Italian Potato Salad without Mayo
Italian Potato Salad is bursting with incredible flavor from savory olives, briny capers, sweet sun-dried tomatoes and sharp pecorino cheese in a bright lemon, garlic and extra virgin olive oil dressing. You definitely won’t miss the mayonnaise in this recipe!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-1” cubes (or other waxy potato-see Notes.); hold in cold water if not using immediately
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil or garlic oil
- ⅓ cup garlic confit cloves, mashed with a fork
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt + salt for potato water
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 green onions, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- ½ cup black, oil-cured olives pitted and lightly chopped
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (drained of any oil)
- ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Make garlic confit if you do not have any on hand. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover them with cold water. Place pot on the stove and bring water to a simmer.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)⅓ cup garlic confit cloves,, 3 pounds red potatoes,
- Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, smashed garlic confit cloves, fresh lemon juice, salt and black pepper in a bowl that is large enough to hold all the other ingredients. Set this aside.½ cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup garlic confit cloves,, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Once the water comes to a rolling simmer, add a large pinch of salt and stir. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmer, don’t boil, the potatoes. Also, don’t overcook the potatoes or they will fall apart when making the salad!
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them well in a colander, then immediately transfer them while still hot to the bowl with the dressing. Do not run cold water over the potatoes.
- Carefully mix the potatoes and dressing together until the potatoes are well-coated. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes then stir it again carefully.
- Next, fold in all remaining ingredients and stir until well-combined.4 green onions,, ½ cup black, oil-cured olives, ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, ¼ cup capers,, ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Serve the salad immediately warm or refrigerate for at least 1 hour to serve a traditional chilled potato salad. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- I used a waxy red potato in this recipe. Red bliss, fingerling and all-purpose potatoes can also be used. For more information on the different types of potatoes, see above.
- Be sure to cut the potatoes into pieces that are the same size for even cooking.
- For increased lemon flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon zest to the dressing. (Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing them!)
- Roasted garlic can be used in place of garlic confit.
- I really love the lemony flavor of this dressing, but if you prefer, white or red wine vinegar can be used. I would start with ¾ of the amount of fresh lemon juice and adjust from there.
- Be sure to mix the potatoes with the dressing while they’re still hot for perfect absorption and best results.
- You can make this salad up to two days in advance, but I suggest adding the green onions and chopped fresh parsley right before serving if you plan on doing this.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy cold or at room temperature. Freezing is not recommended.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
