I am on yet another quest to replace mayonnaise in a classic recipe. As I’ve explained before, store bought mayo isn’t exactly real food (and making mayo from scratch isn’t exactly my cup of tea). Plus not everyone is a mayonnaise lover anyway, so just in time for your holiday BBQ, here is my (non-mayo) Southern Potato Salad recipe that is just as good as the original!
And in case you need some more inspiration, here are a few other real food recipes that would be perfect for your holiday celebration:
- The Best Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
- Whole-Wheat Cheddar Garlic Drop Biscuits
- Deviled Eggs
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
- Cobb Salad
- Whole-Wheat Pasta Salad
–
Southern Potato Salad (without mayo!)
Ingredients
Instructions
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Cut the potatoes into 1 1/2" to 2" chunks (with the peel left on). Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the potato pieces and eggs (in the shell) to the water and set to a light boil for 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes the potatoes are not tender when pierced with a fork, then remove the eggs and continue boiling the potatoes for a few minutes more. When finished drain and run cool water over top of the eggs and potatoes.
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Meanwhile, dice the celery and onion and add to a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mustard, melted butter, salt, paprika, and pepper. Set aside.
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Dice the cooked potatoes into smaller 1/2" pieces and add to the large bowl. Peel and dice the eggs (I use one of these slicers to cut the egg longways and then crossways for a quick dice) and add to the large bowl. Pour the sour cream mixture over top and toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Amy
June 30, 2014 at 12:46 pmI’ve been using this mayo-free recipe from Emeril Lagasse on foodnetwork: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/cilantro-avocado-potato-salad-recipe.html
It’s not a traditional potato salad, nor is it a budget-friendly recipe, but you get the added health benefits of avocado. My toddler loves, it, too, if I leave out the jalapeno.
Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow
June 30, 2014 at 1:05 pmI love potato salad. And growing up in the South, it’s a dish my mother made for us all the time. This potato salad would go great at a Fourth of July cookout. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe! :)
Christine @ Taste of Divine
June 30, 2014 at 3:39 pmI love that you don’t use mayo in this recipe! I’ll have to keep it in mind for later. Do you think greek yogurt would work in place of the sour cream? I almost always have greek yogurt on hand, but don’t buy sour cream that much.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)
July 2, 2014 at 5:01 pmHi there. Greek yogurt should work, too. :)
Karen
June 30, 2014 at 3:43 pmI love how you cook the potatoes and hard boil the eggs together. It saves a dish, saves time & heats up the kitchen a bit less. Why didn’t I think of that before?
Polly @ Tasty Food Project
July 1, 2014 at 12:10 pmI’m not a fan of store bought mayo either. This potato salad looks delicious! Is it ok to use Greek yogurt to replace the sour cream?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)
July 2, 2014 at 5:25 pmHi there. We haven’t tried but I think it will work fine. ~Amy
Denise
July 1, 2014 at 4:35 pmyou can use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I do it all the time.
Alicia
July 1, 2014 at 5:54 pmI just made this and it is fabulous!!! Thank you for another great recipe:)
Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt
July 2, 2014 at 4:10 amSour cream makes a lovely substitute! I also use whole milk plain yoghurt – which, in my mind, is interchangable for sour cream and buttermilk. Just out of curiosity, why the aversion to homemade mayo? (You don’t have to explain the store-bought! I get that! : ) I make our mayo all the time and it takes less than 5-6 from start to finish! It’s really easy and tastes amazing! (If you want my recipe, let me know.)
Della
July 3, 2014 at 9:24 amLisa Marie, I would love to try your recipe. My email is [email protected].
Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt
July 4, 2014 at 5:53 amDella, responded below! : )
LINDA
July 3, 2014 at 10:40 amHi, I’d like that mayo recipe too . [email protected], thank you
Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt
July 4, 2014 at 5:54 amLinda, responded below! : )
Jessica
July 3, 2014 at 11:02 amI’d love that recipe to! [email protected]
Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt
July 4, 2014 at 5:53 amDella, Linda, and Jessica, here ya go!
In my Vitamix (I’m sure this would work in a food processor, too, but I love how the Vitamix keeps the liquids from slinging around), I put in the following:
4 egg yolks
4 T. lemon juice
1 T. raw honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
few shakes of ground pepper
Whiz it around on low and -slowly- add 1/2 c. olive oil. (I use the lighter flavour olive oil so my mayo doesn’t taste olive-y.) Give that a bit of whizzing to breakdown the proteins in the yolks. Slowly add more olive oil (usually about 1 1/2 c.) until you get the consistency you want. I know mine’s ready when I can stand a spoon in the mayo without it falling over.
