This mustard potato salad gets a Mediterranean makeover with a bright dressing and the addition of fresh herbs and capers. Packed with flavor, and it's egg-free and far lighter on the calories!
Read through for important tips and watch the video below.
Every culture, and almost every household, has its own treasured potato salad recipe. Mine is this mustard dill potato salad.
What I'm proposing here is not the traditional potato salad, mashed with mustard, pickles, and hard broiled eggs, this one gets a bright Mediterranean makeover.
A healthier option that is packed with flavor, thanks to the addition of fresh herbs (dill and parsley); caper; and a little bit of chopped red onions. And you'll love the Dijon mustard dressing with good extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar.
Especially during the hot summer months, potato salad, caponata, and this tomato salad make a regular appearance as sides next to grilled whole chicken or kofta kebabs!
But there are many more ways to enjoy this potato salad. I can't wait for you to try it!
What kind of potatoes to use?
Waxy, thin-skinned potatoes, like new potatoes or red potatoes, are great for this mustard potato salad because they tend to have the least amount of starch, which allows them to hold their shape well. Plus, you don't have to peel them!
I also often use small gold potatoes (yukon gold potatoes) which are great all-purpose potatoes that have just a little bit more starch but will still hold their shape.
Russet potatoes are too thick-skinned and too starchy, which makes them the least favorite candidate for a potato salad recipe like this one.
If you're here, you'd probably agree with me that the deli and store-bought stuff is just not what you want. To me, it's too heavy and soggy having sat in a pool of mayo for hours.
But sometimes, homemade potato salad can have it's issues too--bland, too mushy, not enough flavor.
But this mustard dill potato salad has all the magical qualities you're looking for: Holds its shape for gorgeous presentation; packed with flavor; and never heavy-tasting. Here is why...
Tips for the best potato salad
- Choose the right potato. Like I said earlier, avoid super starchy, thick-skinned russet potatoes and go for new potatoes, red potatoes or small gold potatoes which will hold their shape better.
- Slice the potatoes before cooking. If you cook the potatoes first, you won't be able to slice them neatly for the perfect presentation. Plus, thinly sliced potatoes will cook quickly (6 minutes or so)
- Salt the water in which you cook the potatoes. This will help add flavor right from the start.
- Opt for a lighter dressing than mayonnaise-heavy dressing. I used a homemade Dijon mustard dressing for potato salad with extra virgin olive oil and a good splash of white wine vinegar for extra tang. And if you really want to amp up the flavor, add some spice like coriander, sumac and a dash of black pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the hot potato slices. Don't wait too long for the potatoes to cool; adding the dressing while their still somewhat hot will help them absorb flavor better.
- Play up the flavor. The dressing may be sufficient for some, but I like to add herbs (dill and parsley) for added freshness and color. Most potato salad recipes add pickles, but I like capers for a little Mediterranean flare (either will add some salty and tangy touch here). And a little bit of chopped red onions (or shallots if you need something milder).
- Allow the potato salad to rest before serving. Leave it at room temperature or refrigerate for 1 hour or longer so the flavors have a chance to meld. Be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving.
How to make mustard potato salad
- Slice and cook the potatoes. I used a mandoline slicer like this one (affiliate link) to slice my potatoes thinly into rounds. Get them in a pot of water (salt the water generously) and boil, then lower the heat and cook until tender (about 6 minutes). Drain well.
- Make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, mustard, white wine vinegar and spices in a small bowl (or a measuring cup, which makes it easy to pour). Whisk well.
- Pour dressing over the potatoes and toss gently.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Throw in the capers, fresh herbs, and chopped onion. Toss gently to combine.
- Stop. Don't eat the mustard potato salad yet. Allow some time for things to marinate and for the flavors to meld. If you like, chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour, but be sure to bring it to room temp before serving.
More comforting sides to try
Smashed Potatoes with Garlic and Za'atar
Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin and Lemon
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Mustard Potato Salad, Mediterranean-Style
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb small potatoes such as new potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes
- Water
- teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped red onions
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped dill
- 2 tablespoon capers
Dijon Vinaigrette
- â…“ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground sumac
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the potatoes and dry them well. Slice potatoes thinly using a mandoline slicer. I used this slicer (affiliate link).
- Place potatoes in a pot and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Turn the heat down and allow the potatoes to simmer for about 6 minutes or so until they're tender (you should be able to poke the potatoes with a fork).
- Add vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until well-combined.
- When the potatoes are ready, remove from heat and drain well. Place them in a large mixing bowl and immediately dress them with the Dijon mustard dressing. Gently toss to coat.
- Add onions, fresh herbs, and capers. Toss gently to combine.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving platter. For best results, allow the potato salad some time to marinade before serving. You can refrigerate it for 1 hour or so but be sure to bring it to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
- Make-ahead instructions You can make this mustard potato salad ahead of time. Dress the potatoes with the vinaigrette but hold the onions, herbs and capers until later. Refrigerate up to 8 hours. Before serving, add the onions, herbs and capers and toss.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge covered for 2 to 3 days or so.
