Our lighter No Mayo Potato Salad uses Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and is less than 150 calories per portion (compared to the average portion of potato salad that has over 400 calories in it). If you want all of the flavour and creaminess from a potato salad, but less of the calories and fat, then give this healthy potato salad a try at your next BBQ!
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Potato salad is a must at every BBQ, but along with all the other side dishes, burgers and skewers it can all feel a bit heavy. Mayo gives potato salad lots of creaminess, but you can replicate that by using Greek yogurt, and saving lots of calories and making this healthy potato salad lower in fat.
If you are looking for some other ways that we have used yogurt to lighten a meal up, then why not take a look at our Broccoli Slaw, Tuna Pasta Salad or Mexican Pasta Salad?
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Why You Will Love It
- Low in calories - There are only 150 calories per serving, compared to 400 calories in the average portion of potato salad.
- Lower in fat than regular potato salad - Because we have used yogurt instead of mayo, this is a lower in fat alternative.
- Easy to double to feed a crowd - You can easily double or triple this batch to make it for lots of guests at a BBQ.
- Can be made ahead of time - This stores really well, so you can make it in the morning and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- New potatoes - There are hundreds of varieties of potatoes out there, it can be hard to know which ones to use in a potato salad. The main thing to go for is waxy over starchy as they hold their shape well when boiled. We always use new potatoes, like Jersey or Cornish, for this reason. Go for potatoes that are all around the same size as they will cook evenly.
- Greek yogurt - This is where the dressing comes from. We used a low fat Greek yogurt to keep it lower in calories, but you could use full fat which would have more flavour.
- Mustard - Always a great ingredient in any kind of sauce or dressing. It adds a really rich flavour. We used wholegrain mustard, but Dijon would work and it's nice and creamy.
- Garlic - Freshly crushed is always best. Make sure to finely crush it, almost into a paste, to ensure even distribution in the potato salad.
- Parsley - This adds lots of freshness to the potato salad and also adds colour. Parsley goes really well with the potatoes, but you could swap it for dill or chives.
- Onions - A few spring onions add a nice crunch. You could use finely diced shallots instead.
- Gherkins - Using Greek yogurt makes the potato salad a little bit tart, which is why we have added chunks of gherkins to ours as the vinegar overpowers that tartness. Don't like gherkins? Then just add a splash of cider vinegar instead.
Variations
Potato salads are a healthier choice than pasta salads usually, as they are pretty much all vegetable. They are also a good source of potassium and fibre (keep the skins on). This potato salad without mayo is a great opportunity to sneak in some extra vegetables too. Throw some shredded spinach in, sweetcorn or chunks of bell pepper.
Greek yogurt is pretty much the main healthy swap in this recipe. However, if you don't like the tart flavour that yogurt gives, you could use a reduced fat creme fraiche or sour cream instead and still have a healthy potato salad.
Or, skip the creamy dressing and go the oil and vinegar route instead. Mix some olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard and herbs together for a simple dressing.
If you want to add some protein to this healthy potato salad, then add some chopped boiled egg to it. The egg yolks add lots of creaminess too. Cooked chopped bacon is also a delicious addition.
Step by Step Instructions
One: Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling water and simmer until they are just tender, around 10 minutes.
Two: Drain and rinse them and put them in a large bowl.
Three: Add the yogurt to the potatoes and mix well.
Four: Put the gherkins and spring onions (scallions) on top of the potatoes.
Five: Then add the salt, pepper, garlic powder and mustard.
Six: Add the fresh parsley. Mix well and serve.
Healthy Potato Salad
Potato salad isn't traditionally the healthiest side dish (over 400 calories per portion), but there are lots of ways you can make it healthier. As well as using Greek yogurt instead of mayo, we have added lots of fresh herbs to give plenty of flavour without all the extra calories.
I have served this potato salad without mayo at pretty much every BBQ we have had an no-one has even guessed that it had Greek yogurt in it. So, surprise everybody! There are so many other flavours going on in this healthy potato salad, and still all the creaminess, that nobody feels like they are missing out.
The spring onions (scallions) and gherkins (pickles) have a really strong flavour and the wholegrain mustard really brings the whole dish together - but it can easily be left out.
Serving Suggestions
This is the perfect BBQ side dish, so it goes with all the usual BBQ foods like burgers, sausages and anything on a skewer. Here are some of our favour BBQ recipes that will be delicious alongside this:
- Vegetable and Halloumi Skewers
- Grilled Corn with Herb Butter
- Cajun Chicken Burgers
- Hidden Vegetable Beef Burgers
- Greek Chicken Skewers
- Sweetcorn Salsa
- Honey and Lime Chicken
- Peri Peri Chicken
Storage
Store: Because we haven't used mayonnaise in this, it tends to last a bit longer than traditional potato salad. This potato salad will keep in an air tight container for a couple of days, so if you make too much of it you can enjoy it with meals for a little longer. It also means that you can make it in advance if you are going to be serving it up at a BBQ or picnic. This healthy potato salad tastes even better the next day. You can freshen it up by adding some fresh herbs.
