Greek Lemon Potato Salad

This Greek Lemon Potato Salad bursts with sunny Mediterranean flavors.  It’s a healthier alternative to classic potato salad ~ and no mayo means it’s perfect for outdoor picnics and barbecues, too.

I love potato salads that are a little bit out of the ordinary, the ones that stand out on the potluck table and scream choose me!!

Potato salad has a little bit of a reputation for being bland and boring, and that’s for good reason.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  This Greek lemon potato salad pulls from delicious Mediterranean traditions with sunny lemons, garlic, fresh oregano, and heart healthy olive oil.  The result is bold and bright.

I’ve got lots of out of the ordinary potato salads on the blog, like my Dill Pickle Potato Salad, it’s a longtime favorite and always a conversation starter ~ another great one for barbecues.  I also love my New Potato Salad with Eggs and Mustard, it’s got the creaminess from the eggs and a nice bite from the mustard.  It’s one of the prettiest potato salads I’ve ever made.  And my New Potato Salad with 30-Second Aioli is an elegantly French version with a luxurious homemade garlicky dressing.  There’s no reason to ever make another boring potato salad again :)

Grandma’s easy secret to the best potato salad!

There’s a simple secret to making the best potato salad, whether you’re making it with a classic mayo dressing, or doing it German or Mediterranean style with an olive oil base like I am today.  Grandma knew all about it, and now you will too…

• After cooking and slicing your potatoes, add about half your dressing right to the hot potatoes and give them a gentle toss.  Then cover in plastic and chill.
• Even if you’re using very small new potatoes, be sure to at least cut them in half, this allows the dressing to penetrate.
• The potatoes will soak in that dressing for the most flavorful, irresistible potato salad you’ve ever eaten.
• When you finish making the salad add more dressing as needed.

What are the best potatoes for potato salad?

I don’t know about you, but it’s a real turn off for me when a potato salad has the texture of mashed potatoes.  I like a firm texture, and I like to see the actual potatoes in my salad!

• Use waxy potatoes for potato salad.  Waxy potatoes are thin skinned, and are basically anything other than russets…which are the kind you use for baking.  Russet potatoes are starchy and get a fluffy texture when cooked…great for baked potatoes, bad for salad.  
• Smaller, thin skinned potatoes work great for potato salad, either red or white, it doesn’t matter.
• Look for potatoes that are similar in size, so you can cook them evenly together.

Tip: the second day we added some crumbled Greek feta cheese to our leftover salad and we liked it a lot, so I recommend trying that if it sounds good to you.

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3.04 from 117 votes

Greek Lemon Potato Salad

This Greek Lemon Potato Salad bursts with sunny Mediterranean flavors, and is a healthier alternative to classic potato salad ~ no mayo means it's perfect for outdoor picnics and barbecues, too.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 pounds baby new, or petite potatoes (I used Petite Gold)
• 8 scallions thinly sliced, white and green parts
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano don't use dried ~ substitute fresh dill, rosemary, thyme, or parsley
• salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

dressing

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
• 1 small clove of garlic finely minced
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• several good grindings of black pepper

Instructions

• Cook the potatoes in boiling water until they are just tender, and easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Drain and cut into bite sized pieces, in quarters or in half, depending on the size of your potatoes.
• While the potatoes are cooking make the dressing. Put all the ingredients in a small jar or measuring cup and blend with a stick blender until bright yellow and creamy (emulsified.) Be sure to taste it now to see if you need more salt, more lemon, or whatever.
• While the potatoes are hot, dress them in several tablespoons of the dressing, gently tossing to make sure they all get coated. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate until cold.
• When the potatoes are chilled, add the green onions and fresh oregano. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Toss with more dressing and serve.

Notes

This is a simple salad with few ingredients, so make each of them count. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for best flavor, and be sure your lemon juice and oregano are fresh.

Make this Greek Lemon Potato Salad your own ~

• Substitute fresh thyme, dill, rosemary, or even parsley for the oregano.
• Add crumbled feta to the top.
• Add pitted chopped or halved Kalamata olives.

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