Potato salad is an elite summer barbecue side. That’s just a fact. Tossing boiled potatoes with creamy dressings and flavorful seasonings takes them from good to great, and we won’t hear otherwise.
If you want to make the best vegan potato salad, we, of course, have plenty of recipes for you. In fact, you can find 12 of the absolute best vegan potato salad recipes here, ranging from tangy Greek Potato Feta Salad to potato salad with spicy gochujang or simple fresh dill.
But we have to admit, Martha Stewart’s recipe sounds pretty good, too. While it’s not 100 percent vegan, it’s easy to make plant-based. Here’s what you need to know.
Fadil Berisha | marthastewart.com
How to make Martha Stewart’s favorite potato salad vegan
Stewart didn’t actually create her favorite potato salad recipe herself. She learned how to make it from her aunt, who preferred red-skinned Red Bliss potatoes over new or russet potatoes. These potatoes help give the dish a buttery, creamy texture, along with a sweet, slightly earthy flavor.
The Red Bliss potatoes are steamed before being peeled, sliced, and mixed with white vinegar. According to Stewart, this “gives this much-loved side dish a tang that balances its creamy dressing.”
The next part isn’t vegan, as it involves coating the potatoes in a dressing made with mayonnaise and buttermilk. But don’t worry, plant-based swaps for both are easy to find. There are plenty of vegan mayonnaise options on store shelves (find our top picks here), and dairy-free buttermilk is surprisingly simple to make (check out our guide to vegan buttermilk here).
Jason Donnelly
Mix in some cornichons, and you’re ready to serve. For best results, follow Stewart’s mixing method: add the potatoes and dressing to a bowl, then carefully transfer everything back and forth between two bowls until the potatoes are evenly coated. Stewart says this “gentler” technique helps prevent the potatoes from breaking or becoming damaged.
While Stewart pairs her potato salad with boiled eggs, you could serve it alongside any barbecue favorite, from cabbage slaw to vegetable skewers.
Martha Stewart’s recipes, made vegan
Stewart isn’t vegan, but she does prioritize plants in her diet and even grows her own produce for her morning green juice. “That’s a priority,” she told Women’s Health. “I grow that produce year-round. It’s very important that it be grown in my own organic soil—and it makes delicious juice.” She often follows that with dishes like butternut squash soup for lunch and pomegranate seeds for a sweet snack.
John Kernick
Many of her recipes already suit a plant-based diet or can be easily adapted to be vegan. For example, her favorite one-pan pasta is made with just tomatoes, spaghetti, and basil (find out more on that here), while her roasted cabbage wedges make the perfect side dish.
Want more Stewart? Check out some of her best meatless recipes here.
For more plant-based stories like this, read:
Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
