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Greek Potato Salad – The Ultimate Potato Salad

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

Simplicity really is key in most Greek dishes. The original Greek potato salad is simple and full of healthy ingredients. For me it is the ultimate potato salad because none of the other ingredients overwhelm the potato, instead they enhance it. While most potato salads contain mayonnaise or bacon or other heavy ingredients, this one does not. Basically it contains olive oil, lemon, oregano and onion. These 4 ingredients are all sources of antioxidants.

A Healthy Potato Salad

Olive oil obviously is healthy due to its good fats and polyphenols, oregano is considered a super-herb; researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture compared the antioxidant activity of 39 commonly used herbs and observed that oregano had 3 to 20 times higher antioxidant activity than the other herbs studied. Lemon, one of the most popular condiments in Greece, is an excellent source of vitamin C which is also a potent antioxidant. And the onions which really give the potatoes a kick, contain several antioxidants, one of them being quercetin which is well absorbed from the onions and can protect from several chronic diseases.

This is also a good potato salad for picnics because it does not contain dairy or eggs making it picnic-friendly in terms of food safety as it does need to be immediately refrigerated.

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Greek Potato Salad-The Ultimate Potato Salad

greek potato salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
A popular Greek recipe: a healthy potato salad made with olive oil and herbs. No mayo and no eggs
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Vegan
Keyword: Olive Oil, Potato, Salad
Servings: 6
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds potatoes (1 kg)
  • 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion-chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoons oregano
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar

Instructions

  • Wash potatoes and boil for about 45 minutes, until pierced easily with a fork.
  • Once potatoes are boiled run through cold water and peel.
  • Cut potatoes in your preferred shape and place in a bowl.
  • Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice (or vinegar) and add to the potatoes (make sure the potatoes are warm so that they will absorb the olive oil well, this makes a good salad) and mix gently.
  • Add the onion and oregano (rubbing it between your fingers to release the aroma) and blend.
  • Add salt to taste.

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Greek Potato salad

Photos by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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26 Comments

  3. Our family love my mother-in-laws recipe which is made with pickles, pickle juice & mayo as well as sautéed onions. I switched out the mayo with olive oil & Greek yogurt and it tastes just as good. Can’t wait to try this version. I’ve made so many recipes on your blog & everyone is amazing.5 stars

    Reply

  4. This recipe is so yummy and so easy to make!!! I keep going to it and taking a bite while it’s warm and then after refrigerating!! This time, my potatoes came out a bit too mushy but I made it before and it came out perfectly!! Of course this time i made it for a bbq to share with others… ugh! But it still tastes amazing! I use fresh oregano out of my garden.

    Reply

  6. Elena, I make this religiously. I have been adding in chapped fresh parsley, chopped red bell peppers or roasted red bell peppers as I enjoy vegetables and they seem to compliment the simplicity of this potato salad. Yassis!!
    P.S. I have always used Mediterranean diet, and following your diet plans. I have successfully lost 34 pounds and hopefully more to lose!!!5 stars

    Reply

  8. This looks fabulous and I’m going to make it. The simplicity of ingredients really appeals to me. What type of potato do you recommend?5 stars

    Reply

  10. If I use red potatoes do I still boil them for 45 minutes and how much dried oregano do I use a Tbsp?
    Thanks so much

    Reply

    1. Actually you don’t even need to boil it.
      Tbsp is stated but you can use as much oregano as you like. I normally use half a cup but gradually as I go l. I use it
      If you just peel the patatoes and then cut them into 4ths you’ll still get the same affect as stated above.

  15. I’m interested to know what kind of potatoes you use – and why you need to boil them for 45 minutes to get them soft?

    Reply

    1. Hi James, I have used different types, but generally for a Greek potato salad, the potato needs to be very soft, which is why you want to boil it enough, (almost mushy). Smaller potatoes will obviously slightly less time.