This no-mayo Italian Potato Salad is a mashup of Caprese salad and potato salad. With less than 10 ingredients, it’s a great make-ahead side dish for summer entertaining.
You know it's summer when the calendar fills up with picnics, cookouts, and backyard BBQs. That means it's time for seasonal side dishes like Shredded Carrot Salad with Apple and Crunchy Chicken Noodle Salad!
And let's not forget potato salad; it's a summer staple for good reason! Potatoes are hearty, satisfying, and pair beautifully with countless flavor combinations. In fact, there are so many delicious ways to make it, I even rounded up 31 of the Best Potato Salad Recipes to inspire you all summer long.
What You Should Know First
This Italian Potato Salad is a mayo-free, caprese-inspired side dish made with baby potatoes, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and a balsamic vinaigrette. It's ready in about an hour and ideal for summer entertaining.
- ⏱ Prep & Cook Time: 30 min active / 1 hour total. 🍽 Serves: 8 (makes ~8 cups). 🧾 Ingredients: 10. 📊 Difficulty: Easy. 🥗 Dietary: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free adaptable, Egg-Free.
- This no-mayo Italian potato salad uses olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh herbs for a lighter, brighter flavor than classic potato salads.
- A test-kitchen trick for perfectly dressed potatoes: toss them while still warm so they absorb the balsamic vinaigrette all the way through.
- Great for potlucks, picnics, and make-ahead meals. This salad holds up well and can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance.
- Easy to adapt for vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-dairy diets.
- Storage and serving tips included, so you know how to make it ahead and keep it fresh.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
Why you'll love this no-mayo potato salad
This salad combines tender potatoes with juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Many traditional potato salads rely on a rich mayonnaise dressing, but I wanted to create something lighter and fresher with this caprese-inspired Italian Potato Salad.
Now, I can't promise you'll find this exact potato salad in Italy, but the combination is undeniably Italian-inspired.
In Italy, potato salad is often called Insalata di Patate Siciliana and variations are derived from classic Sicilian recipes. Red wine vinaigrette is traditional, but I love the sweetness balsamic vinegar gives my version!
Here are a few more reasons you'll love it:
- Packed with caprese flavor: If you're a fan of caprese salad, you're going to love how this recipe brings together classic Italian flavors in a side dish that's perfect for sharing.
- Light, fresh, and satisfying: This light vinaigrette-dressed version of potato salad is still hearty enough to satisfy a hungry crowd. The potatoes add substance while the fresh ingredients keep the salad vibrant and refreshing.
- Perfect for summer entertaining: This crowd-friendly potato salad pairs beautifully with burgers, grilled chicken, steak, and seafood. Plus, it's naturally egg-free and easy to customize with Italian-inspired mix-ins.
Jump to:
- What You Should Know First
- Why you'll love this no-mayo potato salad
- Ingredients and variations
- Make potato salad red, white, and blue
- How to make Italian potato salad
- Tara's expert tips
- Italian potato salad mix-ins
- Make it gluten-free or vegan
- What to serve with this recipe
- Equipment
- Storage and make-ahead
- FAQ
- More summer sides recipes
- 📖 Full Recipe
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Ingredients and variations
With just a few simple staples, you'll get an amazing tomato potato salad. Here's a few tips to help you find the best ingredients. See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
For the dressing
- Balsamic vinegar: Use classic balsamic vinegar to make a honey and garlic vinaigrette.
- Garlic cloves: Or substitute jarred minced garlic.
- Honey
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the salad
- Baby potatoes: Use red, Yukon Gold, white, or purple potatoes; or a mix like Melissa's Produce Red, White, and Blue Potatoes.
- Cherry tomatoes: I love using heirloom cherry tomatoes in all different colors because the small size looks amazing and there's no excess seed juice!
- Fresh mozzarella: I use Ciliegine-style mozzarella, which are the fresh little balls. You can also cut a large ball of fresh mozzarella into small pieces.
- Fresh basil
- Toasted bread crumbs: Just like serving a caprese salad with slices of toasted baguette, these crumbs add a fun crunch.
Make potato salad red, white, and blue
Baby red, white, and blue (really purple) potatoes are often sold in a mixed bag by Melissa's Produce, especially during the summer months. They are great to use for fun patriotic recipes around Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day.
I love to use them in this no-mayo potato salad because the colors really shine through.
How to make Italian potato salad
This salad is quite easy to make. Follow my step-by-step photo tutorial to make the best potato salad you've ever had! See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl or blender bottle until combined.
- Step 2: Cook the potatoes in salted water until fork-tender.
- Step 3: Drain the potatoes and let them cool just enough to handle.
- Step 4: Cut them into bite-sized, 1-inch pieces.
