This light and fresh Italian Potato & Cucumber Salad is mayo-free, packed with Mediterranean flavours, and features a zesty homemade pesto dressing. It's ready in just 30 minutes! Perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, or a healthy side dish.
Naturally gluten-free and easily vegan-friendly (just skip the optional feta), this easy recipe features tender potatoes, crisp cucumbers, and briny olives. It's a crowd-pleaser that gets even better as it chills!
🌿 No mayo | ⏱️ 20 min | 🥔 Gluten-free | 🍱 Meal-prep ready
Enjoy a variety of salads, suited for a light meal any time of the year. Prepare a simple couscous salmon salad or an easy tuna rice salad. I adore the smell of freshly grilled aubergine. That smokiness is the secret of this grilled eggplant salad that goes splendidly with a piece of freshly baked bread.
This vegan warm salad recipe is something that I created with the ingredients from my cupboard just before my weekly shopping, and it turned out delicious.
Another version of this potato salad is by adding pesto, which results in a refreshing summer salad. Continuing on this note, this feta and tomato salad is perfect for the next time you want a quick and delicious lunch or dinner, especially on those hot summer days.
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💗 Why This Recipe Works
Quick Summer Fix: Got 30 minutes? That's all you'll need. Boil the potatoes, chop your veggies, and give everything a good toss with that gorgeous pesto dressing. It's the ultimate no-mayo potato salad for sweltering days.
Gluten-Free? Vegan? No Problem: This salad plays nice with almost every diet. The whole ingredients keep it naturally gluten-free, and if you're vegan, just use vegan pesto and hold the eggs (it's still packed with flavour).
🥒 Ingredients
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Potatoes: Use pink or red potatoes. They hold their shape well when boiled, making them ideal for salads. Boil, peel, and dice them for the best texture.
- Cucumber: Opt for an English cucumber. It's seedless and has a thin skin, so it's perfect for salads. Slice and cut into quarters.
- Tomatoes: Choose Roma or cherry tomatoes. They are firm and less watery, ensuring your salad doesn't become soggy. Dice them for even distribution.
- Eggs: Boil the eggs until they are hard. They add protein and a creamy texture to the salad. Dice them finely.
- Olives: Use pitted Kalamata or green or black olives.
- Pesto: Use a good-quality basil pesto or make your own.
♻️ Substitutions
- Potatoes: Substitute with Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Cucumber: Use zucchini or celery for a similar crunch.
- Tomatoes: Try grape tomatoes or bell peppers.
- Eggs: Replace with tofu or chickpeas for a vegan option.
- Olives: Use capers or artichoke hearts for a briny hint.
- Pesto: Swap with hummus or tahini. You might want to give these 30-minute roasted cauliflower steaks a try next.
📋 Variations
- Add mozzarella and basil for a Caprese-style twist. Cherry tomatoes work great here too, especially if you're skipping the regular tomatoes.
- Crumble in some feta and toss in a handful of chopped parsley or red onion. It gives the salad a nice, tangy, fresh vibe.
- Squeeze in a bit of lemon juice and throw in some sliced radishes and dill. Super refreshing, especially in summer.
- Mix up a quick mustard dressing if you want something zippier-just stir together Dijon mustard, olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, and a bit of grated garlic, then drizzle over the top or mix it with the pesto. This zesty dressing also works perfectly if you are looking for a creamy dressing that works with grilled chicken and bacon for a classic meal.
👩🍳 How to Make This Creamy No-Mayo Pesto Potato Salad
This recipe uses such simple ingredients! For more dishes like this, try my traditional Romanian boeuf salad next, featured in my collection of simple weeknight salad ideas.
Step 1: Start by placing the cooled, diced potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the fresh diced tomatoes to the bowl with the potatoes.
Step 3: Next, add the sliced and quartered cucumber for crunch.
Step 4: Stir in the briny black olives now.
Step 5: Pour the pesto dressing over the ingredients.
Step 6: Finally, add the diced boiled eggs (and any optional feta or seasoning). Give it a gentle toss and chill before serving.
*See the recipe card for detailed instructions.
💭 Expert Tips
- Cook Potatoes Perfectly: Boil until tender but firm. Test with a fork for the right texture. This is the same simple method we use when making old-fashioned parsley buttered potatoes.
- Season Warm Potatoes: Add salt and vinegar while the potatoes are warm to enhance the taste.
- Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavours meld.
❓Creamy Pesto Potato Salad (No Mayo) FAQs
Easy-the best way is to use a simple vinaigrette or a flavour-packed base like pesto, just as we do in this recipe! Pesto provides a rich, creamy texture without any of the heavy mayo, making your 30-minute potato salad much lighter. Other great no-mayo options include a mix of olive oil, white wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard, or a splash of fresh lemon juice and herbs
The biggest mistake is overcooking the potatoes! If they get too mushy, they'll fall apart when you toss them with the pesto dressing and other vegetables. To avoid this, boil them just until a fork slides in easily-no more than 15−20 minutes. Also, avoid mixing the salad before the potatoes are cool, as warm potatoes can make the dressing too oily.
When stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge, this pesto potato salad can last up to 3−5 days. Because it doesn't contain mayonnaise (which can spoil quickly if left out), it's ideal for making ahead and travelling. However, you should still refrigerate leftovers right away to keep the salad fresh and safe.
If You Enjoyed This Recipe, You Will Love These Too
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Pesto Potato Salad (No Mayo)
Ingredients
- 6 red potatoes boiled, peeled, and diced
- ½ English cucumber sliced and cut into quarters
- 4 tomatoes diced
- 3 eggs boiled and diced
- 150 g olives
- 4 tablespoon pesto
- Salt and pepper to taste
Make it Vegan
- Eggs: Replace with chickpeas or tofu cubes for protein.
- Pesto: Ensure the pesto is dairy-free by using a recipe without cheese or substitute with a basil-tahini dressing.
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes first. Add them to a pot of salted water and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they're soft when you poke them with a fork. Once they're done, pour out the water and leave them to cool.6 red potatoes
- While they're boiling, you can get everything else ready. Boil the eggs (about 10 minutes does the trick), then move them to a bowl of cold water to cool. Slice the cucumber and cut it into smaller pieces, then dice the tomatoes.½ English cucumber, 3 eggs, 4 tomatoes
- When the potatoes aren't too hot to touch, peel off the skin and cut them into small chunks. Put them in a big bowl.
- Peel and chop the eggs, then add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, and olives too. Give everything a gentle stir.150 g olives
- Spoon in the pesto and mix again until everything looks well coated. I usually taste it here and decide if I want to add a bit more pesto or not.4 tablespoon pesto
- Add salt and pepper to taste, give it one last mix, and that's it. You can serve it right away or chill it in the fridge for later.Salt and pepper to taste
Video
Notes
- Boil the potatoes until just tender (15-20 minutes) to avoid them becoming mushy when mixed.
- Cool the potatoes completely before peeling and dicing to make them easier to handle.
- For a vegan version, use chickpeas or tofu instead of eggs and ensure the pesto is dairy-free.
- Adjust the amount of pesto to your preference; start with 4 tablespoon and add more if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper at the end to avoid over-salting, especially if using salty olives or pesto.
- Chill the salad before serving to let the flavours meld together.
- Customise with extras like avocado, feta (or vegan cheese), or fresh herbs for added flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days; stir well before serving again.
- Perfect as a side dish or light meal for picnics, barbecues, or quick lunches.
Elizabeth says
This cucumber and potato salad is so yummy and refreshing! My family loved this and we will be making it again.
Marie-Pierre says
This is a great side dish to any BBQ meal, we tried it yesterday and it was so refreshing!
Liz says
SO yummy! And a great potato salad for summer without the mayo. We didn't miss it one bit.
Elisa says
This worked exactly as written, and my family loved this. This is great for summer nights. Thanks!
LISA says
This is a great recipe! I loved the combination of flavors and textures. I will definitely make this again.
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!
Razvan says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Juyali says
Yum. What a creative salad and a great way to use pesto! I've had homemade pesto in my fridge and wanted a different way to use it. This salad was perfect for that. Thanks!
Nicole says
This salad is incredible!! It is so easy to make and even easier to enjoy.
swathi says
Italian style potato and cucumber salad is so yummy and delicious. I have tried with some homemade soup.
Oscar says
Such an easy and delicious recipe! The combination of tender potatoes and crispy cucumbers is fantastic.
Elizabeth says
My family loved this potato salad! So flavorful and easy to make!
Razvan C says
You can never go wrong with a fresh salad! 🔝