Easy Homemade Miso Vegan Potato Salad
Potato salad is a summer classic, and easy to make vegan- many brands make a vegan mayonnaise that can be used to created that classic, creamy sauce. However my issues with potato salad goes a little deeper- that strong, overwhelming mayonnaise flavor that smothers the depth and complexity of the potato dish. I decided to add a layer of interest with this miso potato salad. The super creamy vegan potato salad is flavored with miso paste and curry powder, for a deeper and more complex flavor with all the creamy goodness of the original!
Potato Salad: The Classic Summer Dish
One of my favorite summer dinners growing up was potato salad- yes, sometimes we ate it as an entire meal. My mom made a not-super-mayonnaisey version with plenty of vegetables, and we would sit on the porch outside and eat our dinner. The instant plates were cleared, we were off to the trampoline (because kids have no need to rest and digest- doing front flips with a stomach full of food was perfectly reasonable). I remember going to summer potlucks and (sadly) pig-roasts where potato salad was among the few dishes that little vegetarian Val could eat. And while some potato salads are clearly better than others, I’m not sick of it yet!
Looking for Great Summer Side Dishes? Try one of these!
- Roasted Vegan Summer Squash Side Dish
- Vegan Hearty Black Bean”Meatballs”
- Seaside Vegan Beet Salad
- Quick & Crispy Zucchini Fritters
- Delicata Rounds with Lemon and Miso Dipping Sauce
- Vegan Easter (or any occasion!) Deviled Potatoes
- Heirloom Tomato Summer Watermelon Salad
The Skinny on Potato Skins
Every time you eat a potato, you have a fundamental decision to make- to eat the skins or not. In most cases, including potato salad, I am team skins for a few reasons. Firstly, I’m a lazy cook, and given the choice between having to peel a potato and not taking on the extra work, I choose the easier option. Secondly, I find the skins actually add something to many recipes. The rougher texture can be a great way to offset the creaminess of the potato, giving you a little variation in mouthfeel so you don’t get bored. And thirdly, the skin is actually the most nutritious part of the potato- brimming with fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, the skins are a large part of what takes potato from “no good junk food” and brings them back into the virtuous world of vegetables. So I’m all in for eating potato skins- just make sure you scrub your potatoes well before cooking.
Making Miso Vegan Potato Salad
Making potato salad is easy peasy. First cook your potatoes until they’re soft, and then let them cool a little. Chop your other vegetables (I used onion, red bell pepper, and celery, but you can definitely play around with that) into small pieces. Mix up your sauce- primarily (vegan) mayo, but with some miso, soy sauce, curry powder, lemon juice and mustard as well. And then just throw it all together! I like to use a potato masher to mash mine up a little- I’m a fan of a thicker, creamier salad, but if you prefer to leave it as bigger chunks that works just fine too. I didn’t include it in the ingredients, because they were added mostly just for show, but I garnished this vegan potato salad with chopped scallions, some fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Easy Miso Vegan Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (About 6 medium) russet potatoes
- Two stalks of celery
- 1 red bell pepper
- ½ a medium onion
- ¾ cup of vegan mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp. white miso paste
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce (use tamari to make gluten free)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
- 1 tsp curry powder (optional)
Instructions
- Put a large pot of water on to boil. If you like your potatoes peeled do so, although I tend to leave the skins for a nice textural change. Chop the potatoes into ½-1 inch cubes and place in the water. Check on them every now and then, and when a fork pierces without resistance drain into a colander.
- While the potatoes are boiling dice the celery, bell pepper and onion.
- Mix together the vegan mayo, miso, soy sauce (or tamari), curry powder, lemon juice and mustard until they are thoroughly combined.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool to near room temperature. Once cooked, combine the potatoes, vegetables and sauce in a large bowl. For a creamier potato salad, you can mash the potatoes a little bit, still making sure to leave large pieces. Top with a crack of pepper, garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs (optional) and serve.
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