Italian potato salad turns the traditional dish into a light side full of fresh flavors. This version features perfectly cooked potatoes, halved grape tomatoes, sweet but tangy red onion all tossed in seasoned olive oil.
Being Southern, I love potato salad.
We serve it as a side dish for everything in the warmer weather.
But sometimes, especially when it is really hot out, the mayo feels too heavy.
So I love having lighter alternatives like this Italian potato salad just like Nonna makes.
Instead of mayo, it has olive oil and a light blend of spices that make this feel fresh and not super heavy.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Potatoes– Use baby potatoes and cut them in half.
- Grape or cherry tomatoes– Cut in half
- Onion– A thinly sliced red onion
- Olive Oil– Don’t substitute a different oil. You need the fruity mildness from olive oil for this.
- Seasonings– Dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
How to Make
To make this potato salad with olive oil, start by cooking the potatoes by adding the halved potatoes to a large pot and covering them with water.
Salt the water and set the pot over high heat.
Boil the potatoes just until they are fork tender or for about 8-10 minutes.
Pour them into a strainer and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Let them run under cool water until they are just warm to the touch.
At this point, add the cooked potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
Add the olive oil and spices and toss everything gently together, taking care not to break up the tomatoes.
Then, add in the tomatoes, onions, and any extra salt and pepper.
Give it another gentle toss to evenly combine everything.
Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! You can make this potato salad a full day ahead.
Just let it sit out for 30 minutes prior to serving.
Storing leftovers
Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If it seems clumpy after you refrigerate it, don’t worry!
The oil will gel when chilled.
Just let it sit out at room temperature for half an hour or so and give it a good stir before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Want to add something for more flavor? Options include: chopped rotisserie chicken, capers, sliced black or kalamata olives, or Parmesan or feta cheeses.
- For a pretty addition, add a little chopped fresh parsley.
- Make sure the potatoes are all roughly the same size when you cut them. That may mean quartering some of them depending on their size.
Other Potato Salad Recipes
Nonna’s Italian potato salad is a fresh take on the classic side dish.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other potato salad recipes?
Try these:
- Warm German Style Potato Salad
- Salt Potato Salad
- Irish Mashed Potato Salad (Colcannon)
- Tzatziki Style Potato Salad
If you’ve tried this ITALIAN POTATO SALAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Nonna's Italian Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 1/2- 3 lbs little potatoes halved
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 1 large red onion peeled & very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot. Add water just until the potatoes are covered, plus one teaspoon of salt- and set the pot over high heat.
- Boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, just until fork tender. Pour the potatoes into a strainer to drain, then immediately run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Continue running them under cold water until the potatoes are just warm to the touch.
- Transfer the cooked, cooled potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil over top, along with the oregano and garlic. Gently toss until evenly combined, without breaking up the potatoes too much.
- Add the tomatoes, onions, salt, and pepper to the bowl- tossing a final time just until everything's evenly combined.
- Serve at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- Want to add something for more flavor? Options include: chopped rotisserie chicken, capers, sliced black or kalamata olives, or Parmesan or feta cheeses.
- For a pretty addition, add a little chopped fresh parsley.
- Make sure the potatoes are all roughly the same size when you cut them. That may mean quartering some of them depending on their size.
Nutrition
adapted from Cooking With Nonna
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