2-Ingredient Basic Potato Salad is an EASY, creamy classic side dish.
Just potatoes and mayonnaise!
Completely customizable, this classic “blank canvas recipe” is both dairy-free and vegetarian!
Eat as is or add whatever you like!
2-Ingredient Basic Potato Salad is just what the name implies. It’s the basic form of potato salad. Just potatoes and mayonnaise.
Hellman’s or Best Foods (it’s the same mayonnaise, called Hellman’s on the East and Best Foods on the West of the U.S.) is best inn my opinion, but you can use whichever mayo you prefer.
Eat it as is or add seasoning, brine, hard-boiled egg, or veggies, such as diced onions, diced celery, cooked or canned peas and carrots, or diced pickles—any or all of the above.
Make it savory or make it sweet! Add hard boiled eggs!
It’s all optional!
Want a zing? Add a little mustard or vinegar or spices, as desired, to taste!
Make ahead and use it as the base for Vegetarian Russian Olivier potato salad or classic potato salad with eggs!
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it. Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
A little about potatoes
The potato is a perennial, starchy tuber, a root vegetable, that is native to the Americas.
Potatoes contain health benefits and are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and nutrients and provide fuel for the body.
Potatoes are gluten-free and very filling. In addition, they are a good source of antioxidants—some more than others—and they contain resistant starch. However, their nutritional content depends on the type of potato. Much of a potato’s nutrition is in the skin of the potato, and peeling them reduces their nutritional value.
Adding fattening toppings, such as sour cream or butter, adds calories and fat.
Different potatoes are considered to work best with different recipes, but overall, they can be used in a variety of delicious meals for recipes from all over the world.
There may be over a couple hundred varieties of potatoes in the United States, but there are only 7 main categories. The most popular of these are the red, white, yellow, and russet.
Fun Facts
- Potatoes were first cultivated in Peru by the Incas.
- Potatoes were introduced to Europe (Ireland) toward the end of the 16th century.
- Potatoes began to be planted in the colonies in the early 1700s.
- Potatoes are the #1 vegetable crop in the United States and 4th most consumed in the world.
- Idaho is the largest grower of potatoes.
- The potato was the first vegetable to be grown in space.
Love deli salads? Try some of these!
Deli-Style Coleslaw
Deli-Style Red Cabbage Salad
Deli-Style Macaroni Salad
Deli-Style Cucumber Salad
Easy 2-Ingredient Basic Potato Salad
Easy and delicious, blank canvas, 2-ingredient, vegetarian potato salad.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-large boiled potatoes (approximately 8 ounces each)
- 1/2 cup Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise (or more if desired)*
Instructions
- Dice boiled potatoes to desired size.
- Add mayonnaise.
- Mix well so that the mayonnaise covers all of the potato pieces.
Notes
This recipe is potato salad in its basic form. Feel free to add mustard, vinegar, diced onions, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, cooked or canned peas and carrots, diced pickles, spices, or whatever you like, to your taste.
*Hellmann's Mayonnaise (or as it is known on the West Coast, Best Foods Mayonnaise) is best for this dish, but you can use your own favorite mayonnaise.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 120mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g