A lighter, brighter take on the classic American summer staple. Creamy baby potatoes, peppery watercress, and fresh herbs are tossed with a tangy, crunchy, smoky paprika vinaigrette for a bold mayo-free potato salad.
It’s everything you want in a potato salad — that perfect balance of creamy, savory, and tangy flavors with tender potatoes and crunchy mix-ins — just without the mayo.
Minimal prep. Simple ingredients. Bold flavor.
A perfect side dish for summer gatherings or an easy weeknight meal — and in season year-round.
1 pot. 1 bowl. 30 minutes or less.
And look at those colorful baby potato beauties.
Paprika and potatoes are a quintessential Spanish pairing. Potato salad is a quintessential American summer side dish. Think of this recipe as the American classic getting a brighter, herbaceous, no-mayo Spanish twist.
Why this No-Mayo Potato Salad Recipe Works
- Quick and easy — 1 pot, 1 bowl, 30 minutes or less.
- Small waxy potatoes - like Baby Red, Baby Yukon Gold, Fingerling, and New Potatoes, with low starch and high moisture content, means they’ll hold their shape after boiling instead of getting mushy. And there’s no need to peel their thin skins.
- Dressing potatoes while they’re still hot - allows for deeper potato penetration rather than just coating the outside, maximizing flavor.
- Soaking shallots in vinegar before adding the oil - softens their sharp raw edge and adds crunchy texture to the vinaigrette.
- All the flavors. Creamy potatoes and peppery watercress tossed with a tangy, crunchy, smoky paprika vinaigrette and fresh herbs for a bold, vibrant mayo-free potato salad.
No-mayo potato salad is lighter and brighter than traditional mayo-heavy versions.
This dish is what summer cooking is all about — fresh produce and minimal prep.
Paprika and potatoes are a classic Spanish pairing, seen in iconic Spanish dishes like patatas bravas and papas en colorao. The tater provides a mild, starchy base to absorb the smoky, sweet, or spicy, vibrant Spanish paprika flavor.
How to Make This No-Mayo Potato Salad
Slice the shallots and soak them in vinegar. Parboil (partially boil) the potatoes. Whisk the vinaigrette and toss with the potatoes while they’re still warm. Fold in watercress and fresh herbs. Season and serve.
Cooks Tips
Serve potato salad warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3–4 days. If assembling the salad in advance, add the watercress and fresh herbs just before serving.
No-Mayo Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small potatoes scrubbed and halved
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups watercress
- ½ cup fresh herbs such as dill, chives, or parsley
Instructions
- Place vinegar and shallot in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Let stand, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water; season with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain and return to pot to dry out.
- In the bowl with the shallots, whisk in olive oil, mustard, and smoked paprika; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette over the potatoes while they’re still warm and toss to coat.
- Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl. Add watercress and fresh herbs, drizzle with additional vinaigrette as desired, and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
More Potato Recipes?
Looking for potato recipes? Especially purple ones - the antioxidant-rich members of the potato family. Sweet potatoes included.
- Smashed Potatoes - boiled, flattened, then roasted until golden brown and ultra crispy – the best of all potato worlds.
- Hasselback Potato Gratin - The best of creamy potato gratin and crispy hasselback potatoes in one epic mash-up.
- Giant Potato Latke – baked until golden and crispy with a tender center.
- Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries - Extremely crispy oven-baked sweet potato fries served with spicy chipotle aioli.
- Purple Sweet Potato Pie - A vibrant purple twist on classic Southern sweet potato pie with gingersnap crust and pecan streusel.
- Sweet Potato Salad with Feta & Lime Vinaigrette - A colorful sweet potato salad with feta and a bright maple-lime vinaigrette.
If you tried this recipe, I'd love to hear about it — leave a comment below and let me know, and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too!
If you enjoyed this recipe, explore more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides here on the site — there’s plenty more inspiration waiting for you.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
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