Make Egg-free Potato Salad - Creamy and Easy

Make Egg-free Potato Salad - Creamy and Easy

Cook potatoes, peel and dice. Prepare the creamy dressing by gently mixing together cream cheese, yogurt, mustard, relish, celery and a smidge of fresh red chilli paste. Add some sunflower seeds and potatoes, along with sliced green onions and stir gently to coat the potatoes with the creamy mixture. Ready to serve immediately..a great side dish with any meal. Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Continental, European

Servings people

Calories 104 kcal

Equipment

Microwave oven preferred for cooking potatoes quickly; if not available, see Recipe Notes for stove-top directions - note that this will take a bit longer to cook the potatoes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Potatoes - soft-cooked potatoes, peeled and diced microwaved/pressure-cooked is best; if you boil the potatoes, don't throw away the cooking liquid - it has lots of nutrients- use it for making soup, mixing dough, etc.
2 tbsp Celery - diced small Use the thicker stalks near the base, not the thin ones near the leaves - those have a rather strong, overpowering flavor
2 tbsp Dill Relish - or dill-pickled cucumbers, chopped finely if you want a somewhat sweeter potato salad, use sweet relish instead
2 tbsp Sunflower seeds OK to use any other seeds/nuts you like - pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, chopped cashews / walnuts / almonds, etc.
1 tbsp Cream Cheese - at room temperature set it out on the counter for 8-10 min to bring it to room temperature; for making it vegan - use your favorite vegan cream cheese
1 tbsp Thick yogurt / Greek Yogurt - at room temperature if the yogurt looks a but runny, place it in a fine mesh strainer over a cup for 10-15 min to drain excess liquid - save the drained liquid and add to another dish (soups, dough, etc.); for making it vegan, use your favorite vegan yogurt
1 tsp Fresh red chilli paste - optional I like to use Sambal Oelek - if not available, use another red chilli sauce - like Sriracha - adjust amount based on your preferred spice-level
1 tsp Dijon Mustard this salad does not have the classic yellow color of traditional potato salad - if you want to make it yellow, use a 1:1 mixture of Dijon and Yellow mustard; if not available, see Recipe Notes for a quick-fix solution
1 tsp Olive Oil - or other mild oil I highly recommend using Extra Virgin Olive oil, if available; also OK omit, if you wish
1/2 tsp Fresh Garlic - minced/finely chopped - optional Omit if you prefer to make a no-onion-no garlic salad
1/4 tsp Black pepper - freshly crushed preferred OK to omit if you wish
1/2 tsp Sugar - optional OK to omit- however, a little bit of sugar balances the sharpness of the other flavors in the salad; also, feel free to add more, if you like - up to about 1 tsp total
1 pinch Salt - as needed add at the end, only if needed - several ingredients already have plenty of salt- you may not even need to add any at all
2 tbsp water - as needed use as needed to adjust consistency - add only if the salad looks a bit too dry

Toppings: stir in just before serving

2 tbsp sliced Green Onions (green tops) Substitute with chopped cilantro or parsley if you prefer - for a no-onion-no garlic salad

Instructions

Cook the potatoes

Wash the potatoes - scrub a little to remove surface dirt, soil; I like to use 2 small- medium Russet potatoes, but other potato varieties work perfectly well too. Make a shallow "X" cut on each potato; flip and repeat on the other side too.
Making shallow cuts like this allows steam to escape as the potatoes cook. This keeps the potato from bursting due to the pressure from built-up steam. Making an X-cut also makes it easier to peel later.
Place the potatoes in a microwave safe bowl, splash a little water on top, cover and cook in the microwave: 1-2 min on Hi, then 3-4 min on 50-60% power.
NOTE: For stove-top cooking directions, please check Recipe Notes - please also plan for longer cooking times if using these methods
When done, the the X-cut on the potato will have opened up
Check for done-ness; press slightly with your thumb it should feel soft; also, pierce deeply with a fork or knife - if properly cooked, the fork/knife will go through very easily.
If need be continue to cook for about another min and check again. Do not overcook - the potatoes will start to shrivel and dry out.
If they do look dried out and a bit leathery, simply soak them in a bowl of warm water for 15-20 min - they will re-hydrate and swell up.
When cool, peel off the skins - if using new potatoes or red potatoes with a very thin skin, you may leave the skin on, if you like. Russet potatoes have a thick skin - I prefer to remove it.
Dice the cooled potatoes - medium dice - about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) pieces

Make Creamy Dressing

Measure all the remaining ingredients except water and green onions into a medium (1 1/2 quart/L) bowl, and mix gently with the back of a spoon till everything is well distributed.
Add about 1-2 tsp water, if the texture looks to thick to coat the potatoes

Make the potato salad

Add the cooked diced potatoes to the bowl with the dressing and mix gently - try not to smash the potatoes.
If you want to serve it immediately, also add the green onions at this time. If serving later, though, wait until it's time and stir in the green onions just before serving: their bright green color becomes rather dull after a while.
Serve immediately ( add toppings before serving) or set aside for a little while to allow flavors to meld.
Note: Can make up to 24 hours in advance!

