Picnic Potato Salad
Looking for a no-mayo potato salad that transports well for picnics and other summertime outings? This picnic potato salad is just that, with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing and garnished with lots of fresh scallions and parsley. You can also easily double it for a hungry crowd!
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Ingredient-Stretching Tip: Have a surplus of potatoes? Make these baked vinegar chicken thighs and potatoes or Italian sausage and potatoes.
It’s almost ridiculous how many different versions of potato salad you could make, but sometimes I like the ones with simple, limited ingredients to help stretch those dollars further. And you don’t need to compromise on flavor provided you use a good amount of each ingredient, like with this picnic potato salad.
As much as I enjoy mayo-based potato salads, I often opt for the mayo-free variety. They feel lighter and healthier, and their fragrant olive oil- and acidic-based dressings give them that Mediterranean vibe I can’t resist.
This picnic potato salad not only uses olive oil and lemon juice; it’s also infused with smoked paprika for a hint of warmth and garnished with scallions and parsley for freshness. A perfect summer side!
Lastly, dressings are easily customizable, so feel free to adjust the amount of lemon juice, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, etc., in this recipe to satisfy your particular taste buds.
Why You’ll Love This Picnic Potato Salad
- It’s versatile: Prepare this potato salad for a side dish, a quick lunch, or a summer barbecue.
- It’s economical: You’ll likely have many of the ingredients for this recipe already on hand. It’s also relatively inexpensive, so it can be easily doubled or tripled for a large gathering.
- You can easily tweak it to your liking: Whether you add some dill, toss in some capers, or replace the scallions with shallots, this picnic potato salad is easily adaptable.
Key Ingredients
- Baby Yellow Potatoes: You can use any size potatoes, but the baby variety are easier to cut. I recommend using a waxy or somewhat waxy potato for this recipe, like yellow potatoes, red potatoes, or Yukon Gold. Russet potatoes are too starchy and could fall apart when boiled.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil, which will impart more flavor to this simple potato salad.
- Smoked Paprika: Don’t use regular paprika; smoked paprika gives a hint of—you guessed it—smokiness to this potato salad.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Picnic Potato Salad
- Boil the potatoes: Boil them whole (if using baby potatoes) with the skins on in a large pot of salted water until fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain.
- Make the dressing: Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl or mason jar, whisking/shaking them until well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Dress the potatoes: Once the potatoes are cool, slice them in half and add to a bowl. Add the scallions, parsley, and about 3/4 of the dressing (Reserve the rest if serving it later, but you also may not need to use it all if serving it right away. Use your judgement.) Toss everything together well.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the potatoes: Cook them just until they’re fork tender, otherwise, they’ll fall apart, and you’ll end up with mushy potatoes.
- Pour the dressing over the potato salad while it’s warm: This will help the potatoes absorb it better. Just be sure to reserve some dressing if you’re going to serve the potato salad at a later time.
- Let the potato salad sit at room temperature (unless you’re serving it immediately): Although you can eat it straight from the refrigerator, I recommend letting it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Be generous with the salt: These potatoes cook in salted boiling water, but they also cook whole, which allows them to hold their shape much better than if you cut them first. Therefore, you’ll likely need to salt them further after you slice them after cooking. Although you’ll add salt to the dressing, it probably won’t be enough to appropriately season the potatoes.
Variations & Substitutions
-You can use other waxy/semi-waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes.
-Toss in additional fresh herbs, like dill and chives.
-Amp up the onion flavor with minced red onions or shallots.
-Zest some lemon rind into the dressing to enhance the lemon flavor.
-Add a splash of white wine vinegar for extra tang.
Recipe FAQs
Leave the potato skins on. They help maintain the integrity of the potatoes as they boil. They also help the potatoes absorb less water.
Potato salad often needs more salt than we think it does, so add a bit more if it tastes bland. You can also add more acidity like a splash of vinegar and more mustard, smoked paprika, and fresh herbs.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store the potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can eat it another day or two after that, but it loses its structure the longer it sits. Keep any remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing potato salad, which could turn mushy and grainy upon defrosting.
More Potato Recipes
- Baked vinegar chicken thighs and potatoes
- Potato-tomato casserole with Gruyère
- Shredded sweet potatoes with chorizo and eggs
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Picnic Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the Potato Salad
- 1.5 pounds baby yellow potatoes scrubbed clean, left whole with skins on (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 to 3 scallions thinly sliced (Note 2)
- ¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley minced (Note 3)
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot filled with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat so it boils gently, cooking the potatoes until they become fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook.1.5 pounds scrubbed, whole baby yellow potatoes; 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool in a colander for at least 10 minutes until you can handle them.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl or mason jar. Whisk or shake the ingredients until everything is combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning however you like (Add more lemon juice, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, etc.)¼ cup extra virgin olive olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice each one in half and place in a bowl large enough to hold them all. Add the scallions and parsley to the potatoes and about ¾ of the dressing (reserve the rest). Toss everything well.2 to 3 thinly sliced scallions, ¼ cup minced Italian flat-leaf parsley
- Taste to see if the potatoes need more salt (they likely will), and toss again. Serve at room temperature or chill in the fridge until ready to use. If chilling, bring the potato salad to room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving, and add some more of the remaining dressing, if needed (You can also store the remaining dressing in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.) Enjoy!
