Vegan Potato Salad

Author Notes

This vegan potato salad calls for a homemade mayonnaise with an aquafaba base. It’s an inexpensive alternative to store-bought, dairy-free mayonnaise, and it—along with this salad—is a great use for something that you might otherwise discard after opening a can of chickpeas. The mayonnaise is both lighter and thinner than conventional, store-bought mayonnaise; it gives the potato salad richness without a heavy mouthfeel, and it’s pleasantly tangy as-is—no sour cream needed.

I like to use small Yukon gold or yellow creamer potatoes for this salad, so that I can boil them whole. Once boiled, I peel and throw them into a mixing bowl, giving them a quick mash before even adding the mayonnaise, which contributes to the extra-creamy effect of the dish. I chop my mix-ins and herbs finely, so that they don’t disrupt the smashed texture too much.

I’m half Greek, and when I was growing up, dill made appearances in everything (my mother wouldn’t even put mayonnaise on a sandwich without mixing in a little heap of dried dill first). I’ve carried on the family tradition, putting dill into soups, spreads, dips, smashed chickpea salad, grain salads, and more. If you hate dill—and I’ve met a lot of people who do—you can replace it with chives, chopped green onion tops, chopped basil, or a little extra parsley.

I like the way this salad tastes a few hours after it’s been mixed, when the red onions are still pungent and the herbs are still a little crisp. But it keeps nicely, too, and the leftovers will taste good for up to three days in the fridge. The recipe makes 4 to 5 cups as written, so if you’re serving a crowd, you can easily double it. I usually serve this dish as a side, with grilled tofu or tempeh kebabs, and turn leftovers into a meal by folding in some chickpeas, chopped broccoli florets, green beans, tomatoes (whatever needs using), and serving it all over a bed of greens. —Gena Hamshaw