This 5-Ingredient Serbian oil and vinegar vegan potato salad recipe is a super simple and delicious potato salad recipe that I have been in love with ever since trying it years ago. For all those people who are looking for a mayo-free potato salad recipe (in other words, a potato salad with no mayonnaise) THIS is the recipe for you, and is this week’s Five Ingredient Friday recipe!
So I know I talk about my amazing in-laws quite a bit (like in this farm to table dinner in your backyard post, or in this recent sheet pan pizza recipe post) but did you know that 1/2 of my in-laws (my husband’s mothers side) is Serbian?
Here is a fun picture from our wedding – we had a traditional Serbian Orthodox wedding: crowns, candles and all!
I talked a little about it in this post for Vanilice Serbian cookies that I posted something like 4 years ago lol. My in-laws are amazing, I love all the different cultural aspects we celebrate, especially those with food.
At holidays, this Serbian oil and vinegar vegan potato salad is always on the table, and I’m so in love with the recipe.
It’s got a great tangy flavor from the vinegar and onions (which I make into almost a quick pickle when cooking the potatoes) and the cooked potatoes and oil make for a smooth silky finish. Seriously, I love this potato salad, it’s a great side dish for any occasion!
Also, this potato salad is great for all the upcoming summer outdoor parties and potlucks – no more worrying about mayo sitting out under the sun for hours and hours. In fact, I know there are many people out there (including my husband and I) who don’t like mayo-based potato salads, I’d highly recommend giving this easy 5 ingredient potato salad a try, they’ll fall in love with it.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
- Slow Cooker Potatoes Recipe
- 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes Recipe
- The Best Healthy Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Serbian Oil and Vinegar Vegan Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes about 5 potatoes, sliced into 2 inch cubes
- 1/4 red onion finely sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes.
- When water is boiling, add potatoes and boil until a fork can easily be poked into them, about 20-30 minutes.
- Drain the water and let the potatoes cool for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.
- While the potatoes are cooking and cooling, finely cut the red onion and place in a bowl. Pour in the red wine vinegar and sugar and let marinate.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to touch, add them in with the onions, pour in olive oil and add salt (salt to taste, if you like it a little saltier, add in a few more pinches). Stir, and let cool for another 20 minutes, or up to overnight in the refrigerator, then serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Hayley says
Have made this a few times now. Was craving whilst very pregnant and salivated today at the thought of making it again. My Serbian husband has now declared that he remembers why he married me lol I am Italian background so this isn’t the norm for us. Also I use just white vinegar instead of red wine as I never have any and it still works a treat. Have taken this one down in my recipe book!
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for this amazing feedback and comment! I smiled at your husbands’ compliment lol (congrats on the baby!!) So glad you enjoyed this, and thank you for sharing about the white vinegar too 🙂
Richard Hertz says
IT’S SUNDAY MORNING; MY WIFE AND I HAVE CABIN FEVER …..COVID19; ONE WEEK TO GO ON QUARANTINE. OUT OF BOREDOM, GOOGLED POTATOE/OIL/VINEGAR/SUGAR RECIPE, JUST TO SEARCH FOR ORIGIN. THIS SERBIAN PLUS SOME GERMAN RECIPES CAME UP. WE HAVE A GERMAN, RUSSIAN, RUMANIAN, JEWISH BACKGROUND. WE GREW UP WITH MOM MAKING THIS POTATOE SALAD….SHE ALWAYS CUT IN GREEN ONION AS WELL….THE TOPS ARE A MUST. LIKE ONE COMMENT SAID, MY MOM ALSO EYEBALLED EVERYTHING….YOU CAN LEARN THIS QUITE EASILY. WHEN YOU THINK YOU’RE DONE..DO THE TASTE TEST…..CAN EASILY ADD A LITTLE MORE OIL, VINEGAR, SUGAR, SALT OR PEPPER. IT WAS ALWAYS SERVED COLD. THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THIS SALAD IS (AS MENTIONED BY OTHERS) YOU CAN LEAVE IT OUT AT ANY FUNCTION…NO MAYO!!!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for sharing your comment, I love that your mom added green onion as well, I could see that being totally delicious in this. Thanks again for your feedback, hope you stay well.
Richard Hertz says
OUR WHOLE FAMILY REALLY ENJOYED THIS TIMELESS POTATOE SALAD; HAVE SOME IN THE FRIDGE AS WE SPEAK; AFTER REREADING YOUR RECIPE, AM PRETTY SURE THAT MINE IS SOMEWHAT SWEETER. IN THAT AMOUNT OF OIL AND VINEGAR, MY TASTE BUDS WOULD ENJOY ABOUT 3 TBLSP OF SUGAR……YOU TAKE CARE AS WELL.
Janelle says
My mum makes something similar but eyeballs the ingredients making it impossible to replicate! I’m soooo glad I came across your recipe!! Could you clarify something for me? Do you add the onion plus marinate to the potatoes? Or just the pickled onions and discard the red wine vinegar/sugar??
Mum uses white vinegar and sometimes omits the onion, but potatoes and red onion are just meant to be together 🙂
Thanks!!
Sweetphi says
Hi Janelle, so glad you came across my recipe! To clarify, the onion plus marinate get added to the potatoes! It coats the potatoes, now I’m craving this salad!
Ilija Ljuboja says
My mum made this for me when i was young and damn i make it every chance i get, i could honestly eat it every day its that good, especially with fish but ive never added sugar
Sweetphi says
I could eat this every day too, it’s so good! All the recipes I’ve come across do have a little bit of sugar in them – it helps cut the acidity of the vinegar a little, but feel free to omit it if you’d prefer not to add it 🙂
Judy Brady says
I will definitely try this recipe! I am a member of Weight Watchers and my group was talking about the great love of potatoe salad in the summertime, but the mayo is a total killer for the WW points program! You have made my day, Thanks!
Sweetphi says
So happy to hear that! I think your group will love this potato salad! I recently joined WW too so I know how those points add up! Enjoy!
Little Cooking Tips says
You guys look so sweet at your wedding pics!!! Being Orthodox ourselves we totally get the whole thing:D:D
As for the recipe, we haven’t tried pickling the onions with vinegar and sugar and THEN add them to a potato salad. Sounds really great AND it’s a wonderful alternative for days of fasting (Lent).
In simple recipes like this the quality of the ingredients takes the central stage, so the potatoes must be high quality GMO-free, organic and ripe; right?:)
Thanx for the healthy recipe dear!
xoxoxo
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much – we had so much fun at our wedding, and it was very special that it was so ‘unique’ amongst our friends. Next time you make potato salad for lent, i would totally try making it like this with the pickling of the red onions, they provide such a nice flavor!! And yes, the ingredients are definitely center stage in this recipe. Here in the US we don’t have GMO potatoes anymore since 2013, so yay for not having to worry about that.
Thank you for your lovely comment, hope all is well with you and Panos!
xoxox
Phi
bullet force says
I have never ever tried potato salad! Though, this looks so yummy! Gotta make it this weekend!
Sweetphi says
I think you’d love this potato salad, it’s definitely delicious 🙂
Patricia says
I’ve made this potato salad for years and the one thing I add to it is fresh green beans that have been cooked to the work to where they are al dente it adds color and flavor and it is just delicious I also put in a little bit of sliced up garlic it’s delicious
Sweetphi says
Oh that sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing!!