How to Make Potato Salad Without Mayo

When it comes to side dishes for summer barbecues and cook-outs, you can’t do better than a big bowl of potato salad. This traditional treat just begs to be paired with burgers and hot dogs, and pretty much everybody seems to love it.

Just one problem— it’s not exactly the lightest or most visually-appealing dish on the menu. And if you’re looking to have a healthier summer or slim down for swimsuit season, it’s not your best bet either.

Which is why we were so excited to find this version of potato salad from Byron Talbott! Not only has he found a way to make the cook-out staple much healthier and just as delicious, he also makes it LOOK so good that’s worthy of a central spot in your next barbecue spread. Check it out below and enjoy!

Healthier Deconstructed Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 7 to 8 small Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 to 2 medium eggs
  • 1 branch of celery
  • ¼ of a red onion
  • 1 large kosher dill pickle, never heated
  • 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh-picked tarragon
  • Fresh-picked parsley
  • Fresh-picked dill
  • Fresh-picked chervil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Want the written step-by-step instructions for assembling this healthier, deconstructed potato salad? Byron’s sharing both a free, printable copy of the recipe AND a pictorial step-by-step guide over on his site, so be sure to visit for your copies!

Now, there’s of course a lot to love about this recipe, but we just have to point out some of the things that we especially love about it:

  • That Byron boils the eggs and the potatoes together in the same pot: Look, this little “trick” is one of those that seems obvious in retrospect, but yet somehow it never occurred to us not to hard-boil our eggs in a separate pot from whatever else we might be making at the time. Boiling them together means less clean-up, and we’re always all about that!
  • The use of Greek yogurt: Obviously, if you’re looking to make a healthier version of potato salad, taking out the mayo component is a no-brainer. And yet it hurts, because it can feel like you’re taking all the flavor with it! Not with this simple swap! Greek yogurt is full of flavor but has only ⅓ of the calories. Plus, mayo has 11 times more fat. Yogurt’s obviously the better choice here!
  • The presentation: Not only does this “deconstructed” version look a lot more appetizing than the typical lumpy (albeit delicious) kind, the fresh herbs on top make it look even better and add some fresh delicious flavor. Potato salad has never looked so tempting!

Of course, the best way to learn anything AND the best way to start craving a new recipe is to see it in action, so be sure to click on the video below from Byron Talbott to see the process in action. The final result is SO gorgeous, you’ll want to make some yourself pretty immediately, we promise.

It looks so tasty, right? We can just imagine turning up at a barbecue potluck with this dish in tow and impressing everybody. No need to tell them how easy it is!

But what do you think? Will you be giving this potato salad recipe a try this summer? Do you have your own ways of making healthier versions of the popular side? Have you ever tried or made a “deconstructed” potato salad before? What other cook-out dishes would you want to see made a little healthier? Share with us and with each other!