Serves 8 to 10 as a side
This vegan potato salad is for the classic potato salad connoisseur. It’s creamy, fresh, and crunchy, and it even tastes like there are eggs in it. It’s what I want on my cookout plate, it’s what I want as my dinner side, and it’s what I want to eat with a spoon at midnight.
If you love (or loved) potato salad with chunks of hard-boiled eggs, prepare to be absolutely floored. Tofu, turmeric, and kala namak black salt team up to form a trifecta of egginess. If you feel like tricking your uncle Herbie into eating tofu, this might be the ticket. But tricks aside, it’s also just a really great potato salad.
The texture is what makes this so special. The potatoes are tender and creamy from the dressing, the tofu gives you those little firm cubes that mimic chopped egg, and the celery and carrot bring that essential crunch every potato salad needs. Scallion adds a fresh oniony bite without being overbearing. The dressing is a creamy vegan mayo base cut with Dijon for tanginess, classic flavors that taste exactly like they should.
It holds its own next to a burger. In fact, it makes a great topping for one — which is exactly what I do with it. Try it on these veggie burgers and you’ll see what I mean.
The Eggy Part: How To Make Vegan Potato Salad Taste Like Eggs
If you’re wondering how a potato salad can look and taste like eggs with no eggs in sight, it’s three ingredients doing the work together:
Kala namak. This is black salt from India (it’s actually pink, go figure), and it’s the main taste event. The sulfur compounds in it smell and taste like hard-boiled eggs in a way that is uncanny. Two teaspoons is all you need. You can find it at Indian grocery stores or online, and once you have it you’ll find ways to use it.
Turmeric. A teaspoon gives the dressing that soft yellow color you expect from an egg salad situation. It doesn’t add much flavor at this amount, it’s almost purely visual.
Tofu. Extra-firm tofu, diced small, gives you the chopped egg texture. Little firm cubes in a creamy dressing. That’s the egg salad feeling right there.
Together these three are a trifecta. Each is eggy in its own way alone, but put them in a creamy potato salad and your brain will insist that there are eggs in this.
The Potato Part: The Best Potatoes For Potato Salad
Russets are the potato for the moment. This is not the time for fingerlings or baby red potatoes. Yukon gold has its place but this isn’t it. Russet potatoes are starchy enough to soak up the dressing, they get creamy on the outside when stirred around, and they still hold their shape inside.
Peel them. I know, I know. But peeled potatoes are the way to go for this recipe — the dressing clings better and the texture is smoother. And you don’t have to be perfect about it, a little skin won’t hurt anyone so do your best.
Cut in uneven chunks, not perfect cubes. About an inch, but ragged. Some pieces smaller, some bigger. The bigger pieces hold their shape and give you bites of creamy potato. The smaller ones break down into the dressing and make everything creamier. Uniform cubes make for a boring potato salad.
Slightly overcook them. Not mushy, but past the “just barely fork tender potatoes” stage. A little overcooked means the edges break down into the dressing when you toss everything together, which is exactly what you want. Nervous cooks tend to undercook their potato salad potatoes and end up with a salad that tastes like separate components. You want everything to meld.
Dress them warm. Transfer the potatoes straight from the colander to the dressing bowl. Warm potatoes absorb the dressing in a way cold potatoes never will. This is the single biggest potato salad upgrade there is.
How To Serve This Potato Salad
You can eat it straight out of the bowl with a spoon, but here’s what I do:
On a cookout plate. Next to veggie burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, corn. A scoop next to everything.
On top of a burger. My whole thing. Pile a scoop right on top of a grilled veggie burger, smoosh it into the bun, eat the parts that fall off with a fork. You’re welcome.
As a side to any sandwich. Of course you know this already, but still worth mentioning.
As a side dish on a hot plate. Serve it where you’d normally put mashed potatoes. With meatloaf. With a roast. As a breakfast potato, even. I love it with warm tempeh bacon on top.
As a whole meal. Because this potato salad has tofu in it, it’s got some protein and eats like a meal. Top a salad with it. Eat it for lunch. Be free.
How To Make This Potato Salad Ahead Of Time
This is a good one to make ahead, which is useful because potato salad is basically always a “bring to the cookout” situation.
Make ahead. You can make this up to two days ahead. The flavors actually get better after a night in the fridge: the kala namak gets more pronounced, the dressing settles into the potatoes. If anything, I recommend making it the day before.
Store it. Covered tightly in the fridge. Give it a stir before serving because the dressing tends to settle.
Cookout travel. Bring it in a cooler with an ice pack. Mayo-based salads are not the ones to leave out in the sun for three hours. Keep it cold until it hits the plate.
And sorry but please don’t freeze it. Potato salad does not like freezing. The potatoes get weird and the mayo separates. Make what you’re going to eat.
Vegan Potato Salad FAQ
Can I skip the kala namak in this vegan potato salad? You can, but this recipe won’t be eggy without it. Kala namak is the whole trick. If you skip it, you’ll have a regular (still very good) vegan potato salad. If you want the egginess, track it down.
Can I use a different tofu in this vegan potato salad? Extra-firm is what you want for the chopped-egg texture. Firm works in a pinch but will be a little softer. Silken tofu is a hard no — it will fall apart into the dressing.
Can I make this potato salad recipe gluten-free? I’m one step ahead of you! This vegan potato salad recipe is already gluten-free. Just double-check that your vegan mayo is gluten-free (most are).
Is this vegan potato salad better the next day? Yes. The flavors deepen overnight and the kala namak really takes hold. If you can plan ahead, make it the day before.
Can I add a different onion? Sure! Small diced red onion works, as a substitute or in addition to the scallion. I also like to sprinkle with chives.
Can I double the recipe? Absofrigginlutely. Triple it!
Complete Your Vegan Cookout
Eggy Vegan Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (not cubes, uneven chunks)
- ¾ cup vegan mayo store-bought or homemade
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons agave
- 2 teaspoons kala namak
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ cup grated peeled carrot
- 2 celery ribs thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped scallion light green and white parts only
- 1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, diced very small
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sweet paprika for garnish
- Fresh dill for garnish (optional)
- Sliced chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a large pot (4-quart works) and cover with salted cold water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. It’s okay if they are a little overcooked, that gives the salad more creaminess. Drain in a colander.
- Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, whisk together the mayo, mustard, vinegar, agave, kala namak, and turmeric. Transfer the warm potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat in the dressing.
- Fold in the carrot, celery, scallion, and tofu, along with several grinds of black pepper. Taste and adjust for salt and seasoning. If you need to add more salt, use regular sea salt, not more kala namak.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with a light dusting of paprika and fresh dill before serving.
