Curried Potato Salad (Easy & Healthy)
Bright, healthy, and full of bold curry flavor, this easy curried potato salad swaps mayo for a creamy tahini dressing and adds protein-packed chickpeas. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an irresistible vegan side or satisfying main over fresh greens!
Craving a potato salad that actually excites your taste buds?
If you’ve loved our Fresh Herb Potato Salad, German Potato Salad with Dill, Creamy Dill Potato Salad, and Classic Vegan Potato Salad, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy this bold, Indian-inspired twist.
Introducing our vegan Curry Potato Salad — a creamy, mayo-free delight packed with warming curry spices, tender potatoes, and optional protein-rich chickpeas.
Ready in about 30 minutes, it delivers layers of aromatic flavor from turmeric, cumin, and curry powder while staying light, healthy, and completely plant-based.
The subtle earthiness of the spices, bright pops of freshness, and creaminess make this curried potato salad far from ordinary.
Serve it as a standout side dish at your next BBQ or potluck, or turn it into a quick lunch by tossing in fresh leafy greens and a squeeze of lemon.
Potato lovers and curry fans — this one’s for you. It’s the flavorful, anti-inflammatory upgrade your summer (and weeknight) meals have been missing.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
In this curried potato salad recipe, tender potatoes are tossed with crunchy celery and carrots and dressed with a delicious, creamy curry dressing for a flavorful spin on the classic! Here is what I used and my top recommendations for swapping ingredients:
The Potatoes
Baby gold potatoes are my top choice here because they hold their shape beautifully after cooking with a creamy yet firm texture. Red potatoes or Yukon Golds also work well.
I almost always leave the skins on for extra fiber, nutrients, and earthy flavor (plus, it saves time). If you prefer a smoother salad, feel free to peel them. Aim for 1½–2 pounds (about 680–900g) cut into even bite-sized pieces so they cook uniformly.
The Vegetables
Crunchy celery and carrots add freshness, color, and make a nice contrast to the tender potatoes.
Feel free to add diced red onion, scallions, or even chickpeas for extra protein and heartiness. They pair especially well with the curry spices.
Curry Potato Salad Dressing
The star of this recipe is a creamy, oil-free tahini-based dressing. The combination of thinned tahini, fragrant curry powder, onion powder with a touch of hot sauce for gentle heat, and fresh lemon juice for a bright, zesty balance results in a delicious dressing packed with bold Indian-inspired flavor, without any mayonnaise.
Easy Swaps & Tips
- Prefer a different base? Swap the tahini mixture for your favorite vegan mayo or plain non-dairy yogurt (Greek-style works great for extra creaminess), using 3/4 cup of either.
- Make the dressing ahead: It keeps well in the fridge overnight or on the counter for up to 30 minutes. The flavors actually improve as the spices meld together.
- Adjust the heat: Add more hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne if you love it spicy, or leave it mild for kids and sensitive palates.
- For extra flair: Stir in fresh cilantro, parsley, or a handful of raisins for subtle sweetness.
Pro tip: Taste and adjust seasoning after mixing everything. The potatoes absorb flavors wonderfully, so a final pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon can take your potato salad from good to unforgettable!
How To Make Curried Potato Salad
Making curried potato salad is super easy and takes under 30 minutes.
Make the dressing: Whisk together the tahini, water, curry powder, hot sauce, lemon, and salt in a small bowl. We like to make this first, so it has a chance to let the flavors meld together and soften.
Prep and cook the potatoes: Dice the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes and cook covered in water until al dente.
Prep the veggies: While the potatoes are cooking, dice and slice the carrots, celery, and scallions, keeping them somewhat uniform in size. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Once everything is prepped (as shown above), it’s time to put it all together!
Assemble: In a large bowl (or the pot you cooked the potatoes in), combine the potatoes with the chickpeas, carrots, celery, onions, and cilantro, then pour the dressing over top (shown above) and toss well to coat (shown below).
Adjust flavor: Season with salt & pepper to taste.
And now you’re ready to enjoy!
Eat right away, or let it chill in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
Top Tips
- Add green peas. In place of chickpeas, try adding fresh or frozen peas. They will thaw quickly if you add them to the pot with the warm, drained potatoes.
- Add raisins. Toss in a handful of regular or jumbo raisins for a little sweetness. It’ll pair well with the curry flavors!
- Make it ahead. Curried potato salad can be made ahead and chilled until ready to serve (see how to store below). It tastes even better after a few hours of making it!