Add toppings just before serving

Add toppings just before serving alongside your favorite meal.
Enjoy!

Notes

Cooking potatoes without the Microwave

If a microwave is not available, follow these directions for alternate ways to cook the potatoes.

Pressure-cooker: stove-top or electric (like Instant Pot)
- Wash the potatoes and make shallow "X" cuts on each potato
- Transfer potatoes to a small container that can be placed inside the pressure cooker pot: "pot in a pot" cooking method
- Place a stainless steel rack/trivet inside the pressure cooker pot
- Add 1-2 cups water
- Place the bowl with the potatoes on the rack/trivet
- Cover and cook- 5 min at full pressure
- Allow natural pressure release - about 10 min
- Peel and dice when cooled
- Continue as directed in the main recipe

Saucepan on the stove-top:
- Bring 2 cups water to boil in a small saucepan
- Meanwhile, wash the potatoes thoroughly and place in the boiling water
- Bring the water back to a boil and simmer, covered, 10-12 min
- Check for done-ness - poke with a knife/fork - the flesh should feel soft and offer no resistance to the fork or knife: cook longer if needed - may need up to 20 min
- Remove from the hot water - allow to cool on a plate (about 5-7 min)
- Peel and dice when cooled

Note: Start prepping the dressing mixture while the potatoes are cooking
Continue as directed in the main recipe

Leftover makeover ideas

If you have more leftovers than you had expected, simply convert your leftover potato salad into something else entirely... and just as delicious...

Here are some fun ideas for you to try:

Bring the salad to room temperature and mash lightly with a fork (leave a bit of texture)
- Mix in some breadcrumbs - as needed- to absorb some of the moisture and make a soft dough (use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you like)
- Taste-test - and adjust seasonings as per your preference: e.g, salt, black pepper, ground cayenne (red chilli powder), cumin powder, etc. - only add a little bit, since the potato salad is already well-seasoned. Then follow one of the methods described below.
  - Divide dough into 1/4 cup portions
    - Shape each portion into small patties
      - Roll patties in breadcrumbs and
      - Pan-fry in a little oil
    - Serve hot as a snack or make mini slider-burges

- - Divide dough into 2 tbsp portions
    - Shape each portion into small balls - for baked appetizers
      - Brush lightly or spray with oil and roll in a 1:1 mixture of grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs
      - Bake in preheated oven at 350F /180C for 15-20 min until crispy and lightly golden-brown
    - Sprinkle with paprika and fresh or dried parsley
    - Serve hot as an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce

- - - Use each portion as stuffing for stuffed buns
      - stuff into small balls of prepared bread dough (once-risen yeast dough - frozen bread dough / pizza dough)
      - Coat the stuffed buns balls with a bit of oil and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart - press lightly to flatten a bit
      - Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise a little - about 20 min or so
      - After about 10 min, start preheating the oven to 375F /190C
      - Brush a little milk ( or water) over the proofed buns
      - Place the baking sheet on the center rack and bake 15-18 min until buns are golden brown on top.
      - Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer buns to a cooling rack - cool for about 15 min.
    - Serve warm with a dipping sauce, alongside a green salad and your favorite soup for a delicious meal.

Use the leftover salad as a filing for making
- Potato Quesadillas
- Calzones
- Pita pocket sandwiches
- Lettuce wraps
- etc.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers in a lidded glass/ceramic container

Consume within 2-3 days
- bring to room temp before serving - (unless you like it chilled! )
  - set on the counter for about 20-30 min to warm naturally
  - microwave on 20% power 1 min at a time, stirring and checking if it is sufficiently warmed

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 154mgPotassium: 312mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg

Keyword celery, Chakka, Cream Cheese, Dijon mustard, Dill relish, Greek Yogurt, Grren Onions, Potatoes, Scallions, Side-dish, Strained yogurt, Sunflower seeds

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