A light and healthy potato salad with Greek yogurt, celery, onion, and fresh herbs for bursts of crunchy creamy flavors and texture. It is summer's staple food for barbecues and grilling and comes together in as little as 30 minutes!
It belongs on the table next to juicy grilled hamburgers, cucumber tomato salad and a pot of easy baked beans.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 213kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy and tangy with sweet relish, mustard, dill and crunchy celery and onion
- ✋ Difficulty: Boil, chop, mix, chill. Serve it with grilled chicken breast.
Quick Answer
Dice 1 pound of golden Yukon potatoes into ½-inch cubes and boil for 7 to 10 minutes until tender, then strain and cool for 5 minutes. Mix them in a large bowl with ⅓ cup non-fat Greek yogurt, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sweet relish, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, finely diced celery and white onion, parsley, chives, dill, salt and pepper. Gently mash a few potatoes with a masher for creaminess and serve right away or chilled.
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Adding Greek yogurt with a bit of mayonnaise makes this a healthier version of comfort food at its best! Things like mashed potatoes and creamy potato salad are a staple side dish that everyone adores, only it can be filling and fattening. This potato salad is lean with added protein so instead of feel weighed down and ready to sleep you can feel good about eating it!
Growing up my mom always added relish to potato, macaroni and egg salads, and there is definitely a difference with or without. This is the "secret" ingredient to making the best potato salad recipe. You know, the kind friends are raving about and leaving a party asking for the recipe!
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Greek yogurt does the heavy lifting. More non-fat Greek yogurt is used and just a little bit of mayo, which provides a nice creaminess with added protein.
- Small cubes cook fast and evenly. Dice into ½-inch to 1-inch cubes; the smaller the better and it may take less time boiling.
- A light mash makes it creamier. Gently mashing a few potatoes releases flavors and softens the potato which mixes with the creamy dressing. Just a few, we are not making mashed potatoes.
- Relish is the secret ingredient. It adds stunning punch and dash of sweet to the salty savory mix.
- Thin-skinned potatoes hold their shape. Yukon, red, purple or fingerling potatoes work; russets have a tougher skin.
- Potassium bonus. Potatoes are rich in potassium which is known to be associated with lowering the risk of hypertension [source].
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Added protein from Greek yogurt - a healthier version of comfort food at its best!
- Quick and easy - 5 minutes of chopping, 10 minutes of boiling, 5 minutes cooling, and 1 minute to mix it all together - easy-peasy and ready in 30 minutes!
- Great source of potassium - so bring on those gorgeous golden Yukon potatoes!
- Make-ahead friendly. It can be made a day in advance and lasts refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- Barbecue staple. Pair it with grilled top sirloin steak or grilled veggie burgers.
Key Ingredients
- Golden Yukon potatoes - this is the bulk of the party!
- Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt - just a little bit of both goes a long way! More non-fat Greek yogurt is used and just a little bit of mayo which provides a nice creaminess. I suggest using olive oil mayo as it is lower in fat and a healthier choice.
- Yellow mustard - provides a pop of yellow color and a nice punch of flavor!
- Herbs: parsley, chives and dill - the herbs compliment potatoes, especially dill. I use dry dill combined with fresh parsley and chives but you can also use fresh dill. Fresh definitely gives this side dish so much more flavor! Store the herbs right so they last.
- Celery and onion - chop these very small. They add beautiful crunch to the salad.
- Relish - this adds stunning punch and dash of sweet to the salty savory mix.
Full recipe ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below.
Variations
- No mayo potato salad - substitute the mayonnaise for additional Greek yogurt in equal amounts.
- Fresh dill - swap the ½ teaspoon dry dill for 1 tablespoon fresh.
- Other potatoes - red potatoes, purple potatoes or fingerling potatoes all work. It is also optional to peel the skin off before cutting and boiling.
- Add crunch and color - diced pickles in place of relish, or a handful of the grapes and pecans from my broccoli grape salad.
- Pasta night - the same dressing idea makes a great pasta salad.
