Real Food Homemade Potato Salad {No Mayo} | Recipes to Nourish (2024)

This Real Food Homemade Potato Salad, made the old fashioned way with celery and pickles, is based off of my grandma's old family recipe. This healthier version is "real foodified" without mayo, packed with organic potatoes and filled with herby goodness. It's the perfect side dish for BBQ's and potlucks!

this RECIPE

Real Food Potato Salad ... without mayonnaise please!

I loved potato salad as a young girl. It was something that I looked forward to every spring and summer.

My beautiful grandma {she made it to 101 years old!} always fixed up a batch during the warmer months and it truly was THE most delicious potato salad I had ever had. Nothing could compare!

My grandma had been making her recipe for many years and had it down to a science. No measuring needed and she didn't need to look at her handwritten recipe card.

My mom wanted to learn how to make the potato salad, because like I said, no one else could make potato salad that compared to my grandma's.

As the story goes, my grandma gave my mom her recipe. My mom, excited to make the potato salad got right to it ... but it just didn't taste the same.

On my mom's next visit to my grandma's, she told her something wasn't right. It turns out my grandma wanted to keep her "secret" Southern roots recipe to herself. But ... she agreed to make it while my mom was visiting and let my mom watch over her shoulder as she made it.

From that day forward, my mom mastered my grandma's potato salad recipe and she made it often during the summertime.

My grandma's homemade potato salad was made the old fashioned way.

This potato salad is packed with celery, steamed onion, lots of pickles {which was probably subbed with relish from time to time} and a mayo base.

Now don't get me wrong, I loved this potato salad as a kid, but I am NOT a fan of mayonnaise and neither is my husband. That being said, I still love the flavors of this old fashioned recipe, but of course I had to real foodify it for my family.

The Real Food Homemade Potato Salad Version

Instead of the kosher dill pickles that I grew up eating, I use lots of my own homemade refrigerator pickles. I add a bunch of fresh dill because my husband loves it plus it adds such a refreshing flavor. I also tend to use red potatoes, but good ole Russet potatoes are just as good {my grandma and mom always used Russet potatoes}.

My grandma and mom used yellow mustard - which adds a great flavor, but I prefer Dijon or horseradish mustard. And mayo, step aside because you will not come near my potato salad! Instead, I use sour cream as the creamy base and it's just as delicious, better in my opinion.

My grandma and mom always put diced up hard boiled eggs in the potato salad too. If you enjoy eggs in your potato salad, go for it! It adds a nice amount of protein plus some nice texture.

One more extra thing to add - olives if you'd like, they are a nice addition too. My mom often added black olives to the potato salad and occasionally green olives with pimentos. So salty and yummy!

The first time I made this potato salad for my husband his eyes got big and he said it was the best he had ever tasted. He's always honest with me about my food. I love when he enjoys my recipes, it warms my heart.

I'm sharing this real food homemade potato salad recipe today in honor of my mom. This was one of her favorite recipes and she was always so proud that she was able to get the recipe out of my grandma.

Enjoying this potato salad made by my grandma and my mom, plus the "how" my mom got the recipe is a fond childhood memory that I hold close to my heart. My mom passed away last year on July 2nd. As the first year anniversary of her death is approaching, my heart is aching and I am missing her more than ever. Today I honor her and share a little part of her legacy.

I hope you enjoy the Real FoodHomemadePotato Salad recipe as much as my family does.

Be well friends. xo

Real Food Homemade Potato Salad {No Mayo}

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

See Also

36 Tried-and-True 13x9 Recipes for Casseroles, Strata and Bakes

Inactive Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This Real Food Homemade Potato Salad, made the old fashioned way with celery and pickles, is based off of my grandma's old family recipe. This healthier version is "real foodified" without mayo, packed with organic potatoes and filled with herby goodness. It's the perfect side dish for BBQ's and potlucks!

Ingredients

• 5 pounds organic red potatoes {about 10-12}
• 1 ½ cups celery, diced {about 5-7 stalks}
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2 cups organic sour cream {I use Nancy's brand}
• 3 heaping tablespoons organic horseradish mustard or Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed (<-- this is my favorite sea salt)
• 1 cup homemade refrigerator pickles, fermented pickles or organic pickles, diced

Instructions

1. Wash and prep all produce.
2. Cut potatoes into halves or quarter depending on how big the potatoes are. Add them to a stock pot, barely cover with water and boil until fork tender - about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl. Mash potatoes up a bit, leaving some chunks remaining.
3. While potatoes are cooking, dice celery and onion. Chop the dill and dice the pickles.
4. Immediately add diced onions on top of HOT potatoes to steam for about 10 minutes. [Note: If you don't like raw onions, you can do a quick sauté instead while the potatoes are cooking. Or simply omit onions.]
5. Add celery, dill, sour cream, mustard, apple cider vinegar and sea salt to the potatoes. Fold to incorporate.
6. Fold in the pickles.
7. Taste for seasoning. Add more sea salt or mustard if needed.
8. Refrigerate about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving if you prefer your potato salad to be cold.

Notes

YOU WILL NEED:Large Stock Pot, Cutting Board,Knife,Large Mixing Bowl, Mixing Spoon, Measuring Cup, Measuring Spoons

Storage:Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Dairy-Free Version:Use a quality, soy-free, dairy-free sour cream.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 383Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 733mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 9g

This nutritional information was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circ*mstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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