Simple and Delicious Healthy Potato Salad (No Mayo!)
This lightened up potato salad is the perfect BBQ side dish! Made with fresh red potatoes, hard boiled eggs, dill pickles, turkey bacon, celery, and a lighter greek yogurt dressing with no mayo, it's the healthy potato salad everyone will rave about.
It is finally getting warmer here in Utah and I could not be more excited! Summertime is my favorite season because of all the beautiful sunshine, dry heat, and family BBQs. As a full time food blogger and total foodie, I get extra excited about all the big potlucks we'll be having!
That being said, I've always had a love for potato salad, but very rarely do I actually put some on my plate. Why? Most potato salads are made with mayonnaise, and not only is mayo full of saturated fat, it's just gross (in my opinion). It totally ruins the salad for me.
In fact, when I was living in New Zealand, I actually watched the polynesians combine half a tub of mayonnaise with at least one cup of sugar. I love polynesians - they are my people - but sometimes I really struggle with their nutritional choices 😂 Let's just say I had one or two bites of their potato salad and gave a really big smile...
So now that developing healthy recipes is my job, I took it upon myself to write my very own healthy potato salad recipe and let me tell you - it's better than I could have imagined!
Once you try it, you'll never go back to the traditional potato salad again! You can't beat nutritious and delicious!
What makes this a healthy potato salad?
Red potatoes: these potatoes are more waxy than starchy, which means they have a lower glycemic index (GI), and they're also boiled, which lowers their glycemic index even more. A lower GI score means your blood sugar doesn't spike as much during digestion and you can use the energy from your food longer! We're also keeping the skins on the potatoes to retain the natural fiber and vitamins.
Hard-boiled eggs: rich in heart-healthy fats, choline, and protein, eggs are a great way to bulk up this healthy potato salad without overpowering any other flavors.
Turkey bacon: an alternative to traditional bacon, turkey bacon is lower in saturated fat and [usually] lower in sodium than regular pork bacon. This brand is my favorite (not sponsored), but feel free to use whatever brand you like. You can also omit if you want to keep this potato salad vegetarian.
Nonfat plain greek yogurt: probably one of my favorite healthy ingredient substitutes, I always use plain greek yogurt instead of mayo or sour cream in my recipes for a few reasons. One, it doesn't have any saturated fat in it; two, it contains live cultures that feed the good bacteria in your gut; and three, it provides a boost of protein! I also use this healthy swap in my Fresh Broccoli Salad.
Green vegetables: celery and pickles add a salty crunch to the otherwise soft potato salad. They also provide a pop of color and antioxidants.
Everything seasoning: not a traditional potato salad ingredient but trust me when I say it really elevates every other flavor!
Expert Tips for Making Potato Salad
Keep the skins on the potatoes: not only does this keep all the vitamins and fiber in your dish, it keeps the potatoes together after they've been boiled. It also adds a pop of color to the salad!
Cube the potatoes prior to boiling: if you've ever tried to cut whole potatoes after boiling them, you know it's nearly impossible to prevent them from turning into mashed potatoes. To make sure our potatoes stay in cubes and to reduce cook time, cut up your potatoes before boiling them!
Boil the potatoes and eggs together: I can't take credit for this idea but I will preach it loud and clear. If you cube the potatoes into bite size pieces (about 1/2" in size), they take exactly the same amount of time to cook as the eggs. However, make sure you add the potatoes first to a big pot of cold water, bring the entire pot to a boil, then add your eggs.
Use mini whole pickles: hamburger-style pickles do come pre-cut, but they're too thin and wide compared to the chunky potatoes and eggs, so I found those weren't a good choice. Spears will work just fine, but I think thick slices of mini whole pickles really are the perfect size for this healthy potato salad.
Add "Everything seasoning" at the end: totally optional but highly recommended! I always always have a jar of Everything seasoning on hand because it's incredible versatile and adds the perfect touch of salty, garlicky flavor to savory dishes (like this Chicken Cordon Bleu or this BLT sandwich!). You can find some at almost any grocery store or order some in bulk here on Amazon.