- Visit our Shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils and all-natural spices used in this recipe.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2017 and has been recently updated with new information and media for reader's benefit.
Kim says
I love this potato salad! The family leaves no leftovers when I make this dish. The first time I left out the Sumac since I didn't have it. I had the Sumac for the second time around, and it just adds a boost to the salad. I also added a little cranberry-pear balsamic vinegar in with it this last time. FABULOUS! This recipe is a KEEPER!
Thanks for these great recipes, Suzy!
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Kim!
Ashley S. says
Best potato salad I've ever made! I subbed in minced kalamata olives for the capers (I had them so I figured wth) and it was delicious.
Suzy says
That's a fun idea! Thanks for sharing, Ashley!
Ericka says
Excuse my question but since my husband is diabetic and i super love your recipes i rather be dumb once and not misleading my husband forever, what size are all your nutrition facts based on?
Suzy says
Hi, Ericka. The nutrition facts listed with our recipes are really just a best estimate. We get them by entering our ingredient list into a basic nutrition calculator and dividing the results by the number of servings we feel the recipe produces.
Sibylle says
Ericka, my husband is diabetic now too.I found out that the small red potatoes have the least amount of starch except for purple potatoes. Then, if you boil/steam them and let them cool off and sit overnight some of the starch will turn into resistant starch.So I make my german potato salad, which has a vinaigrette dressing as well, put it on the warm, sliced potatoes and serve it the next day at room temperature or reheated a bit in the microwave.The vinegar also helps with blood sugar spikes, but yes, keep the serving on the small side. Whenever we are trying something new like this he will take his glucose before and after the meal to make sure his glucose doesn’t get too high.It’s quite an education.
Looking forward to trying this version.
Nicole S. says
My best friend and I made this dish when I went to visit her for a girly weekend. We did a Greek dinner and made this and two other of your recipes. They were all amazing!!! This was wonderful and nicely flavored. My husband wants me to make this for him now lol
Thank you for all the wonderful and delicious recipes.
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!
Kim says
I love this recipe! It tastes so clean and delicious. It pairs great with lemon chicken, grilled fish, you name it.
Suzy says
Thanks, Kim!
George Donner says
Thank you Suzy,
I made this potato salad a few days ago and it is very wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly. Easy to make.
Suzy says
Awesome! Thanks, George!
Liv says
This is by far the most amazing potato salad recipe!
Suzy says
Wow! Thank you so much!!!
Greta says
This was delicious, and even better the second day! Thanks for the recipe.
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it, Greta!
Tim says
I made this today as a side for your Mediterranean swordfish recipe and it knocked it out of the park. I could taste it in my mind just from reading the recipe and knew it would be good if I just executed properly. Fortunately, it was straightforward to make. The only critical thing is to make sure you slice the potatoes the right thickness and you don’t over- or under-cook them. I paid attention on those steps and then, it was an absolutely scrumptious side for our dinner. My wife isn’t always a mustard fan, so I had a little concern about how she’d find it, but she thought it was fantastic. Thank you! Oh, by the way, I left a review for the swordfish recipe, too - best swordfish I’ve made in 40 years!
Kathy says
How many servings in this recipe? Sorry if I missed it somewhere.
Suzy says
This will serve 6 to 9 people as part of a larger dinner with other sides.
NICKY says
CANT WAIT TO TRY THIS. WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD (VEGETARIAN) MAIN DISH TO GO WITH THIS SIDE?
Suzy says
Enjoy, Nicky. You can browse our collection of vegetarian recipes here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/category/vegetarian/
Joyce says
My search for a no-mayo potato salad is over. This is delicious!!
Suzy says
Yay! So glad you loved it!
wilhelmina says
I love all of the flavors in this potato salad, so dang delicious!
Ashley Presciutti says
What a creative potato salad!! We loved this!
Suzy says
So glad!
Toni says
This is really amazing! Love how tasty this is!
Suzy says
Thanks, Toni!
Wayne says
This is so delicious and tasty! My wife made this and I can't wait for her to make it again!
Suzy says
Awesome! Thanks, Wayne!
Kushigalu says
What a flavorful salad recipe this is. I love the ingredients used. Pinned!
Suzy says
Yay! Thanks so much!
Sugey says
Esta ensalada con que se puede acompañar ?
Suzy says
This salad pairs well with a lot of things! My favorites are grilled chicken, kofta kebabs or even beef kabobs! Enjoy!
Emmeline says
Mmm yes please!!! Delicious salad - and those pictures are so gorgeous!
Suzy says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Lauren Kelly says
I love anything with a mustard, especially in potato salad! What a huge crowd pleaser!
Suzy says
It sure is! 🙂 Thanks, Lauren!
Alisa Infanti says
I love the idea of capers in this recipe. Adds amazing flavour!
Suzy says
I agree! Thanks, Alisa!