How to Make Healthy Potato Salad
Step-by-step instructions how to make potato salad from scratch:
1Start boiling a large pot of water with a dash of salt while you prepare the potatoes. Wash the potatoes well, removing any dirt, and dice them into ½-inch to 1-inch cubes. The smaller the better and it may take less time boiling.
2Boil the potatoes for 7-10 minutes or until tender. Make sure not to over boil. They should be tender but not mushy, we aren't making mashed potatoes. In the meantime chop the vegetables while the potatoes are boiling.
3When the potatoes finish boiling, strain them from the water using a colander and let them cool slightly for 5 minutes.
4Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and add the yogurt, celery, onion, mayonnaise, relish, parsley, chives, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper.
5Mix the ingredients together and lightly mash them with a potato masher, careful not to over mash, just do a few. This helps to release flavors and soften the potato which mixes with the creamy dressing. The outcome is a creamier result!
6Serve right away or chill before serving for up to 1 day. Garnish with extra chives.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Pick thin-skinned potatoes. The best potatoes to use for potato salad are ones with a light thin skin. You can use Yukon, red potatoes, purple potatoes or fingerling potatoes. I do not recommend using russet potatoes as they have a tougher skin.
- Make it the day before. The flavors have time to settle, making this potato salad recipe even more fantastic! It will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed airtight container.
- Do not over boil. Tender but not mushy; test a cube with a fork at 7 minutes.
- Chop the celery and onion very small so every bite gets crunch without a raw-onion punch.
- Cool before dressing. Five minutes in the colander keeps the yogurt from thinning out.
- Potato night, two ways. When the grill is off, rosemary roasted potatoes or air fryer potato wedges fill the same spot.
What to Serve with Potato Salad
This serves well as a side dish. Serve with these main dishes and other sides: juicy grilled hamburgers with pineapple salsa, foil baked cod, grilled top sirloin steak, cucumber tomato salad, swordfish kabobs, grilled veggie burger, broccoli grape salad with crunchy pecans and best easy baked beans. For more potato sides try my roasted sweet potato buddha bowl or sweet potato toasts.
Healthy Potato Salad FAQs
The best potatoes to use for potato salad are ones with a light skin. You can use Yukon, red potatoes, purple potatoes or fingerling potatoes. I do not recommend using russet potatoes as they have a tougher skin. It is also optional to peel the skin off before cutting and boiling the potatoes.
Yes, and I suggest even do that as the flavors have time to settle, making this potato salad recipe even more fantastic! Trust me, the crowd will be begging for the recipe! It can be made up to 1 day before serving and will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This serves well as a side dish with grilled hamburgers, foil baked cod, grilled top sirloin steak, swordfish kabobs or a grilled veggie burger, plus sides like cucumber tomato salad, broccoli grape salad and baked beans.
Yes. Substitute the mayonnaise for additional Greek yogurt in equal amounts for a no mayo potato salad.
Stored in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator it lasts up to 5 days. It is best chilled for at least an hour before serving.
Gently mashing just a few potatoes with a masher releases flavors and softens the potato which mixes with the creamy dressing for a creamier result. Careful not to mash them too much as we are not turning them into mashed potatoes.
Potato Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound golden Yukon potatoes
- ⅓ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup celery finely diced
- ¼ cup white onion finely diced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives fresh, chopped plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon dill dry, or 1 tablespoon fresh
- ½ teaspoon pink salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium pot on the stove boil water and add a dash of salt. Wash the potatoes well, removing any dirt, and dice them into ½-inch to 1-inch cubes. The smaller the better. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil for 7-10 minutes or until soft, making sure not to over boil them. In the meantime chop the vegetables and prepare them while the potatoes are boiling.
- When the potatoes are done, using a colander, strain them from the water and let the potatoes cool slightly for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes a large bowl and add the yogurt, celery, onion, mayonnaise, relish, parsley, chives, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine and using a potato masher, gently mash a few of them to make the dish "creamier". Careful not to mash them too much as we are not turning them into mashed potatoes. Just a few and mix to combine again.
- Serve right away or chill before serving for up to 1 day.
Y the Wait says
Thanks for sharing this recipe