And… that’s it. Really easy.
Notes:
– The only other oil I’d recommend for this is safflower, but even that isn’t as good as light-flavour olive oil. Other oils totally pale in taste.
– You can sub apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice. It works, but has a different taste.
– Add roasted garlic or hot sauce or homemade mustard for cool dip variations.
– Makes a REALLY good ranch dressing. Mix equal parts mayo with plain whole milk yoghurt, chives, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.
Any other questions, feel free to email me at lmlindenschmidt(at)gmail.com.
Good luck!
Laura
July 2, 2014 at 9:45 amLisa, i would love your recipoe. We have milk allergies and do not eat too much sour cream.
Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt
July 4, 2014 at 5:56 amLaura, I just substitute one to one for the mayo. Another idea: baked potato salad (think chopped baked potatoes, plain whole milk yoghurt, salt, pepper, and dried chives)! Good luck!
Angela
July 2, 2014 at 10:48 pmIs butter considerd real ??
Jennifer
July 3, 2014 at 10:59 amYes! :)I know it’s more expensive, but I always get organic butter. And we are BROKE, so there are certain things worth the extra money. Also, there’s clarified butter (ghee) which is found in the international section of the store, non refrigerated. Also, I use coconut oil in place of butter a lot, even on my toast with a little salt. I always get unsalted butter and just sprinkle salt or add it to the recipe. But rest assured, butter is real food :)
Kris
July 3, 2014 at 5:03 pmYes! Best to choose a grassfed butter (like Kerrygold)! Very ‘real’ and very tasty!
Lisa Marie Lindenschmidt
July 4, 2014 at 6:00 amTotally! We have a ton of farms and natural foods stores around here that carry it. It can range in price from $6-$9/pound. Sounds expensive, but if I buy it in bulk (10 pounds at a time), my farmer will sell it to me at $5/pound. Totally worth it. And I encourage you to get creative with other spreadables like Jennifer suggested above. In addition to ghee and coconut oil – which are lovely – I also use bacon or roast drippings. Depends on what you’re doing with it.
janmaus
July 3, 2014 at 11:52 amWhy skip the mayo when it’s so easy to whip up a little from scratch? I’ve been using this recipe for years, and if you want to skip the raw egg yolk, there are pasteurized egg products in the freezer section of my grocery that work just fine
Stephanie
July 3, 2014 at 2:16 pmI just made this recipe and just like every other recipe I have tried from 100 Days it was fantastic! I think I like it better than traditional potato salad! Thank you for another great recipe!
Kris
July 3, 2014 at 5:05 pmVery easy to make homemade mayo like those above have mentioned, but if you’re just not into that, Tessamae’s now carries a ‘clean’ mayo with no funky oils or sketchy additives!
Joan Dahlen
July 3, 2014 at 6:23 pmLove the blueberry jam and can’t wait to make it!!! This potato salad sounds delicious, but many in my family are dairy intolerant, so I love to make German potato salad which calls for olive oil and vinegar,salt and pepper and lots of diced up red onion and celery in the diced potatoes. You throw on the dressing while the potatoes are still warm.This is a good alternative for those who can’t tolerate dairy products such as sour cream.
Anissa
July 4, 2014 at 5:41 pmWhy I won’t use store bought mayo. http://www.takepart.com/video/2014/07/01/mayo-chickens
Sarah
July 5, 2014 at 6:25 amMade this for the 4th of July with a few tweaks. (No onions–I hate onions; no pepper–I hate pepper.) It was delicious. Even my husband ate it, and he usually hates any new food I make. Told me I could win a contest with it. Bravo!
renee
July 6, 2014 at 10:28 pmSarah- your post made me laugh out loud. “I hate onions. I hate pepper.” So honest! Me too, and I’m glad your husband ate it. I hope mine does too.
Jackie
July 7, 2014 at 1:24 pmThis recipe is so delicious! Thank you!
