Healthy Parsley Potato Salad with Herb Dressing

This healthy parsley potato salad is simple and flavourful, featuring roasted potatoes tossed in a fresh herb dressing. 

This healthy potato salad is an easy side dish made with olive oil and herbs. The cooked potatoes can be served warm in the cooler months or served cold when the weather is warm.

It’s a simple potato salad with no eggs and no mayo which makes it a perfect side dish option to take to outdoor summer barbecues.

Best Herbs for Potato Salad

Potatoes themselves aren’t overly flavourful which makes them a great vessel to absorb other flavors such as herbs. The green herb dressing uses a variety of herbs and can be adjusted to use whatever you have available. Here are some of the best fresh herbs to use in this parsley potatoes recipe.

• Parsley – lots of fresh parsley. This is a great herb to bring vitamins and green color. It can be flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley.
• Sage – The earthy notes of fresh sage goes well in potato salad.
• Mint – Mint, and potato is a classic pairing.
• Coriander – Fresh and vibrant, coriander (cilantro) adds a citrus note.
• Thyme – Potatoes and thyme are classic combinations.
• Basil – In the summertime, basil makes a great addition to the green herb dressing.

The main herb in the dressing is parsley, but the rest is made of a blend of herbs listed above. You can add more of the ones you love, and omit those you don’t.

The Potato Salad Ingredients 

This recipe is made with simple ingredients that are fresh and flavorful. This is a vegan potato salad. Find the full recipe amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Potatoes (large potatoes or baby potatoes) – You can use any type of potato for this recipe. Small new potatoes work well too. You can choose to peel the potatoes if you like or leave them unpeeled. Baby potatoes have nice thin skins and don’t need peeling.
• Pine nuts – these add some crunch to the salad
• Olive Oil + Lemon Juice – Adds the base and the acid to the dressing
• Maple syrup (or honey) – A touch of sweetness
• Garlic – One or two small garlic cloves. (Omit the garlic if making a low fodmap potato salad)
• Herbs 
• Salt
• Black pepper

The Method 

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 446°F / 230°C. Cut larger potatoes into 2.5cm pieces. Cut small potatoes in half. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water to cover the potatoes. Add a generous sprinkle of salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, let the potatoes boil in the salted water for 7-8 minutes until just starting to soften and are almost fork tender. Drain the potatoes well.

Step 2 – Tip the potatoes on an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for around 20-25 minutes until the potatoes begin to crisp up on the edges and their bottoms are golden brown. In the last 3-4 minutes of the baking time, sprinkle the tray with pinenuts and let them toast alongside the potatoes.

Step 3 – While the potatoes are baking, begin the herb dressing. Roughly chop the parsley. Add the chopped parsley and remaining ingredients to a tall bowl or container and use an immersion blender to blend it into a smooth green sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper and more sweetness or lemon juice if needed. 

Step 4 – Tip the baked potatoes and pine nuts into a large bowl, drizzle with the herb dressing and toss to combine. Transfer the potato salad to a serving dish. Serve the salad warm or cold.

Storing the salad

The potato salad is best served warm but can also be served cold. Store leftover parsley potatoes in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. 

Related recipes

Want another salad recipe or more easy recipes? Then why not try this Mediterranean-inspired Couscous salad! Or for another great recipe using a bunch of parsley, try this cauliflower tabbouleh.

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