Potato salad will be creamy and delicious if you stop making it with mayonnaise

I have discovered that you can make potato salad tastier without the extra calories by ditching mayonnaise for a better kitchen ingredient

After months of grey skies, the UK is finally basking in some welcome sunshine, and at this time of year, most of us have little desire to spend hours in the kitchen, turning instead to quick and easy dishes such as potato salad. It’s a personal favourite for its creamy, satisfying qualities, though it wasn’t always that way — the dish can frequently be unpleasantly greasy, largely due to the widespread use of mayonnaise.

It’s never been entirely clear why mayonnaise became such a staple in salads. While it undeniably works wonders in a sandwich, it is predominantly composed of oil and fat, which can weigh heavily on potatoes. After a spot of culinary experimentation, however, it turns out mayonnaise is entirely unnecessary — Greek yoghurt delivers an equally delicious, savoury result. It may sound unconventional as a dressing, but it can completely transform the taste and texture of a potato salad, making it a firm lunchtime favourite.

Why should you use Greek yoghurt to make potato salad?

Greek yoghurt shares the same dense consistency as mayonnaise, yet boasts a higher protein content and considerably less fat, meaning you won’t be piling unnecessary calories onto your plate.

Beyond its nutritional advantages, Greek yoghurt offers a considerably fresher flavour profile and can intensify the taste of any herbs incorporated into your dressing, resulting in a more vibrant dish.

Greek yoghurt is simply far less oily than mayonnaise, which has a tendency to lend potato salad an unpleasant, slippery texture — particularly unappetising during warmer weather. It is a straightforward substitution, yet it has transformed potato salad into a far more pleasurable dish, leaving me genuinely astonished by how delicious it is — so much so that I now prepare it for lunch regularly.

How to make potato salad taste even better

You will need:

• 1kg of baby potatoes
• 300ml of Greek yoghurt
• 20ml of extra virgin olive oil
• Three tablespoons of spring onion
• Fresh chives
• Three teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
• Two teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• A tablespoon of leftover water from the boiled potatoes
• Salt and pepper

While some people opt to steam their potatoes, I favour boiling them, as the starch released into the water can lend your salad dressing a smoother, silkier consistency.

A modest amount of this starchy water makes the salad dressing wonderfully velvety, though be mindful of how much you incorporate, as too much can make it excessively watery.

Method:

To start, I scrubbed the potatoes before placing them into a pot of cold water. I then boiled them for 10 to 15 minutes until thoroughly tender, before draining them.

Subsequently, I allowed the potatoes to cool briefly for two minutes before slicing them in half. At this stage, the potatoes are remarkably soft and can be cut using a fork or spoon.

In a large bowl, I combined all the dressing ingredients, mixing together the Greek yoghurt, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I blended everything until smooth, then incorporated a tablespoon of the reserved cooking water from the pot.

I then spent a moment finely chopping the chives and spring onions before folding them into the bowl.

Once the potatoes had sufficiently cooled, I transferred them to the mixing bowl and gently folded them through the dressing until thoroughly coated. Next, I simply served the potato salad on a plate, seasoned it generously with salt and pepper, and my effortless midday meal was complete.

It’s one of the most flavoursome yet satisfying dishes you can prepare without spending hours in the kitchen, which is precisely what makes Greek yoghurt such an invaluable staple to have in the fridge throughout the warmer months.