Vegan Potato Salad

I am not sure how to start this other than: Germans l💚ve their potatoes and potato salads! It is such a big thing over here that you are usually finding one at every larger gathering, BBQ (I know I have been using this word a lot lately), get-togethers… I mean potato salad and sausages is a dish famously eaten on Christmas eve. Traditional potato salad contains a lot of mayonnaise and eggs. I wanted to create a version that is plant-based and therefore can be enjoyed by everyone. Enter this week’s recipe: Vegan Potato Salad.

And by god – this recipe delivers. I mean look at the creaminess of the sauce. You can almost not see the ingredients, because it is so creamy and saucy 😂. No one will ever know it is vegan. The beauty of this Vegan Potato Salad is that it almost becomes better on the second or third day, so you can easily prep it in advance and keep in the fridge until needed.

Other than chopping everything really finely, there is also not a lot of prep that goes into this salad. It basically whips itself up in no time. I have made it countless times – first to perfect the sauce and then because it was so darn delicious. The recipe measurements are definitely for a larger crowd, so if you are simply wanting this as an easy dinner (or having fewer people over), I would probably cut the amount in half.

Why is this Vegan Potato Salad good for you?

Potatoes

Possibly one of the most consumed vegetables here in Germany. The humble potato has unfortunately fallen a bit from grace in recent years. This is due to potatoes being higher on the glycemic index, thereby letting your blood sugar levels rise a bit faster. However, potatoes are rich in nutrients and antioxidants and I think it can be more than included as part of a varied diet. Potatoes contain Iron, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc. All of these Minerals help with maintaining the structure in our bones and strengthen such. Potatoes also contain high amounts of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, fiber, and Potassium. Those four play a key role in supporting a healthy heart. Last, but not least, potatoes contain something called “Choline”, an important nutrient. This nutrient supports our cell structures staying intact, our nerves working properly, and helps with the absorption of fat.

Red (Bell) Peppers

Red Peppers are high in Vitamin C, B6, K1, E, and A, as well as Folate and Potassium. In fact, bell peppers are higher in Vitamin C than oranges (who would have guessed?!). Vitamin C plays a key role in our immunity, as well as being a potent antioxidant that protects our body from free radicals. Red peppers also contain carotenoids (= plant compounds), amongst others two called “lutein” and “zeaxanthin”. These plant compounds help with protecting our eyes, especially the inner eyewall against oxidative damage. This means that by consuming foods with carotenoids on a regular basis, you may be able to prevent degenerative eye diseases. I also want to highlight that Red Peppers may help with the prevention of Anemia. Anemia means that your body is not able to adequately carry oxygen around in your bloodstream. This can be prevented by Iron, which Red Peppers are an excellent source of. Additionally, Iron absorption is greatly enhanced by the presence of Vitamin C. As we covered above, Red Peppers contain plenty of that 😉.

Cashews

If you have been with me for a while, you know that Cashews are one of my all-time favorites to create creamy sauces and desserts – and for this Vegan Potato Salad, I have made no exception! Cashews are a healthy fat that also contains protein, Calcium, Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Potassium. I just realized that I appear to be going with the “Mineral” vibe this week 😉. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in Cashews have been shown to decrease “bad” cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Decreased markers of such simultaneously decrease your risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, and/or strokes. Cashews are also high in Copper. Copper deficiency has been linked to a decrease in bone density, thereby increasing your risk of osteoporosis. At the same time, Copper also helps with maintaining collagen and elastin in the body, which helps our skin to look younger for longer 🙌🏻.

How can I adjust this recipe to my dietary requirements?

This recipe is suitable for both the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, as well as gluten-free. Unfortunately, due to the white potatoes used, this recipe is not suitable for the paleo diet.

And there you have it for this week 🤗! I hope you enjoy this delicious, creamy, and dreamy recipe and whip it up in the kitchen soon! Please let me know in the comments below how you are finding it or over on Instagram under @life_and_lemons_foodblog and with the #lifeandlemonsfoodblog.

Vegan Potato Salad

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: Main, SideCuisine: GermanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8 – 10

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

This Vegan Potato Salad is so easy and delicious! The secret is in the creamy, dreamy sauce that brings this entire salad together and will blow you away!

Ingredients

• For the salad

• 1 kg 1 small potatoes

• Ca. 150 – 180 gr. small gherkins (in water)

• 1 – 2 small to medium red onions

• 1 large red pepper

• Bunch of flat leave parsley (ca. 30 gr.)

• For the sauce

• ¾ cup cashews

• ¾ cup water from the gherkins

• 2 tbsp 2 mustard

• 2 tbsp 2 Apple Cider Vinegar

• 2 tbsp 2 lemon juice

• 1 tbsp 1 salt

• ½ tsp cayenne

How to

• Wash the potatoes and cook in a bit of salt until tender (I quite like to leave the peel on – if you do not want that you will have to peel the potatoes… sorry)
• When the potatoes are done, let cool and then cut into pieces and add to a bowl. Finely cut the onion, red pepper, gherkins, and chop the parsley. Add to the bowl along with the potatoes.
• In a blender, combine all the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Add to the salad ingredients and mix through. Give it one final taste test. Salad is best to be left in the fridge for at least an hour (or overnight) to allow the flavors to meld. ENJOY!