- Step 5: Put the potatoes in a mixing bowl and cover them with up to ¾ of the dressing. (Reserve the rest of the dressing for drizzling while serving.)
- Step 6: Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Top with toasted bread crumbs. This salad can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.
Tara's expert tips
Salt the cooking water: This is the easiest way to season the potatoes from the inside out. A generous pinch of salt enhances their flavor and ensures every bite tastes well-seasoned.
Start the potatoes in cold water: Adding the potatoes to cold water helps them cook evenly all the way through. If you start with boiling water, the outsides can become overcooked before the centers are tender.
Toast the bread crumbs: Toasted bread crumbs add a delicious crunch and subtle nutty flavor. To make them, melt 1½ teaspoons of butter or oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup of bread crumbs and stir them in the fat. Continue cooking and occasionally stirring until golden brown and fragrant.
Dress the potatoes while warm: Warm potatoes absorb dressing more readily than cold potatoes, allowing the balsamic vinaigrette to infuse every bite with flavor.
Italian potato salad mix-ins
The beauty of this Italian potato salad recipe is that it's customizable. For a delicious twist, add in any fun Italian ingredients you have on hand, such as:
- Kalamata olives: A few sliced olives go so well with these flavors.
- Arugula: Sprinkle in a few handfuls of arugula to make this more of a cold salad.
- Salami or pepperoni: Add diced Italian cured meat to make it a main dish.
- Artichokes: Canned or marinated artichokes are a tasty addition.
- Red onion: Slices of red onion add a piquant bite to this savory salad.
- Parmesan cheese: Shaved or grated Parmesan would be a rich addition.
Make it gluten-free or vegan
- Gluten-free: Swap the toasted bread crumbs with gluten-free toasted bread crumbs or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Or simply leave them out.
- Vegan: Leave the mozzarella out of the salad and replace it with crumbles of your favorite dairy-free cheese. If honey is not on your vegan diet, swap it with vegan honey or agave syrup.
What to serve with this recipe
This tomato potato salad is right at home on a summer entertaining menu. If you're celebrating the Fourth of July, don't miss 15 Fun and Festive Fourth of July Foods and 32 Red, White, And Blue Desserts for more recipe ideas.
For the main course, pair it with one of these BBQ, smoked, or grilled favorites:
Equipment
- Best vinaigrette bottle
- Large pot for cooking potatoes
- Favorite carry-and-go bowls with lids
Storage and make-ahead
Refrigerate: Place leftovers in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Make-ahead: You can prepare the salad up to 24 hours in advance. Store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
FAQ
Always start potatoes in cold water. As the water gradually heats up, the potatoes cook evenly from the outside in. If you add potatoes to already boiling water, the outsides can become soft before the centers are fully cooked.
For the best flavor, be sure to salt the cooking water generously before bringing it to a boil.
Waxy potatoes, such as red potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes, are the best choice for potato salad. Both large and baby varieties work well. Their creamy texture and thin skins help them hold their shape after cooking, so the salad stays chunky and appealing rather than turning mushy.
I don't recommend russet potatoes for this recipe. Their high starch content causes them to break down more easily during cooking, resulting in a softer texture that's better suited for mashed potatoes.
Potatoes are naturally absorbent and will continue to soak up some of the vinaigrette as the salad sits. This is completely normal and often means the flavors have had time to meld together.
If the salad seems a little dry before serving, simply drizzle it with additional vinaigrette or stir in a splash of broth to restore some moisture. Give everything a gentle toss, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
More summer sides recipes
This is the best time of year for fresh and flavorful sides. Keep these recipes on repeat all summer long:
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📖 Full Recipe
Italian Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the balsamic dressing
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the salad
- 2 pounds baby potatoes (use red, white, and blue for the holidays)
- 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes (large ones cut in half)
- 8 ounces Ciliegine mozzarella balls (or diced fresh mozzarella)
- ½ cup chopped basil
- ½ cup toasted bread crumbs* (optional)
Instructions
For the dressing
- In a bowl or dressing jar mix the vinegar, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and shake, or whisk well, until combined and thickened. Set aside.
For the salad
- Add potatoes and about a tablespoon of kosher salt to a large pot. Cover potatoes with cold water. Place over high heat and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook potatoes until just tender (use a fork to prick potatoes to check for doneness), about 15 minutes.
- Drain potatoes in a colander and let cool a bit. When potatoes are still quite warm, but you can handle them, cut them in half or quarters depending on the size. All the pieces should be roughly 1-inch in size. Transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl.
- Drizzle ½ to ¾ of the balsamic dressing on the still-warm potatoes and stir to coat. Then add the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil and combine.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with toasted bread crumbs, and extra basil if desired. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. Drizzle with extra dressing just before serving (the potatoes soak it up!).
- Salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
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