Healthy Classic Potato Salad (with Hard Boiled Eggs)

I have seen the future, and it involves you making a batch of this Healthy Classic Potato Salad for a summertime backyard cookout and then in turn everyone asking you for a copy of the recipe. Trust me, nobody will even know that it is a healthy version because it has all the traditional flavors of a classic potato salad recipe: zippy creamy dressing, crunchy celery and chopped hard-boiled eggs all tossed together with perfectly tender potatoes. Read on to find out more about this recipe and about what your future holds!

Ingredient Notes For This Recipe

Potatoes

For potato salad, you’ll want thin-skinned waxy potatoes such as red, white or gold. Do not use starchy potatoes like russets because they are too dry and starchy. I have tested this with both small new red-skinned potatoes (that I either cut in half or quarters) and medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes. Both work well. You could also use a blend or even try fingerlings! Just be sure to cut them all to about 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly.

Note: I find that with the larger potatoes, some of the skins fall off when they are cooked. If this happens to you, when they are cooling, you can simply discard any loose skins.

Vegetables: Celery and Red Onion

You’ll need three stalks of celery and a half cup of finely chopped red onion. I like to include the celery leaves as I find the slightly bitter flavor a nice balance to the other tastes. You can also use scallions instead of the red onion. Cut them lengthwise before slicing so that they mix into the salad more evenly.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Classic homemade potato salad wouldn’t be complete without hard-cooked eggs added in. I found that three was just enough to add some to each bite without overdoing it on adding in too much extra cholesterol and fat calories.

Greek Yogurt

I use fat-free plain Greek yogurt for this dressing, but if you have low fat or full-fat that works as well. You’ll need 3/4 cup for the batch. Bonus, not only does this save fat calories as I mentioned above, but it also adds extra protein to each bite!

Mayonnaise

The key to getting classic taste is to use a little bit of the mayonnaise to give it that special taste only mayonnaise can. But you don’t have to go overboard. 1/4 cup (or 4 tablespoons) is plenty and you’ll see the dressing really does taste great without using a full cup.

Flavor Boosters

Having been a professional recipe developer for 20 years, I know full well that you can’t just take nearly 600 fat calories out of a recipe and expect it to taste right. That’s why I have learned to call for some favorite “flavor boosters.” These ingredients really help to make that low-fat dressing pop with flavor, and you’ll never miss the extra fat!

• Dijon Mustard: this adds a little spicy kick and helps to make the dressing more savory tasting.
• Relish: if possible, use dill relish not the sweet kind. We are adding sweetener separately, and you need the tangy flavor of dill relish.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: this is key! Potatoes really soak up flavor, and the addition of vinegar really helps keep the flavors bold and bright. You can also use white vinegar instead.
• Sugar: Classic potato salad always has a little bit of sweetness to it. So I found that a mere 1 1/2 teaspoons worked perfectly to sweeten the dressing ever so slightly and give it that classic potato salad taste.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Another key is to season the salad more than you think. As it cools the flavors become less pronounced. I found that 1 teaspoon of salt was perfect for my palate. If you are salt sensitive, feel free to add it only to taste. Make sure to taste again after chilling the salad and adjust it if necessary.

Step-By-Step Instructions For This Potato Salad

Step 1: Steam The Potatoes

For potato salad, I prefer to steam the potatoes. It is much faster! Fit a large saucepan or pot with a steamer basket, and fill with water up to the bottom of the steamer. Bring to a boil. Place potatoes in the steamer basket, cover and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Make sure that the water doesn’t boil away.

Step 2: Make Hard-Boiled Eggs

• To hard-boil the eggs, place three eggs into a small saucepan and cover with cold tap water.
• Bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Set a timer for 10 minutes and reduce the temperature to maintain the gentle boil.
• When the timer goes off, drain away the boiling water and run cold tap water into the saucepan for a minute to cool the eggs.
• Lastly, peel and chop the eggs.

Step 3: Cool Potatoes

When the potatoes are fork-tender, spread the potatoes out over a baking sheet to cool slightly. If any of the potato skins come loose, simply discard them.

Step 4: Make Greek Yogurt Dressing

Meanwhile, whisk 3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, Dijon, relish (if using), vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Step 5: Stir The Potato Salad Together

Stir in the cooled potatoes, celery, eggs and onion (or scallions.) Serve immediately at room temperature or chill completely before serving, about 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with paprika and parsley if desired, before serving.

Expert Tips And FAQs

Variations To Try

• You can mix up this potato salad by adding in fresh herbs. We particularly love the taste of fresh chopped dill in it. Tarragon is also lovely too, especially paired with grilled chicken.
• Add crumbled cook bacon at the end for another twist on the classic.
• If you do not like hard-boiled eggs, you can omit the eggs altogether.
• For more veggies, add in finely diced red bell pepper.
• Add finely chopped capers instead of the relish or chopped baby gherkins or cornichons.
• Use coarse grain mustard instead of Dijon for a slightly more rustic taste.
• Garnish with sliced green onions or California ripe black olives for a classic look.

More Healthy Picnic Salad Recipes For A Summer Cookout

Whether you are planning a Memorial Day barbecue, a Fourth Of July celebration or a relaxed get-together around the grill, here are some healthier barbecue sides that won’t get in the way of your healthy eating goals!

• For coleslaw lovers, our Classic Skinny Coleslaw is creamy and zippy and bursting with colorful veggies. Add it to your Memorial Day menu!
• Our Healthy Macaroni Salad with Garden Veggies and Cheese is another healthy version of classic creamy mac salad.
• If you think three bean salad is boring, then you have to try this Mexican-flavored Four Bean Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.
• This Healthy Italian Pasta Salad is made without salami and cheese but has tons of other tasty additions including basil, artichoke hearts, olives and tomatoes. It is fresh and delicious if I do say so myself!
• This Mediterranean Quinoa Salad is like a cross between tabbouleh and Greek salad!
• A newer favorite for a summer cookout side dish is our Barley Salad with peppers, tomatoes and garlic dressing. I love the satisfying chewy texture of the barley. It’s vegan too!
• This Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad ranks up there as an all-time picnic salad favorite.
• For a non-traditional and mayo-free potato salad, try this Paleo Sweet Potato Salad with cilantro and ginger.

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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