This Italian Potato Salad is easy to make and packed with flavor! Featuring tender potatoes, crisp-tender green beans, and a zesty homemade Italian vinaigrette, this mayo-free potato salad is perfect for summer gatherings and potlucks.
Potato Salads and potlucks go hand in hand. From a mayonnaise-based favorite like Old-Fashioned Potato Salad or Instant Pot Potato Salad to a unique creamy Bacon Ranch Potato Salad to this light and flavorful Italian Potato Salad, there is a potato salad for EVERYONE!
And while I love potato salads of all shapes sizes and forms, my personal favorites is this Italian Potato Salad. It is fresh, light, and the contrast between the tender, creamy potatoes, crisp-tender green beans, and sweet cherry tomatoes makes this simple recipe shine.
You need to put this easy Italian Potato Salad Recipe on your summer menu STAT!
Why You Will Love Italian Potato Salad
- Crazy-Good Flavor. Fresh, bright, and zesty, this Italian potato salad is filled with amazing flavor and has a nice contrast of textures.
- Crowd-Favorite. Not only does the amazing taste win everyone over, but this recipe for Italian potato salad is egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly! Everyone can enjoy this dish!
- Safe in the Summer Heat. Because this is a mayo-free potato salad, you don't have to worry about it baking in the summer sun at your picnic. And it tastes great chilled or at room temperature.
- Prepare Last-Minute OR Prep-Ahead. Most potato salad recipes need to chill after preparation to achieve the best flavor and texture. However, with this recipe, you don't have to worry about that. It can be enjoyed immediately after preparation or prepped up to 24 hours in advance with great results either way.
Italian Potato Salad Ingredients
This Italian Potato Salad is made up of potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, an easy Italian vinaigrette, and fresh herbs. Simple, fresh, and flavorful. While you can find the full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card, below are a few notes on key ingredients and optional additions.
- Potatoes: I prefer using baby potatoes with waxy skin, such as new potatoes, gold potatoes, or red potatoes. Feel free to use larger waxy potatoes, keeping in mind they will need a slightly longer cooking time.
- Homemade Italian Vinaigrette: Instead of a heavy mayonnaise-based dressing, this potato salad's dressing is made with fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.
- Optional Additions: If you like, you can also opt to add Kalamata olives, parmesan cheese, and/or finely minced red onion to the potato salad.
How To Make Italian Potato Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Boil Potatoes Whole
It is best to cook your potatoes whole, so that they don't absorb excess water while cooking and become water-logged or mushy. Be sure to start the potatoes in cold water and heavily salt the water for even cooking and flavorful potatoes.
Quick-Cooking Tip
Once the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander and then return them to the hot pan and cook over low heat for a minute or two to evaporate any residual liquid from the potatoes. This will ensure a flavorful potato salad.
Blanch Fresh Green Beans
While the potatoes are cooking, use this time to prepare the green beans. The best way to ensure your green beans are not overcooked is to quickly blanch them in boiling water and then transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. They will stay vibrant in color and add a nice crisp bite to the potato salad.
Prepare Italian Vinaigrette
While the potatoes and green beans are cooling, whisk the dressing together in a large mixing bowl. Once the potatoes and green beans are cooled, you can simply toss the salad together in this bowl, cutting back on the number of dishes.
Assemble Potato Salad
Dice the cooled potatoes into bite-sized pieces and add them along with the prepared green beans, tomatoes, and parsley to the large mixing bowl with the prepared dressing. Gently toss everything together.
∗Tips for the Best Italian Potato Salad ∗
- Always start with cold water when cooking potatoes. In order to ensure your potatoes cook evenly, be sure to start the cooking process with cold water. Do not wait until the water is boiling to add the potatoes to the pot!
- Salt is your friend! Just like when cooking pasta, you need to heavily salt the cooking water when boiling potatoes. This will season the potatoes from the inside out for maximum flavor.
- Use quality produce. A recipe is only as good as the ingredients used. Be sure that your green beans are firm and vibrant, not soggy or limp, as both are star players in this Italian Potato Salad.
To Chill or Not to Chill?
You can opt to serve the Italian Potato Salad immediately while still a bit warm, or cover and chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours, to allow the flavors time to marry together. I personally prefer the potato salad after it has been chilled.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian Potato Salad is a favorite side dish at picnics, BBQs, potlucks, or just a simple dinner at home. It pairs beautifully with Classic Hamburgers, Air Fryer Chicken Breasts, Greek Chicken, or Lemon Baked Cod.
More Favorite Potluck Side Dishes
- Old Fashioned Baked Beans
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Easy Creamy Coleslaw
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Mediterranean Couscous Salad
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Caprese Pasta Salad
If you tried this recipe for mayo-free Italian Potato Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Italian Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 12 ounces fresh green beans
- 2 pounds baby Yukon gold or red potatoes no larger than 2-inches in diameter
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced or crushed
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Place clean whole potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt into a large stock pan. Cover the potatoes with cold tap water by 1 inch, then bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and easily pierced with a knife, 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain the potatoes and then return them to the hot pan. Cook over low heat for 1 minute just to quickly evaporate any residual liquid. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the green beans by removing and discarding the ends of beans of the beans and cutting them in half on a diagonal. Drop the beans and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt into the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just crisp-tender, but still vibrant green. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl of iced water. Once cool, drain and pat dry.
- While the potatoes and green beans are cooling, prepare the dressing by whisking ¼ cup vinegar, the zest and juice of 1 large lemon, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Stream in ⅓ cup of olive oil, whisking to combine.
- Once the potatoes have cooled to the touch, cut them in half and add to the serving bowl with the prepared dressing. Add the green beans, tomatoes, and parsley, and gently toss to combine and coat in the vinaigrette.
- Let sit for 10 minutes to allow for the flavors to meld. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Sigrid
This sounds like a potato salad that's a bit different from the traditional mayonnaise-based potato salad. I think it's an especially good choice for outdoor picnics on hot days when mayo can be a bit iffy. If you take care to keep a potato salad with mayo cool, it will be fine, but at outdoor picnics that's sometimes not easy.
Kristen Chidsey
I agree! I like to nestle potato salads in bowls of ice and change out the ice, but that can be cumbersome. This is the perfect solution.
Kristyn
I love everything about this salad!! The vinaigrette adds so much flavor & brings it all together! It's my new favorite!
Kristen Chidsey
Love hearing this! And thank you for sharing 🙂
Natasha
We love this Italian Potato Salad recipe! So full of flavor, mayo-free so it’s healthier and so easy to make!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Natasha! I am thrilled you enjoy!
jess
this potato salad was everything that I wanted it to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe~
Kristen Chidsey
You are so very welcome Jess! Glad to hear you enjoyed and I appreciate you sharing.
Brandy
This is a summer side must. Made it for a BBQ and everyone enjoyed this!
Dana
Such a great potato salad option for picnics! The Italian vinaigrette is simply delicious with the potatoes and veggies.
Kristen Chidsey
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed, Dana! Thank you for sharing!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love how easy this recipe is. Made it this weekend and loved it. thank you for the recipe!
Brandy
This was such a hit at our BBQ over the weekend. Definitely going to be a summer staple!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Brandy!