Mashed Potato Salad Recipe
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This vegan mashed potato salad packed with sautéed leeks is divinely delicious, creamy, easy to make, dairy free and without eggs. Brimming with comfort and flavor, a must make recipe for the festive Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Mashed Potato Salad
A cross between creamy mashed potatoes and a chunky potato salad packed with deeply flavorful sautéed leeks, spices and dijon, this hybrid mashed potato salad delivers the best of both worlds. Great served warm, at room temperature alongside our vegan turkey, Thanksgiving roast, vegan stuffing and healthy creamed spinach. Unlike a regular mash this is also really nice cold straight from the fridge alongside a homemade veggie burger.
The mashing happens all in the bowl during the mixing process, so it’s important that your potatoes are tender but still hold some shape. The idea is to get chunks of potatoes coated in creaminess from both the mayo and mashing of the potatoes. Perfection!
The Golden Potatoes
Cook them like you would pasta, in plenty of salted water so the potatoes get seasoned deeply while cooking. If salted properly you won’t need to add any extra salt later. Boil them until soft to the point where you can mash them against the side of a bowl but also hold together if you aren’t trying to mash them.
Waxy gold potatoes will deliver the best textures for this salad: creamy and chunky = the best of both worlds! Once drained it’s important to allow them to dry in their own steam in the colander for all the extra moisture to evaporate, this will yield a heavenly creamy texture of the salad versus a watery one.
About the Sautéed Leeks
Because they grow partially underground it’s very important to take your time slicing and rinsing the leeks. All parts including the green tops are edible, delicious and good for you. Once sliced simply soak them in a large bowl of cold water for a few minutes. The dirt and sand will naturally sink to the bottom while the leeks will float to the top. Use your hands to scoop out the cleaned leeks and place on a tea towel to drain. Sautée in a drizzle of olive oil with a pinch of salt until softened and they begin to get some color. The flavor is mild and delicious and simply magical in combination with potatoes. Alternatively you can use a large sweet onion cooked down to the point of almost caramelization.
Ingredient Tips + FAQ
- Nutritional Yeast – AKA “Nooch” that adds a deep savory parmesan-like cheesy like flavor and tons of B-vitamins. Go wild and add even more than the recipe suggests, take it next level for that extra-extra!
- Tofu Mayo – Really adds to the silkiness and creaminess of the potatoes, I love using my homemade recipe here as I can control the quality of the ingredients. You can use your favorite vegan store bought kind and adjust the ratio to your liking as both flavor and texture will vary. For extra eggy-flavor finish with a sprinkling of Kala Namak salt.
- Dijon Mustard – Just a little bit really adds that “je ne sais quoi” to even a plain potato. Use it!
- Add Ins – If you prefer a little tang make sure to finish your salad with a nice squeeze of fresh lemon.
- Garnish – Reserve some of the sautéed leeks to serve over the top or just finish with a a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper and some hot red chili flakes.
- Herbs – Since the leeks pack so much flavor they take the place of the fresh herbs too as I feel a mild onion chive, dill and even scallions would get lost in their glory. By all means feel free to add some if you so desire. I’m thinking that some fried crispy sage could stand up to both the flavor profile and textures of this dish.
- How long should I boil the potatoes? – This will vary depending on the size of the potatoes so keep a close eye on them. Anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes after reaching the boiling point.
- When do you salt the potatoes? – Ideally the seasoning is done during cooking, I like to add the salt as soon as the water reaches the boiling point.
Storage + Make Ahead
Although I love serving this warm for the ultimate texture, this is also a dish that can be made ahead and refrigerated. Enjoy chilled or reheat on the stove top with a splash of plant based milk to help loosen it up and reintroduce some creaminess. It lasts up to a weeks in the fridge but freezing is not recommended.
Serving suggestions…
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Roasted Broccoli
- Vegan Burger
- Chive Pesto Drizzle
- Vegan Sausage Gravy
- Lentil Loaf
- Vegan Chicken
- Avocado Tomato Salad
- Roasted Peppers or Dill Pickles.
Potato Recipes
- Potato Pancakes
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Deviled Potatoes
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Best Potato Leek Soup
- Roasted Small Potatoes
- Thanksgiving Potatoes and Mushrooms
- Vegan Zuppa Toscana.
How to Make Vegan Mashed Potato Salad
Mashed Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lb gold potatoes
- 1 medium leek sliced + rinsed well
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- S + P to taste
- 1 pinch red chili flakes optional for garnish
Instructions
- Scrub and rinse the potatoes very well. Cut into one inch cubes, add to a stock pot and cover by two inches of cold water. Bring to a boil and season generously with salt (2-3 tbsp or so).3 lb gold potatoes
- Boil the potatoes until tender but not mushy 15 to 20 minutes. The potatoes are done when a knife inserted in the center comes out without any resistance. Drain in a colander and allow them to dry in their own steam.
- Sautee the Leeks
- Meanwhile slice and rinse the leeks in a couple of changes of cold water. (TIP: best way to clean the leeks is to slice them then soak in a large bowl of cold water. Allow to soak for a few minutes and the dirt and sand will sink to the bottom. Using your hands scoop out the leeks and transfer to a clean lint free tea towel).1 medium leek
- Preheat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat with a light drizzle of olive oil. Add the clean leeks and a pinch of salt. Give everything a good stir and sautee until wilted and they start to get some color.1 medium leek
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked potatoes with the nutritional yeast until coated all over making sure to mash some of them against the sides of the bowl for a creamy texture. Add the mayo, dijon, garlic powder and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper. Combine well then fold in the sautéed leeks.3 lb gold potatoes, 1 cup vegan mayo, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 3 tsp dijon mustard, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 medium leek
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and chili flakes. If your boiling water was seasoned well you should not need to add anyone salt at this point. (If an eggy flavor is desired add a pinch of Kala Namak finishing salt. If a creamier texture if desired mix in a little more mayo.)S + P to taste, 1 pinch red chili flakes
Notes
- How long should I boil the potatoes? - This will vary depending on the size of the potatoes so keep a close eye on them. Anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes after reaching the boiling point. Waxy gold potatoes will deliver the best textures for this salad: creamy and chunky = the best of both worlds! Once drained it's important to allow them to dry in their own steam in the colander for all the extra moisture to evaporate, this will yield a heavenly creamy texture of the salad versus a watery one.
- When do you salt the potatoes? - Ideally the seasoning is done during cooking, I like to add the salt as soon as the water reaches the boiling point.
- Storage + Make Ahead - Although I love serving this warm for the ultimate texture, this is also a dish that can be made ahead and refrigerated. Enjoy chilled or reheat on the stove top with a splash of plant based milk to help loosen it up and reintroduce some creaminess. It lasts up to a weeks in the fridge but freezing is not recommended.
An outstanding potato salad. Everything just works so wonderfully from the texture to flavor and all those delicious leeks, a new favorite!