A red, white and blue no-mayo take on the classic American summer staple — potato salad with a tangy and creamy goat cheese vinaigrette.

When Vermont Creamery reached out asking me to create a 4th of July recipe, this color-obsessed gal was stoked. And here's my very American flag apropos result.

Overhead flat lay of red tomatoes, white potatoes, and blue potatoes grouped by color with a bowl of goat cheese vinaigrette on the top left.

Think of it as the slightly poshed-up cousin of your ordinary potato salad — just as comforting, but way more red, white and blue.

The dressing is a tangy, creamy goat cheese vinaigrette — goat cheese blended with champagne vinegar and Dijon mustard. For better flavor absorption, dress the potatoes with some of the vinaigrette while they're still warm so it soaks in deep rather than just coating the outside. Baby potatoes are meant for this salad — creamy, buttery, and tender enough to soak up all that goat cheese vinaigrette while still keeping their shape.

I like to serve this as a composed platter — or a deconstructed salad if you will — with the potatoes and veggies grouped by color and the dressing on the side so the colors stay vivid and people can dress to taste. Save a little extra vinaigrette to spoon over just before serving, plus a handful of fresh herbs.

No mayo — which means all the mayo skeptics at the table are about to become potato salad fans.

Red. White. Blue

Red: tomatoes, peppers. White: potatoes, cauliflower. Blue: potatoes, cauliflower. Any other red, white, or blue veggies your heart desires are welcome too.

red, white and blue potato salad, arranged on tray, with white and blue cauliflower and blue edible flowers and red tomatoes, grouped by color, with goat cheese vinaigrette in a small bowl on the left side.

PSA: those "blue" potatoes and cauliflower are actually purple ones that look blue. That's just a very typical purple produce thang (learn more about purple potatoes and purple cauliflower).

It doesn't get more American than potato salad — and making it red, white and blue is about as American as it gets. Make it for Memorial Day weekend. Make it for the 4th. Make it every time someone says potato salad and you want to be the most interesting person at the table. Turn a traditional American potato salad into a work of art.

Make ahead: Boil the potatoes, roast the cauliflower, and make the goat cheese vinaigrette up to a day ahead. Store the components separately in the refrigerator.

Serving: Serve at room temperature or chilled. Add fresh herbs and an extra spoonful of vinaigrette just before serving.

Storage: Once assembled, the salad keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

a red, white and blue potato salad on a white plate on a dark background. — I prefer serving this deconstructed so all the individual colors really shine — here's what it looks like all mixed together.

Print Recipe

Red White and Blue Potato Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

A no-mayo red, white and blue potato salad with a tangy, creamy goat cheese vinaigrette — perfect for 4th of July, Memorial Day, or any summer gathering.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Daniela Gerson

Ingredients

Potato Salad

1 pound white-fleshed potatoes peeled if desired, cut into bite-sized pieces (or sub in 8 ounces white cauliflower florets and 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1 pound blue potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces (or sub in 8 ounces purple cauliflower florets plus 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1 pound red tomatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup edible blue flowers optional
2 tablespoons blue potato or corn chips optional
¼ cup Peppadew peppers optional
1 tablespoon red jalapeño pepper optional
Flaky sea salt
½ cup fresh herbs such as chives, dill, parsley, basil and/or oregano, chopped for garnish, optional

Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

8 ounces Goat Cheese
2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ cup neutral/colorless oil such as olive, sunflower or walnut
3 tablespoons water
1 bunch scallions white parts only, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

Instructions

Place white and blue potatoes into separate large pots; cover each with cold water. Season with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 10-20 minutes or until tender and potatoes can be easily pierced with fork. Drain; let cool. Set aside.
If using cauliflower, heat oven to 450ºF. Toss white and purple cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Season with salt. Spread each color in even layer on rimmed baking sheet. Roast, rotating sheets halfway through cooking, 30 minutes or until tender and starting to brown. Set aside.

To Make Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

Combine goat cheese, vinegar, mustard and salt in food processor. Slowly drizzle in oil; puree, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Transfer goat cheese vinaigrette to small bowl. Store in refrigerator. Garnish with scallions and white sesame seeds to serve.

To Plate

Assemble salad on large cutting board, cheeseboard, tray or platter. Group ingredients by color (red, white and blue) with goat cheese vinaigrette, peppers and crushed chips in small bowls. Arrange as follows: first red tomatoes and peppers, followed by white goat cheese vinaigrette, potatoes and cauliflower, then blue potatoes, purple cauliflower and crushed blue chips. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve alongside bowl of chopped fresh herbs (optional) and any extra goat cheese vinaigrette for dipping or drizzling.

Notes

Make ahead: Boil the potatoes, roast the cauliflower, and make the goat cheese vinaigrette up to a day ahead. Store the components separately in the refrigerator.

Serving: Serve at room temperature or chilled. Add fresh herbs and an extra spoonful of vinaigrette just before serving.

Storage: Once assembled, the salad keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

a red, white and blue composed salad arranged on a tray by color with red peppers and tomatoes, white cauliflower and potatoes and purple (but looks blue) potatoes and cauliflower and blue edible flowers with a creamy goat cheese vinaigrette in a small bowl. — Sometimes I skip the platter entirely and build this straight on a rimmed baking sheet — the rimmed edges keep everything contained, and it's easy to cover with plastic wrap or foil if you're transporting it anywhere.

Want Potato Recipes?

Looking for potato recipes? Especially purple ones - the antioxidant-rich members of the potato family. Sweet potatoes included.

No-Mayo Potato Salad - a bright, herbaceous potato salad tossed in smoky paprika vinaigrette.
Crispy 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.
Greek Potatoes - braised in a lemony-garlicky broth, then roasted until golden — one pan, two cooking methods, extraordinary results.
Giant Potato Latke – baked until golden and crispy with a tender center.
Potato Soup - creamy, comforting, and vibrantly pink.
Sweet Potato Fries - crispy oven-baked sweet potato fries served with spicy chipotle aioli.
Sweet Potato Salad - a colorful sweet potato salad with feta and a bright maple-lime vinaigrette.
Purple Sweet Potato Pie - a vibrant purple twist on classic Southern sweet potato pie with gingersnap crust and pecan streusel.
Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake - a vibrantly dramatic purple cheesecake with pecan-graham cracker crust.

If ya try 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.

Let’s make waves in the kitchen.