- Why add chickpeas to potato salad? Adding chickpeas is especially beneficial for those who worry about getting enough protein in their vegan, plant-based diet. This recipe helps fill the protein gap, creating a more well-rounded potato salad dish. This way, everyone is happy. But of course, if you don’t care for chickpeas, by all means, omit them, and you’ll be happy too!
How To Store Curry Potato Salad
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in airtight containers for up to 4-5 days.
- Can you freeze curry potato salad? Although you can, it’s generally not recommended to freeze potato salad as it may become mushy and unpleasant once thawed.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve at room temperature or chilled.
- I’ve been loving this with a handful of fresh leafy greens mixed in for a light lunch or dinner.
However you serve it, enjoy!
More Vegan Side Dish Recipes!
- Creamy Chickpea & Potato Salad
- Classic Vegan Coleslaw
- Healthy Baked Beans
- Summer Cherry-Berry Fruit Salad
- Quick & Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
If you try this curry potato recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
CURRY POTATO SALAD RECIPE
Healthy, colorful, and full of flavor, this easy vegan curried potato salad is a mayo-free upgrade to the classic. Packed with tender potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and protein-rich chickpeas, it’s tossed in a creamy tahini curry dressing and ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect as a side dish or a light main when served over leafy greens.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: boil, mix
- Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. baby potatoes (I used yukon gold), cut into 3/4 – 1 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup carrots, shredded or chopped small
- 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced (some leaves ok too)
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- chopped chives, to garnish (optional)
Curry Tahini Dressing
- 5 tablespoons tahini (+ 5 tablespoons water, + more as needed)
- juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 – 2 teaspoons hot sauce (I used sriracha) or 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or hot paprika powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Potatoes: Place potatoes into a medium/large pot, fill the pot with water, covering potatoes with at least 1 inch of water, and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low, place the lid slightly askew, and cook the potatoes in gently boiling water for about 10 minutes. Potatoes should be al dente. Drain, and set aside and let cool a bit.
Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the tahini and water, and mix well. Add the lemon juice, curry, hot sauce, onion powder, and salt, mix well to combine. Add a tad more water as needed to create the desired consistency. You don’t want the dressing to be too thick (I ended up using about 2 extra tablespoons). Use your best judgment. (If using vegan mayo as per the notes, simply combine everything at once and mix well.) Taste for seasoning. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Salad: In a large bowl, add potatoes, celery, carrots, green onions, chickpeas, and cilantro. Top with dressing, and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve: Serve chilled, at room temp, even warm is ok too. Top with chopped chives or sliced green onions. Garnish with more freshly chopped cilantro if you like.
Store: Leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Serves 6 – 8
Notes
Replace the tahini and water with 3/4 cup store-bought or homemade vegan mayo. You may also consider using 3/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt instead.
The potatoes can be prepared with or without the skin. I prefer to have the skin on, plus it adds nutritional value.
If you don’t care for chickpeas, replace them with 2 – 3 tablespoons of chopped cashews. They will add protein and texture.
Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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Picture this:
You hate potato salad. It’s been at every get together, event, and barbeque and hailed as a staple of potluck foods, but something about the mustard-mayo goop is repulsive. It’s cold, flavorless, and a waste of what could be a delicious potato experience. This kind of hatred for potato salad goes far back beyond vegan and vegetarian days, with a fervency that cannot be squashed.
But now, it’s a late evening, you’re hungry and watching your wallet, and you have a 5 lb bag of potatoes to get through (red to be exact) with a bunch of random pantry ingredients. What to do? Perhaps peruse one of your favorite recipe websites and find, oh what’s this?, a potato recipe that you have all the ingredients to. And as much as you know you hate potato salad, you trust the simple veganista more. And you know what? She’s right. It’s delicious.
Make this potato salad. Change your life.
The best comment ever! Thanks for sharing, Austin!
Delicious. Delicious. Delicious! :)
Made as directed and it was so good! This is def a new favorite!
Was looking for a different spin on potato salad and this was perfect! Thanks for the reicipe.
Super yummy and easy!
A lovely recipe that I enjoyed making. I followed the recipe exactly except for the onions as they give me indigestion. It’s already delicious and I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow. This recipe is a keeper.
Just made this for my non vegan family members! They couldn’t believe it was vegan. Going to have to double it next time! I made it with half veganaise and half tahini.
I think a grain,:rice or quinoa, added to the salad instead of potatoes would result in a complete protein and be more nutritious
but still as tasty.
I agree, quinoa would be delicious (and my preferred choice), but then it wouldn’t be potato salad. :)
I did this with sweet potatoes as they are lower in sugar than regular potatoes and it was delishes
I love the idea of using sweet potatoes! Maybe that will be a new spin on this one in the future. Thanks for the inspiration! Cheers :)