For food safety reasons, don't let the potato salad sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Freeze: We wouldn't recommend freezing potato salad. The potatoes would become mushy once defrosted, and the dressing would separate.
Extra Tips
- If you don't like gherkins, then take them out and use a splash of apple cider vinegar instead in this healthy potato salad.
- Add some extra vegetables like sweetcorn, shredded spinach or chopped up bell pepper for a nutritional boost.
- If you still want to use mayo, why not try using half mayo and half Greek yogurt instead - it will still save you some calories and fat.
- Use waxy potatoes rather than starchy ones, as they will hold their shape better. We use Jersey Royals or Cornish new potatoes.
- You could swap out the parsley and use chives, tarragon or dill instead.
- Swap the spring onions for some finely chopped shallots to mix it up a bit.
- Love spice? A tablespoon of chipotle paste goes a long way in this dish and gives it a Mexican twist.
- For a quicker version of this, thinly slice the potatoes before cooking. They will cook really quickly and it makes a nice change to chunks of potato.
Frequently Asked Questions
These will need to be boiled for about 10 minutes, until they are just tender. Don't overcook the potatoes, otherwise your healthy potato salad will be mushy.
Yes, as long as you make sure there is no cross contamination then this can be gluten free.
Yes, and we would recommend you do as it tastes better after it has time to rest and for the dressing to absorb into the potatoes.
To prevent watery potato salad, make sure the potatoes are drained throughly before adding the dressing. Once drained, leave in the colander over the pan to steam dry.
More Potato Side Dishes
If you've tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
No Mayo Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lb) of New potatoes - (Jersey Royal or Cornish)
- 6 tablespoons of 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of Wholegrain mustard
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 1 tablespoon of Garlic powder
- Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons of Fresh parsley - chopped
- 4 Spring onion (Scallion) - chopped
- 3 Gherkins - diced
Instructions
- Add 500 g of New potatoes to a pan of boiling water and simmer until they are just tender, around 10 minutes.
- Drain them and rinse them and put them in a large bowl.
- Add 6 tablespoons of 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt to the potatoes and mix well.
- Put 3 Gherkins and 4 Spring onion (Scallion) on top of the potatoes.
- Then add Fine sea salt and ground black pepper, 2 Garlic clove, 1 tbsp of Garlic powder and 1 tbsp of Wholegrain mustard.
- Add 4 tablespoons of Fresh parsley.
- Mix well and serve.
Recipe Tips
- If you don't like gherkins, then take them out and use a splash of apple cider vinegar instead in this healthy potato salad.
- Add some extra vegetables like sweetcorn, shredded spinach or chopped up bell pepper for a nutritional boost.
- If you still want to use mayo, why not try using half mayo and half Greek yogurt instead - it will still save you some calories and fat.
- Use waxy potatoes rather than starchy ones, as they will hold their shape better. We use Jersey Royals or Cornish new potatoes.
- You could swap out the parsley and use chives, tarragon or dill instead.
- Swap the spring onions for some finely chopped shallots to mix it up a bit.
- Love spice? A tablespoon of chipotle paste goes a long way in this dish and gives it a Mexican twist.
- For a quicker version of this, thinly slice the potatoes before cooking. They will cook really quickly and it makes a nice change to chunks of potato.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Charly says
I love this recipe, but today I didn't have much parsley, so I substituted half of it with mint. Absolutely stunning taste! :)
Dannii Martin says
I am so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your substitution - it sounds delicious.
Sarah Webb says
Very strong Rae garlic taste and used less than the recipe suggested. I love garlic but this was way over the top.
Sarah Webb says
Raw garlic! Not rae!
Dannii Martin says
Everyone likes different flavours differently and some are sensitive to some flavours. But 2 garlic cloves in a recipe for 4 people should not result in a very strong garlic flavour, as it is only half a clove each. But it does depend on the size of the cloves. Were your cloves very large?
Taylor Kiser says
Loved that you used Greek yogurt instead of mayo! This is a great summer side! So glad to have this lighter version.
georgie says
yes please! i love this lightened up version! potato salad is so, so good, but sometimes I just want it a little healthier than the usual potato salad!
Beth says
Now that is a super colorful potato salad! I love that you make it healthier with the yogurt! It's my favorite, but I don't make it very often, because it has so many calories!
Natalie says
Really nice. Thank you for a tasty, healthy potato salad recipe. I used wholegrain mustard with added honey because I was sent a replacement in my online shop. Wasn't sure about it but it works great.
Dannii says
So glad you enjoyed it.
Elaine says
Potato Salad is a classic dish that everyone needs to have in their repertoire. Your mayo-free recipe has all my favourite flavours, and yes! I love gherkins! Thanks for sharing. Pinning!
Traci says
We must be related because I love to sub 0% Greek yogurt for mayo in my potato salad. This looks really delicious and you're tempting me with it this morning. Pinned!
baba says
This is awesome and simply genius. What a best way to enjoy a good old potato salad, mayo free.