned potato for salads. Not here! Of course, if you can only get your hands on one of these varieties, that's okay, try to stick to a higher-starch variety like Eastern white.

Should you use Sweet or Dill Relish?

I've seen variations using sweet pickle relish or dill pickle relish. I like to use sweet, but you can use dill and keep this potato salad completely savory or you can even throw in a teaspoon or so of sugar to sweeten the salad (if you want sweet relish but don't have it on hand!) You can also use whole pickles and dice them up! Use what you have on hand!

What to use instead of eggs?

So maybe you're not vegan or egg-free and want to still have that hard-boiled egg taste, just without the actual eggs. Well, you can get a little fancy here. You can use "Kala Namak", which is Himalayan Black Salt, or just Black Salt. It's used in vegan dishes to provide that "eggy" sulfur, savory, umami taste. Your taste buds will think you're eating some egg yolk, but actually, it's just the sulfur taste of the black salt! So when you're trying to flavor a savory vegan recipe that was once egg-based (egg salad, scrambles, omelets, frittatas), a dash of this salt will work wonders! (This is 100% optional, I did not use it, but it's out there if you'd like!)

This allergy-free potato salad really seals the deal and fits so many diets! It's:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan and Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
• Grain-Free

How to Make Vegan Southern Potato Salad

Making the actual potato salad is so simple and easy. Just toss your boiled and cooled potatoes in a bowl, add the other ingredients, and mix it all together. Let things mingle and chill in the fridge and you're ready to go! It's a no-brainer make-ahead recipe! BUT When it comes to a perfect potato salad, it's ALL about how you cook the potatoes! So here are you're must-know tips for the best potato outcome!

Is it better to boil the potato whole or cut up?

Since you are peeling the potatoes for this recipe, cut them up! Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces are as even as possible.

Should you boil the water before adding the potatoes?

NO! All the cut-up potatoes to a large pot and add just enough water to cover them. Sprinkle in some salt as well. Then, bring the pot of water to a boil. This ensures even cooking for all the potato chunks.

How long should you boil them?

It only takes about 10-12 minutes. Just until they are slightly fork-tender. DO NOT over-boil them, they will fall about and be mushy (especially with a high-starch russet potato).

Should you rinse the potato after boiling?

Yes. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink and then quickly rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process (preventing them from getting mushy!), and shake the colander to get all excess water out.

Can you make the potatoes in advance?

You can and you should. I made the potatoes the day before to allow them ample time to cool down before adding the mayo dressing and veggies. You do not want to add the mayo to the hot potatoes. If you do need to boil the potatoes the day of, make sure you allow them to cool completely in the fridge.

More delicious vegan potato salad recipes:

• Authentic Vegan German Potato Salad
• Harissa Potato Salad
• Classic American Potato Salad
• Tahini Celeriac Potato Salad
• Sweet Potato Potato Salad
• Sour Cream and Onion Potato Salad

Vegan Southern Mustard Potato Salad Recipe

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Who else is ready for a cookout? I know I am (it's always about the yummy sides dishes, isn't it?) This one will quickly become a staple for you and your family, I guarantee it! Even my mayo-hating brother loved this mayo-heavy vegan potato salad! And you know, the perfect sweet dessert to pair with the Southern potato salad? Banana pudding of course!

So tell me:

+ What's your go-to version of potato salad?

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