Summer-y Potato Salad with Tahini & Dill
This healthy and modern take on the classic potato salad uses a tahini-based dressing and is perfectly complemented by fresh dill, scallions, celery, and pickles. Plus it’s oil-free, so it’s lighter and packed with extra fiber. The perfect refreshing summer potato salad for all your picnic and grilling needs!
Potato salads are one of those things I used to eat once a year - at most. To me, most renditions ranged from the edible but bland at best, to mayonnaise salads with a side of potato at worst. That is - until my husband Nick made NYT Cooking’s potato salad recipe, and I discovered that potato salads could actually be good - even really good. Since there’s a lot of uncharted territory in the really good potato salad world, I created my own version to add to the mix! The result is a lighter, more refreshing take that uses a creamy tahini dressing and loads of fresh dill along with some usual staples like pickles, scallions, and celery.
Why You’ll Love this Potato Salad
Modernized classic. Fresh dill, along with bits of celery, scallions, and pickles, give it that classic potato salad flavor, while tahini gives it an updated, more modern vibe. Because the world doesn’t need yet another recipe for grandma’s potato salad, you know?
Oil-free and 100% whole food-based. I always try to incorporate as many nutritious whole foods into my recipes as possible. So if there’s a way to omit less nutritious ingredients like oil without diminishing the whole experience of a dish (flavor, texture, etc.), there’s a fair bet I’ll do that! Here, tahini replaces the oil/mayo found in more traditional recipes. Thinned out with a bit of water, it gives the salad a delicious and slightly creamy base while also adding more nutrients and a bit of extra fiber - great for feeding those gut microbes!
Summer-y. Speaking of tahini, swapping it in also helps lighten up the salad (as compared to heavier oil- or mayo-based salads), making this an ideal potato salad for hot summer days. It’s the perfect pairing for grilling/barbecue season or to pack for those park picnics!
Ingredient Overview
Red potatoes. Low-starch waxy potato varieties are typically best in salads because they retain their shape without getting mushy when boiled. For this salad, I used the red potato variety that’s easy to find and the go-to classic for most potato salads. If possible, try to pick potatoes that are small and generally the same size so that they have the same cooking time.
Tahini dressing. Whisking together tahini with a few staples you probably already have in your pantry/fridge creates a balanced and slightly creamy dressing to coat the salad in.
Tahini - the creamy fat base
Water - to thin the tahini and create the ideal consistency
Apple cider vinegar - for acidity/tang
Dijon mustard - for that mustard-y flavor
Whole grain mustard - for texture and an extra mustard-y element
Garlic - for some zing
Salt and pepper - to enhance and balance the flavors
Mix-ins: fresh dill, celery, pickles, and scallions.There’s a lot of different directions you could go with your add-ins. For this particular salad, I went with ingredients that best complement tahini, like fresh dill, pickles, celery, and scallions (since no potato salad is complete without some type of onion!). While these are some of my faves, feel free to experiment with swapping in some of your own!
Summer-y Potato Salad with Tahini & Dill
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free
Ingredients
2 pounds whole red potatoes, preferably smaller ones that are roughly the same size
⅓ cup very well-stirred, high quality tahini*
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 garlic clove, grated or very finely minced
1 ½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR ¾ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ - ¾ cup fresh dill, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup dill pickles, diced
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and lower the heat so that the water simmers gently. Cook the potatoes until fork-tender but not mushy, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes (the larger the potatoes, the longer it will take). Once cooked, drain the potatoes and set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the tahini, water, and apple cider vinegar. Add the dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir everything together to combine.
To a large bowl, add the potatoes and tahini dressing and use a rubber spatula to combine. Then, add in the fresh dill, celery, scallions, and pickles and stir again to combine. Taste and add more black pepper and dill, if desired.
Serve immediately at room temperature or set in the fridge to cool before serving.
Notes:
*Not all tahinis are created equal. In particular, I recommend staying away from the Trader Joe’s tahini as it’s got a very unpleasant, bitter taste. My go-to tahini brands are Seed & Mill and Whole Foods 365, and I’ve also seen Soom come very highly recommended (although I haven’t tried it yet!).
*Originally published 5/28/2021; last edited 5/17/2022.
If this potato salad hit the spot, don’t forget to leave a review in the comments below and tag me on Instagram (@teostinykitchen) if you share it. Bonus points if you pack it for a picnic 🧺or bring it to your next barbecue get together for your friends and family to try!