This healthy vegan potato salad is infused with fresh rosemary and made even more irresistible with lemon, crisp-tender green beans, and an easy oil-free mayo. Add vegan bacon crumbles to make it extra special! This healthy side dish is perfect for any occasion, from backyard cookouts to dinner parties.
*This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with new instructions and photos.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
For starters, rosemary and potatoes are a match made in [taste bud] heaven. And when the vehicle for that rosemary flavor is a tangy, healthy, lower-calorie oil-free vegan mayo, even better!
Add fresh lemon juice, plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, garlic, and crisp-tender green beans, and this is a classic side dish with one heck of a healthy makeover.
This rosemary potato salad is perfect for making in advance, and serving at potlucks and outdoor parties. And because it's made with an eggless mayo, you don't have to worry about spoilage!
Ingredient Notes
To keep this dish oil-free, the mayo and vegan bacon bits need to be made in advance. Otherwise, feel free to use store-bought vegan mayo and tempeh bacon to save time.
In addition to mayonnaise and bacon bits, you'll need just 7 simple ingredients.
- Potatoes - I love thin-skinned gold potatoes for this dish, but red potatoes are also nice.
- Oil-Free Vegan Mayo - this light aquafaba mayo recipe is really easy to prepare, but if you'd rather substitute store-bought vegan mayo that works, too!
- Rosemary - you'll need two sprigs of fresh rosemary for this recipe.
- Green beans or haricot vert - I love the texture and pop of color they add, but you can skip the green beans if you don't have any. Small broccoli florets are another option.
- Vegan Bacon Bits - both soy curl bacon bits and tempeh bacon work great here. Tempeh bacon can be pan-sauteed or baked. Let it cool, then chop into crumbles.
How To Make Healthy Potato Salad
- In a small bowl whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with water by about 1 inch. Add one small sprig of rosemary and a teaspoon sea salt. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, remove the lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the potatoes for 6 to 7 minutes or until fork tender.
- Use a mesh strainer or slotted spoon to transfer potatoes to a colander, preserving the hot cooking water in the pot. Thoroughly rinse the potatoes under cold water to stop the cooking. Discard the cooked rosemary needles.
- Bring the water to a simmer again, and add the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes or until bright green and crisp-tender. While the green beans are cooking, transfer potatoes to a large bowl.
- Drain the green beans and rinse with cold water.
- Season the potatoes with salt, and pour about two-thirds of the rosemary mayo on top. Toss to coat. Add the green beans and remaining dressing, and toss again. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Garnish with black pepper and vegan bacon bits and serve.
Potato Salad FAQs
Leftover potato salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
It is! Just make sure you opt for the homemade bacon bits, and when seasoning them choose gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce. The other components of the dish are already gluten-free, including the homemade vegan mayo.
Absolutely! Add the chopped rosemary and minced garlic to about ⅓ cup of olive oil. Set aside while you prepare the potatoes.
Have extra green beans on hand? Don't miss this super simple Italian Green Bean Salad!
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Rosemary Potato Salad (Vegan, Oil-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 batch Oil-Free Vegan Mayo - Or sub ½ to ⅔ cup store-bought vegan mayonnaise.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 pounds gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- fine sea salt
- 10 ounces green beans or haricot vert, ends trimmed
- black pepper
- ⅔ cup Vegan Bacon Bits - Or sub store-bought tempeh bacon. Cook according to package instructions, then chop.
Instructions
- Remove the leaves from one sprig of rosemary. Discard the stem, and finely chop the leaves (you should have about 1 tsp chopped). In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, chopped rosemary, minced garlic, lemon juice, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place cut potatoes in a large pot. Fill with water so that the potatoes are covered by about 1 inch. Add the remaining rosemary sprig and 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Use a mesh strainer to transfer the potatoes to a colander, leaving the hot water in the pot. Thoroughly rinse the potatoes under cold water to stop the cooking. Discard the cooked rosemary needles.
- Return the water to a simmer, and add the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes or until bright green and crisp-tender. While the green beans cook, transfer potatoes to a large bowl.
- Drain the green beans in the colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Season the potatoes with salt, and pour about two-thirds of the rosemary mayo on top. Toss to coat. Add the green beans and remaining dressing to the bowl, and toss again. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 or 3 hours. Garnish with black pepper and vegan bacon bits and serve.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
