Italian Potato Salad

Italian potato salad is a lighter, fresher, and more boldly flavored salad that skips the mayo common in American potato salads. Instead, this quick and easy side dish is loaded with crisp green beans, briny olives, fresh cherry tomatoes, and a garlicky red wine vinaigrette.

To me, the best potato salad recipes, from this Italian potato salad to our Greek potato salad or even my signature version with mustard and dill, share a common thread. They treat the potatoes as a sponge, to soak up loud, confident flavors creating a tasty bed for loads of fresh herbs and veggies. The potatoes are creamy on their own so there's really no need for mayo (although, I wouldn't blame you for serving a little garlicky Aioli on the side.)

In writing this recipe, I was inspired by the regional potato salads from the south of Italy. In Sicily, this dish is often called Insalata di Patate Siciliana or Insalata Vastasa. The name vastasa, meaning “uncouth,” likely comes from the humble, affordable ingredients. This recipe is also reminiscent of Insalata Pantesca, a typical dish from the southern Italian island of Pantelleria, where they add their famous capers–feel free to throw some on if you have them on-hand.

This Italian potato salad has a deliciously bright dressing and plenty of fresh flavor. It’s a great make-ahead dish: Allow at least 30 minutes for the potatoes to soak up the dressing if you can.

Italian potato salad takes a tangy approach, swapping the rich mayo in American-style potato salad for a garlicky, bright vinaigrette. All of the ingredients are easy to find, and likely already living in your pantry! Here’s what you need:

Italian potato salad is very low maintenance and only gets better as it sits. Here’s how to make it:

Italian potato salad is satisfying and versatile enough to play many different roles on your table. Enjoy it on its own as a vegetarian main or serve it as part of a larger meal with Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers.

For those who enjoy beef, chicken or fish, this salad pairs well with lemony Pork Chops, simple Grilled Chicken Breasts or Baked Grouper.

For a Mediterranean-style picnic, serve with an assortment of reimagined picnic classics. I love the bright and briny potatoes with a Summer fruit salad and Grilled Chicken Wings or even a Chicken Sandwich, but check out our round up of 25 Picnic Recipes With A Mediterranean Twist for more inspiration.

Browse all Mediterranean recipes.

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Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil from hand-picked, cold-extracted Nocellara olives.