Julianne
July 7, 2014 at 10:58 pmJust pinned this! It looks delicious. I also really like that it doesn’t call for any mayo. Definitely a step in the right direction for me trying to eat healthier!
xo Julianne
http://reallifesurreallife.blogspot.com
April
July 16, 2014 at 2:20 pmCan’t wait to try out the recipe! I really wanted to share an article about wal mart ice cream sandwiches not melting even while being left out for over 24 hours! The news team did a comparison test and found that another ice cream bar which had more “real” ingredients still melted! Didn’t know how else to share..
http://www.abcactionnews.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/why-dont-ice-cream-sandwiches-melt-anymore
Teresa @ A Cup of D.I.Y
July 18, 2014 at 2:26 amMy husband is Swiss and he doesn’t go for the whole mayo thing in potato salads. I make mine with a veggie or chicken broth base. After the potatoes cook and cool down a bit, I peel them and slice them thick into a bowl. Then I add slightly warmed broth to the potatoes so they absorb the liquid which gives great flavor. Stir it up a bit and let it sit a while covered with a towel. Then add in some extra virgin olive oil, vinegar (we love herb vinegar), mustard, salt and pepper if you wish and mix it all together. The potatoes will break doen slightly and it will all come together. If it seems too thick, add a little water. I’ve see people add a little pickle juice too!
amy
August 7, 2014 at 8:58 pmHello – I cant find this in your recipe index, can you add it? thank you! this is a great salad!!!
Paula
August 11, 2014 at 4:59 pmWill this recipe freeze? I want to freeze my leftovers to add to lunches in the future.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy)
August 13, 2014 at 8:22 pmHi Paula. I’ve not frozen this specific version but it has been my experience that potato salad does not freeze well. ~Amy
Cheryl
August 12, 2014 at 1:05 amThis potato salad looks great. I will have to try it!
I do want to point out though that there is a good mayo on the market here on the west coast that meets my family’s definition of real food: Sir Kensington’s mayo
http://sirkensingtons.com/shop#!products/classic-mayonnaise
Yes, it has a more than 5 ingredients, but all the ingredients meet the definition of real food. And while there is sugar on the ingredients list, it’s such a small amount that the amount of sugar per serving comes to 0 g. It’s a great option for those who don’t want to give up mayonnaise and don’t have the time or inclination to make their own.
Kristen
May 28, 2017 at 3:30 pmChosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo is another great option. No refined sugar, cage free eggs, no refined oil, and really yummy!
Sue Tompkins
August 28, 2014 at 12:47 pmTry Duke’s mayo, it has no sugar and is a natural.
Amy Koegel
April 2, 2015 at 4:49 pmOk I don’t work for Duke’s Mayo but this story must be told. My parents were missionaries for years in East Aftica. All my dad asked for (for Christmas) was Duke’s. I was robbed a week before my flight and all gift packages were ripped open and the gifts worth money were stolen, all dad cared about was getting the Dukes. He’d waited a year. Never again! Southern and daddy’s girl :) … still loving Duke’s Mayonaise all over the globe!
Katie
June 25, 2015 at 8:09 pmSoybean oil, eggs, water, distilled and cider vinegar, salt, oleoresin paprika, natural flavors, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor.
Soybean oil is horrendous for anyone’s health, natural flavors are anything but natural, Calcuim disodium -Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid. Found in: Processed foods. Robs Your Body of: Vitamin C, magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, potassium. Sorry, I would never use Dukes Mayo.
Jane
July 2, 2015 at 11:06 amEthylenediaminetetraacetic Acid: chelates mercury and lead; acts as an antioxidant; used by dentists during root canals; anticoagulant; reduces bacterial growth. Having thirteen syllables doesn’t make it dangerous. I love Duke’s mayonaise.
Katie
June 25, 2015 at 8:11 pmThere is no natural in Duke’s mayo. And absolutely nothing healthy in it in any way. Amazing how people are duped into believing something is natural. Actually, sugar would be healthier that what is in Duke’s mayo.
amanda
May 21, 2015 at 3:24 amI tend to use whole milk Greek yogurt to replace mayo in most recipes. If you let it sit over night the flavours develop more. works a treat for flavored dips. Adding spices etc for curry dip.
just make sure it’s proper greek yogurt. No thickeners or gellatines. Should only contain milk ans cultures in the ingredient list. That’s it.
Skye Fillmore
May 24, 2015 at 9:22 pmI made this today for our family memorial day party – and it was fabulous! Also pretty easy to make too. My husband loved. Bringing leftovers on the boat tomorrow ;)
Annette
July 10, 2015 at 8:29 pmI started this yesterday and we ate it for dinner tonight -it was delicious! My husband and three-year-old both enjoyed it too. I was afraid my potatoes were overcooked, since they were falling out when I drained them, but after a night in the fridge, they held together perfectly! My only question : any thoughts for mustard substitutions? I just left it out, which worked fine, but if there’s something else I could use, I’m game for it!
Shauna
May 28, 2017 at 9:12 pmI absolutely hate mayo, miracle whip or anything like them! You have no idea how excited I am to find this recipe. I will certainly be trying it out. Thank you for posting.