Add the dressing gradually: after mixing my dressing in a mason jar, it looked like just a little bit too much...but I'm also not a huge dressing person to begin with. Add about 80% of the prepared dressing, give your salad a good toss, then decide if you want more dressing. I didn't end up using all of mine, but most of it was gone!
Toss the salad in a very big bowl: when I say very big, I mean bigger than you think! I noticed that the pickles were getting stuck together and not all the dressing was evenly mixed when I picked the perfect-sized bowl because I was afraid I was going to accidentally mix my potato salad right over the edge!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this potato salad gluten-free?
Yes! There is no gluten in this healthy potato salad. However, there are 23g of carbs per serving, so it's not considered low-carb.
Can I make this healthy potato salad dairy-free?
Of course! The only dairy is the greek yogurt, so feel free to use your favorite plain non-dairy yogurt instead.
Can I make potato salad ahead of time?
Yes! Since this is a cold salad, it is yummiest (and easiest) to prepare ahead of time. I recommend no more than 24 hours in advance to maintain freshness...and the temptation to eat it before you share it with others!
What can I use instead of plain greek yogurt?
If greek yogurt isn't your thing, you can use a lite sour cream or healthier mayo like an avocado oil or olive oil mayo. If none of those sound good, check out this recipe from FoodieCrush for an oil-based potato salad!
How long can potato salad be left unrefrigerated?
Since this healthy potato salad has dairy and cooked proteins in it, I recommend leaving it out no more than 2 hours at room temperature. Don't worry, that's just enough time to pull it out at the family BBQ and eat it all!
Ready-set-go! Make this healthy potato salad ASAP, whether you've got an upcoming BBQ party or not, and prepare to be blown away. It's much lighter and more flavorful than any other potato salad you've had, I promise!
Be sure to leave a star rating and review below so I and other readers know what you thought of the recipe! You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see you digging away at your next family dinner :) Enjoy!
Simple and Delicious Healthy Potato Salad (No Mayo!)
This lightened up potato salad is the perfect BBQ side dish! Made with fresh red potatoes, hard boiled eggs, dill pickles, turkey bacon, celery, and a lighter greek yogurt dressing with no mayo, it's the healthy potato salad everyone will rave about.
¾ C diced mini whole pickles (about 5 mini pickles)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 strips Jennie-O turkey bacon
1 tsp Everything But The Bagel seasoning (optional)
For the Salad Dressing
⅓ C nonfat plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp dijon mustard (or regular mustard)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, dill weed, dried parsley, salt
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
Fill a large pot with cold water and set on the stove.
Wash the potatoes and leave the skins on. Cube into bite size pieces (about 1/2" in diameter) and add to the pot of cold water. Once all the potatoes are cubed, bring the pot of water to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, carefully add in the eggs. Set a timer for 12 minutes. When the timer goes off, check the potatoes with a fork. If they are fork-tender (you can easily pierce the potatoes without breaking them apart), turn off the stove and remove the pot from the heat. Strain the potatoes and immediately add the boiled eggs to an ice bath. Place the potatoes in the fridge to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
While the potatoes and eggs are boiling, prepare the bacon according to package instructions. When the bacon is cooked to your preference, dice into small pieces and set aside.
Make the dressing by whisking together all dressing ingredients in a small jar or bowl until well combined. Optional: if you prefer a thinner dressing, add a teaspoon of olive oil at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Peel the hard boiled eggs and dice into bite-size pieces. Remove the potatoes from the fridge.
In a very large bowl, toss all prepared salad ingredients (potatoes, eggs, pickles, celery, and bacon) in the salad dressing until well combined. Serve cold and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition facts are a calculated estimate of 1/6 of the prepared salad, including the dressing.
I'm a perinatal holistic nutritionist here to help make your motherhood journey joyful and stress-free. Here you'll find recipes to nourish your body throughout all of pregnancy and postpartum, as well as educational articles and resources to empower you as you heal your body and raise a family.
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