We love this easy red potato salad recipe with creamy dressing, dill pickles and fresh herbs. Learn how to make the best red potato salad using our favorite homemade dressing.
watch the video
Related: We love this fresh corn salad!
Potato salad is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s easy to make, tastes better when made ahead of time, and everyone loves it. We’ve got a few potato salad recipes on Inspired Taste – check out our Easy Creamy Potato Salad or this Mayonnaise-Free Herbed Potato Salad.
This red potato salad is a cross between the two salads above. The dressing is rich and creamy like our original salad, but we add a few handfuls of fresh herbs to complement the flavor of the herb version. I love it!
How to make red potato salad
If I can find her I love using smaller red potatoes because that means I can cook them whole. They’ll cook a little faster if you chop them up, but potatoes cooked whole taste better and are fluffy in the middle.
Use a large saucepan to boil the potatoes Add a good amount of salt to the water. The water should taste salty. It’s important to salt the water as it flavors the potatoes. Without them, they taste bland even after you add them to your dressing.
Then, when the potatoes are cooked and cool enough to use, Sprinkle a few tablespoons of vinegar on top. It’s amazing the difference vinegar makes. I use red wine vinegar for this salad, but apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and even dill pickle juice work well too.
To recap: When preparing potato salad, we like to keep these tips in mind:
- Smaller red waxy potatoes are best (they contain less starch and have firmer flesh).
- If time permits, cook the potatoes whole. They taste better and don’t form soggy.
- Add a generous amount of salt to your cooking water. Potatoes can be boring and need salt to taste their best.
- For the best salad flavor, sprinkle vinegar over the boiled potatoes (a tip from Alton Brown).
Our favorite creamy potato salad dressing
You know the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? This is how we think about our favorite potato salad dressing. We use this dressing in our original recipe and love it so much we see no reason to change it. Our readers love it too!
It consists of three ingredients:
- mayonnaisethat adds richness and flavor – try homemade mayonnaise.
- sour creamsoftens the heaviness of the mayonnaise and adds some spiciness.
- Mustard adds more flavor and a little color. I use yellow mustard.
Assemble the salad
Everyone has an opinion on what makes the best potato salad, but here’s what we like to add to ours. You can of course add or remove an ingredient depending on your taste. It’s also important to note that if you don’t have red potatoes on hand, it’s okay.
Use other waxy potatoes, such as yellow or Yukon potatoes, white or creamy potatoes, and fingerling potatoes. They’re quick to cook, and since they’re already small, there’s no need to chop them up before cooking. Roasted or baked potatoes also work, but the texture of the salad will be less creamy.
In addition to potatoes, we add the following ingredients to the salad. For the full recipe, see this article.
- Finely diced celery for crunching
- Finely diced dill pickles for crispiness and flavor
- Fresh parsley, dill and chives
Other popular ingredients include hard-boiled eggs and onions. We add them to our creamy potato salad, but leave them out for this red potato version. We love making the herbs glow, so we’re keeping a low profile on the other ingredients.
Creamy red potato salad with herbs
-
PREPARATION
-
COOK
-
IN TOTAL
Small red potatoes are best for this potato salad. This allows the potatoes to retain their natural moisture and sweetness. We prefer the consistency when cooked whole, but feel free to chop the potatoes if you’re short on time or your potatoes are large.
It’s okay if you don’t have red potatoes on hand. Use other waxy potatoes, such as yellow or Yukon potatoes, white or creamy potatoes, and fingerling potatoes. They’re quick to cook, and since they’re already small, there’s no need to chop them up before cooking. Roasted or baked potatoes also work, but the texture of the salad will be less creamy.
If possible, refrigerate the salad for about 30 minutes before serving. This extra time helps the flavors blend and makes for a better potato salad.
Makes 6 servings
Watch as we prepare the recipe
you will need
2 pounds small red potatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or dill pickle juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard, alternatively Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard
2 stalks celery, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
1 to 2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
directions
- Boil potatoes
1Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season with salt – use one teaspoon per liter of water.
2Bring the water to a boil, then let it simmer (cooking the potatoes may cause them to bump together and break apart). Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
3Meanwhile, set up an ice bath. Pour cold water into a medium bowl filled with ice. Drain the potatoes, then place them in the ice bath.
4Once cool, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle the vinegar over the potatoes and lightly salt.
- Make potato salad
1Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard in a bowl.
2Add the sour cream mixture, celery, cucumber and herbs to the potatoes. Stir gently, being careful not to mash the potatoes too much.
3Season with salt and pepper. If you have time, chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne’s tips
- Replace the sour cream with half a cup of crème fraîche.
- Prepare potato salad up to 3 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- You can use dried herbs for this salad, we recommend adding one to two tablespoons of dried herbs. I especially love dill and chives.
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
Nutritional value per serving
serving size
1/6 of the recipe (total 6 servings)
/
calories
216
/
total fat
10.9g
/
Saturated Fatty Acids
3.1g
/
cholesterol
15.2 mg
/
sodium
627.3 mg
/
carbohydrate
26.1g
/
fiber
3.1g
/
total sugar
3.1g
/
protein
3.8g