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Home » Recipes » Healthy Sides

Easy Pesto Potato Salad

Modified: Mar 23, 2024 · Published: Jun 14, 2022 by Tera Gigot · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review

Welcome to a new take on potato salad! This pesto potato salad is so easy and makes the most of seasonal produce. Roasted potatoes and onions come together with plenty of your favorite pesto, plus a few fresh herbs for good measure. Serve it as a side dish to your favorite main, whether it's barbecue season or for any time.

Pesto potato salad in white ceramic bowl with white linen on side, parsley sprinkled around, on beige and white surface this recipe

This simple pesto potato salad is nothing short of delicious, and it's ready for all your upcoming spring and summer barbecues! Whether you eat it warm, room temp, or cold, this potato salad is sure to become a new side dish favorite.

If you have extra pesto on hand after making it, I highly recommend trying this family favorite pesto pasta salad with chicken!

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions & Variations
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Pesto Potato Salad FAQs
  • 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Small brown potatoes, fresh parsley, chives, olive oil, pesto, red onion, and salt and pepper sit on a light beige and cream surface. These are ingredients for pesto potato salad.
  • Potatoes - Potatoes are nutrient-packed, with protein and fiber to fill you up. I used the potatoes we got in our first CSA share of the season (yay!), which were a smaller, brown potato with a texture similar to red potatoes. Red potatoes, Yukon golds, fingerling, or any small potato variety will work well.
  • Pesto - Use your favorite store bought pesto, or make your own! I used my homemade vegan parsley walnut pesto recipe, and I subbed in a little bit of basil and fresh chives to use up some herbs.

Substitutions & Variations

  • Vegan - To make this pesto potato salad vegan, make sure you use a vegan pesto. My parsley pesto recipe is vegan if you want to make your own, otherwise you can use your favorite store bought brand!
  • Reheat - While this recipe is intended to be a potato salad... we kinda-sorta love to crisp it up in our air fryer as leftovers! It's less potato salad-y and a lot more like pesto roasted potatoes, but gosh is it good.
  • Breakfast wrap filling - If you reheat the potato salad on the stove, in the oven, or in an air fryer, those crisped potatoes are delicious in a breakfast wrap with eggs.
  • Plant-based protein - Add some drained chickpeas (toss in olive oil and salt) to the roasting pan for the last few minutes of roasting the potatoes and eggs. They will cook slightly (but not overly so). Toss the lightly toasted chickpeas in with the potato salad for a plant-based protein boost!
  • Hard-boiled eggs - Roughly chop 3-4 hard-boiled eggs and toss in them with the potato salad for extra richness and protein. I'm completed obsessed with using my Ninja Foodi to make hard-boiled eggs.
  • Bacon - Crisp up some bacon to your liking and crumble into the potato salad.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Potatoes and red onions diced large and coated in olive oil, salt, and pepper, on baking sheet

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss large-diced potatoes and red onion in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet.

Roasted potatoes and red onions on baking sheet with wooden spoon scooping some potatoes

Step 2: Roast the potatoes and onions for 30 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes to crisp up the potatoes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Pesto potato salad ingredients in white ceramic bowl

Step 3: Transfer the potatoes and onions to a large bowl, and add pesto, parsley, and chives.

Pesto potato salad in white ceramic bowl with white linen on side, parsley sprinkled around, on beige and white surface

Step 4: Toss to coat evenly, then taste and add more pesto, herbs, and/or salt as needed.

Hint: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to keep potatoes from sticking! Even with a good coating of olive oil, my potatoes stuck in some spots on my sheet pan (it's getting worn out). An extra nonstick layer always helps!

Pesto potato salad scoop on large copper spoon on small white plate, on beige and white surface

Pesto Potato Salad FAQs

Can pesto potato salad be made vegan?

Yes! I use a homemade vegan pesto (so easy to make at home), and you could also use a store bought vegan pesto if desired. All the rest of the ingredients are from plants.

How do I serve pesto potato salad?

I love this pesto potato salad most at room temp, but honestly it's delicious warm or cold too. It's easily served as a side dish (double or triple the recipe for more people), but we've also eaten the leftovers in wraps or with eggs.

How do I store this potato salad?

You can store this pesto potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I don't recommend freezing it due to the way the texture changes.

Did you make these pesto roasted potatoes? Don't forget to leave a star rating 🌟 and comment below, and tag me on Instagram and Pinterest so I can see what you made!

Print

📖 Recipe

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Pesto potato salad scoop on large copper spoon on small white plate, on beige and white surface

Easy Pesto Potato Salad


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Tera
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: ~5 cups
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Description

An easy pesto potato salad with roasted potatoes and red onions tossed in your favorite pesto, with fresh parsley and chives. Serve warm or room temp as a side dish for summer barbecues or any time of year!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound small potatoes, diced large
  • 1 small red onion, diced large
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅓ cup pesto
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped


Instructions

  1. Preheat & prep. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If desired, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. Prep potatoes & onions. Toss potatoes, red onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Spread mixture in an even layer across the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Roast potatoes & onions. Roast the potatoes and onions at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly browned and easily pierced with a fork. Set your oven to broil for 2 more minutes to help those potatoes crisp up, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the pan.
  4. Combine. Add roasted potatoes, pesto, and chopped parsley and chives to a large bowl. Toss to coat everything in pesto. Taste, and add more pesto, salt, and/or pepper if desired. Serve at room temp or slightly warm.

Notes

1. Storage Instructions: Store leftover pesto potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. After that, you can either enjoy it cold, allow it to come to room temperature, or reheat it in an air fryer, oven, or stovetop (in this case, it's less like potato salad and more like roasted potatoes... still SO good).

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: Roast
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 188
  • Sugar: 2 g
  • Sodium: 413.2 mg
  • Fat: 12.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.1 g
  • Fiber: 2.9 g
  • Protein: 2.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Comments

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  1. Celso says

    June 27, 2022 at 8:49 am

    Delicious! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Tera says

      June 27, 2022 at 8:32 pm

      Glad you liked it Celso!

      Reply
Tera Gigot, the author, photographer, and recipe developer of Roots and Radishes.

Hi, I'm Tera! I'm passionate about making seasonal, sustainable eating accessible for busy home cooks. If you're seeking nourishing, plant-forward recipes with approachable cooking techniques, you're in the right place!

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Pesto potato salad scoop on large copper spoon on small white plate, on beige and white surface