Aug 17
2018

Vegan Japanese Potato Salad

in Side Dish

Vegan Japanese Potato Salad

Potato salad is a classic summer food in my mind.  It goes so perfectly with other picnic foods or foods that you might cook on the grill.  My FAVORITE style of potato salad is Japanese potato salad, which I’ve written about before.  

Making vegan Japanese potato salad

As I previously wrote, Japanese-style potato salad is bit different because you roughly mash the potatoes before adding the other ingredients.  You also use Japanese mayonnaise, which I loooooooove, and add sliced cucumbers and carrots.   It’s made with Japanese-style mayonnaise, which is a bit tangier, sweeter, and creamier than American mayonnaise, which also influences the final flavor of the potato salad.  Veganizing my Japanese potato salad recipe is super easy.  Just replace the mayo with a veganized mayo (and hey, I just shared a recipe for a vegan Japanese-style mayonnaise…how convenient!), and do not add the egg.  In place of the egg you can always add a bit of Indian black salat (kala namak), which has a distinct egg smell and flavor.  (I buy mine at either an Indian market or Asian market.)

Vegan Japanese Potato Salad

Vegan Japanese Potato Salad
5 from 2 votes
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Vegan Japanese Potato Salad

This is a veganized version of my Japanese potato salad recipe.  Japanese-style potato salad is bit different because you roughly mash the potatoes before adding the other ingredients. You also use Japanese mayonnaise and add sliced cucumbers and carrots.  

Servings 6
Author Rachael Hutchings, www.LaFujiMama.com

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large 2-inch chunks
  • 1 small carrot, peeled
  • 5 inches Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/8 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup vegan Japanese-style mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Indian black salt (kala namak), plus more to taste, optional

Instructions

  1. Put the potatoes, carrot, and a large pinch of fine grain sea salt in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and let the potatoes simmer until they are fork tender. Remove the carrot when it is starting to soften, but before it can be pierced through with a bamboo skewer. Start checking the carrot and potatoes after they’ve been simmering for about 8 minutes. When the potatoes are done, drain them well.

  2. While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle the cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon of fine grain sea salt, toss, and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then gently squeeze them and drain out the excess cucumber water.

  3. Slice the cooled carrots in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin half-moons. Coarsely mash the potatoes so some small chunks of potato still remain, then let the mash cool.

  4. After the potato mash has cooled, stir in the cucumbers, carrots, red onion, and hard-boiled eggs. Gently stir in the mayonnaise and rice wine vinegar. Add additional mayonnaise, if desired. Cover the potato salad with plastic wrap, or place it in an airtight container and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Recipe Notes

  • If you don’t have access to Japanese cucumbers, use a thin-skinned cucumber like a Persian cucumber or small snacking cucumbers. If you only have regular cucumbers, peel them, slice them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, then thinly slice them.
  • Japanese mayonnaise is typically made with rice vinegar, which gives it a different flavor from American mayonnaise which is made from distilled vinegar or lemon juice and is a bit sweeter and creamier than American mayonnaise. The most well-known Japanese brand of mayonnaise is Kewpie, sold in plastic squeeze bottles in many Asian markets here in the US.  Since Kewpie mayonnaise is not vegan, you can make your own!  Or you can just substitute your favorite vegan mayo.
  • This potato salad is also delicious with other veggies thrown in, like fresh peas or corn.  Get creative!

{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }

kahni July 4, 2021 at 4:00 am

The instructions say to add hard boiled eggs. I assume this is a mistake since they are not vegan and are not on the ingredient list. Japanese style mayo is also not vegan since it contains. eggs. Vegan mayo can be used instead.

Reply

Robert October 15, 2021 at 9:09 am

Hi Kahni,

I noticed that also in step 4:
After the potato mash has cooled, stir in the cucumbers, carrots, red onion, and hard-boiled eggs.

this should be a mistake because egg is not vegan.

Reply

HEONG April 18, 2023 at 3:13 am

I think the Black Salt is the replacement for the Egg. Sulphur in the Black Salt gives some smell similar to eggs.

Reply

Jen September 8, 2021 at 6:17 pm

Delicious! It was so easy too. I like this better than traditional potato salad. The more of a mashed potato idea made this a huge hit among the kids (and even myself).

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Sharon October 15, 2021 at 3:14 pm

It’s not vegan if you say to add eggs at the last step

Reply

Jen May 29, 2022 at 7:50 am

I love this potato salad! It’s an absolute favorite in my home. I make it as the recipe dictates and it’s perfect. I don’t use eggs, I assume the recipe was adapted to make it vegan and they forgot to delete it from the original? Either way, I love it and will only make this potato salad.

Reply

Jen January 28, 2024 at 8:21 am

This is my absolute favorite potato salad. The flavors are amazing! I haven’t made a traditional potato salad since this.

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