Easy Pesto Potato Salad (vegan option!)

Name: Easy Pesto Potato Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 pound small potatoes, diced large; 1 small red onion, diced large; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/3 cup pesto; 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

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Welcome to the easiest pesto potato salad ever! Crispy 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 summer barbecue or for any season.

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

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

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions & Variations
Storage
Pesto Potato Salad FAQs
Easy Pesto Potato Salad

Ingredients

Below are all the ingredients you need to make this delicious pesto potato salad.

Pesto, olive oil, salt, pepper, potatoes, parsley, chives, and red onion on light beige and white surface

Potatoes - Potatoes are nutrient-packed, with a ton of 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.
Red onion - Once roasted, red onion will add an element of sweetness to the potato salad.
Pesto - Use your favorite store bought pesto, or make your own pesto! I used my homemade vegan parsley walnut pesto recipe, but I subbed in a little bit of basil and fresh chives to use up some herbs.
Extra virgin olive oil - For roasting the potatoes and onions.
Salt and pepper - Also for roasting the potatoes and onions.
Fresh parsley and chives - For tossing in at the end to add fresh flavor.

Instructions

Okay, so here's the long and short of making this potato salad: you'll roast the potatoes and onions, then toss in pesto and fresh herbs. Boom. See the exact steps below:

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

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

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

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

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 in ceramic white serving bowl next to potato salad scooped in copper spoon on small white plate, next to small white bowl of pesto

Substitutions & Variations

Try the following substitutions and variations to make this recipe work for you!

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 - Need I elaborate?

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

Storage

Store pesto potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

You could freeze this potato salad in an airtight container for up to three months, but the texture of the potatoes and pesto is best when fresh, so I recommend enjoying this potato salad without freezing it.

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.