This Healthy Potato Salad Recipe is a lighter twist on your favorite that you can feel great about. Make it again and again, everyone will love it!
Classic potato salad is a popular side dish that’s perfect for picnics, barbecues, or family dinners. It’s creamy, flavorful, and super easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. This homemade potato salad recipe will become your go-to for every occasion!
What Makes This a Healthy Potato Salad
With just two simple swaps, we can make a potato salad that has fewer calories and less fat than the traditional potato salad. Lighter mayonnaise is a great swap because it has the same consistency and taste as full fat mayonnaise but with less fat and less calories. Additionally we replace part of the mayonnaise in the original recipe with low fat yogurt. This provides a creamy consistency with less fat and the addition of some protein.
If you wanted to cut the calories even more, you could hard boil one more egg and remove the yolks from the eggs before throwing them in the salad, just using the egg whites.
How to Make Potato Salad
Here is a brief overview of how this healthy potato salad comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Boil the potatoes. You want them to be just fork-tender. Read more on what potatoes are best for this recipe below.
- Make the dressing. While the potatoes are cooking, dice your vegetables, and mix together the dressing, whisking until fully combined.
- Put it all together. Allow the potatoes to cool for about 10 minutes after cooking, then add them to a large bowl with the scallions, celery, and hard-boiled eggs. Toss with the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Enjoy!
Best Potatoes For Potato Salad
I love using creamer potatoes in this healthy potato salad recipe. They are basically baby Yukon gold potatoes. They hold their shape while still being soft and delicious. They also have a medium-thickness skin which works well in this salad and cuts the step of peeling potatoes.
A question I get often is how long to boil potatoes for potato salad. You want them to be just tender when poked with a fork. If they overcook, they will be mushy. If they are undercooked, they will be crunchy. Mine took about 15 minutes.
Making Potato Salad Ahead of Time
This is a great recipe to make the day before. I would even go so far as to argue that when you make healthy potato salad the day before it is even better. The potatoes get a chance to absorb some of the dressing and the flavors really deepen. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Storing Potato Salad
Keep this potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. If serving at a party, the salad should be discarded if it is sitting out for more than two hours. Always use your best discretion when storing and eating leftovers.
Other Light Recipes for Picnics
Here are some additional recipes that are perfect to bring to potlucks or a summer cookout so you know there are some healthy recipes available.
- This Greek Orzo Pasta Salad is full of delicious and healthy ingredients and great for summer.
- If you haven’t jumped on the healthy quinoa train yet, do it with this Greek Quinoa Salad.
- And these Baked Zucchini Fries are the perfect side dish!
- This Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is a classic everyone loves.
If you make this recipe for your family come back and tell me what you think by leaving me a comment!
Healthy Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds small creamer potatoes cut in half (see note 1)
- 2 hard boiled eggs (see notes 2 & 3)
- 2 scallions diced about 1 inch into the green
- 2 celery stalks trimmed and diced
Dressing
- 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- dash of pepper
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with water so there is an inch of water above the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes.3 pounds small creamer potatoes
- In a large mixing bowl combine the potatoes, scallions, celery, and hard boiled eggs.2 hard boiled eggs, 2 scallions, 2 celery stalks
- Mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper, whisking until fully combined. Taste the dressing and add more salt and pepper as needed.1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 1/2 cup light mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash of pepper
- Add the dressing to the potato mixture. Toss so the dressing fully coats the ingredients.
- This salad gets better as the dressing soaks into the potatoes. Make up to 24 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Video
Notes
- The small potatoes in this recipe can be replaced with red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes that have been cut into 1 inch cubes.
- If you would like to cut the calories further, make three hard boiled eggs instead of two, but discard all of the yolks. You will get the same egg texture without the calories.
- To make hard boiled eggs, place the eggs in a small sauce pan covered with water. Bring to a boil and as soon as the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and cover for 10 minutes. Then immediately transfer the eggs to an ice bath for five minutes. Peel and use in the salad.
did you make this
Healthy Potato Salad
Carolyn says
Hi Lisa! This recipe looks like it would suit me. I have an unusual problem in that I cannot have anything with vinegar (ie. may, ketchup, dressings, etc.–and no carbonated items, or alcohol–had lots of radiation and everything burns mouth). So, I’m thinking of trying this potato salad and eliminating the vinegar. I have been CRAVING potato salad (any salad) for a few years now and was wondering what else you might suggest using in place of the mayo? I’ll just eliminate the vinegar, maybe add little more dill. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Been thinking about making something like this for a long time, and this is giving me the inspiration to try it! It would be great to have with Easter coming up soon — ham and potato salad! Thank you!
Hi Carolyn! A lot of recipes use Greek Yogurt to replace mayonnaise, but we are already using mayo. So! I did a little digging and another option was avocado. I think that would be delicious in this!