This Mediterranean Potato Salad recipe is a great BBQ side dish! It's made with Kalamata olives and feta cheese in a creamy lemon dressing.
The beauty of something like this Mediterranean Style Potato Salad is that it's full of down-to-earth ingredients that are delicious as-is and it is my belief that the dressing and other add-ins are meant to accentuate their natural flavors.
It's officially summer which means I've switched over to cold brew coffee, I'm stuffing my face with grilled burgers on the regular, and am enjoying all manner of cool and creamy side salads. Last week it was Dill Pickle Pasta Salad and this week I've moved onto potato salad.
I'm a big fan of summer side dishes that are commonly served alongside grilled meats at a BBQ. The one caveat being that I don't enjoy them swimming in mayo or any other type of overly-sweet dressings.
This potato salad has got diced red potatoes, hard boiled eggs, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and a vibrant lemony mayo dressing. This potato salad is downright refreshing.
The thought of eating it makes me excited and 'excited' is never a word I would have thought to use when describing potato salad.
Jump to:
- Which Type Of Potato Is Best For Potato Salad?
- Ingredients For Mediterranean Potato Salad
- How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs
- How To Make Creamy Lemon Dressing
- How To Make Mediterranean Potato Salad
- What To Serve With Potato Salad
- Can Potato Salad Be Made The Day Ahead?
- Can It Be Frozen?
- Mediterranean Potato Salad with Feta
Which Type Of Potato Is Best For Potato Salad?
My favorite variety of potato to use for potato salad (and in general) are red potatoes. I use them to make everything from Herb Roasted Potatoes to Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes to Potato and Corn Chowder.
Red potatoes have great flavor and they're of the waxy variety which means that they contain less starch than something like a Russet. They retain their shape and don't get mushy when boiled. This will give your potato salad great texture.
Any waxy variety such as red, Yukon gold, or fingerlings will work great in this recipe.
If you love Yukon gold potatoes, be sure to check out these Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes!
- The first step is to thoroughly wash and scrub 8-10 red or Yukon gold potatoes (equals 3 lbs.). It's important to remove any excess dirt because the skins are not removed before eating. Potato skins provide great texture and flavor.
- Cut all of the potatoes into cubes (making sure they are relatively the same size to ensure even cooking), place them in a large pot and cover them with 1-2 inches of cold water.
- Add ½ tsp. kosher salt to the water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling reduce to a low boil and cook uncovered until the potatoes are fork-tender. This usually takes 8-10 minutes. Make sure that the potatoes do not overcook!
- Once the potatoes are tender, place them in a strainer to drain. Allow the potatoes to cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the dressing.
Ingredients For Mediterranean Potato Salad
This recipe is great because it's prepared with things you probably have on hand.
We planted a row of fingerling potatoes in the garden specifically so we could have a stash of potatoes on hand to make recipes like this one.
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- 3 lbs. Red or Yukon gold potatoes (equals 8-10 potatoes)
- 6 Eggs
- ½ cup Pitted Kalamata olives (or olives of choice)
- ½ cup Feta Cheese
- ¼ cup Fresh Chives (or herb of choice)
- ½ cup Mayo
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice (1-2 lemons)
- ¾ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs
Potato salad without hard boiled eggs just seems wrong to me so they are a big part of this Mediterranean Potato Salad.
The great thing about adding hard boiled eggs is that they cook at the same time as the potatoes so everything is ready at roughly the same time.
This is my fool-proof method for making hard boiled eggs. I use it all the time to make this Mustard Egg Salad and Dill Egg Salad.
- Place 6 eggs in a pot and cover them with 1-2 inches of water (making sure the pan is large enough so the eggs aren't crammed together).
- Place the pot (uncovered) on the stove top and bring the water to a boil. Allow the water to boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and set a timer for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them a bowl full of ice water. Allow the eggs to cool for 5 minutes or so.
- Once cooled completely remove the eggs from the water and dry them with a towel.
- Lightly tap the eggs on a hard surface and peel the shells. This process does take a bit of patience. Once all the shells are removed place the eggs on a cutting board and cut them into pieces. (You can cut the eggs as large or small as you like).
How To Make Creamy Lemon Dressing
This dressing is SO easy to make and can be prepared while the potatoes and eggs are cooking on the stove top.
- Combine ½ cup mayo, 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, and ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Stir until completely combined using a fork or small whisk.
If you like your dressing to be extra lemony you can zest the lemon into the dressing before adding the lemon juice.
How To Make Mediterranean Potato Salad
Once the potatoes and eggs are cooked, cooled, and chopped it's time to toss them in the dressing and turn it into potato salad.
It's important that the potatoes are completely cooled before adding the dressing or it might make the consistency weird.
- Place half of the chopped potatoes and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the top and carefully combine with a spatula.
- Add the remainder of the potatoes and eggs and more of the dressing. Stir once again until combined.
How Much Dressing Should I Add?
You can add as much or as little dressing as you like. If you like a creamier potato salad feel free to add all of it. I used ¾ of the dressing and found it just right but the amount of dressing to potato salad is subjective.
- Chop ½ of pitted Kalamata olives into pieces and add them to the salad.
- Sprinkle ½ cup of Feta cheese over the top.
- Carefully fold the olives and the cheese into the salad, careful not to break up the eggs.
What To Serve With Potato Salad
Once the olives and cheese are folded into the salad it's time to serve.
Feel free to squeeze some more lemon juice over the top. I always recommend garnishing dishes like this with some fresh herbs.
Add ¼ cup or so of fresh minced chives or herb of choice. Parsley, mint, or basil would all be great choices.
You can add more Kalamata olives if you really want a briny kick. Feel free to add more feta cheese if you like. Both items are salty so it's important not to go overboard with them.
I personally love a potato salad served alongside a grilled burger like this Juicy Lucy or any type of BBQ meat like this grilled chuck steak. This Mediterranean version is light and full of bright flavors so it's perfect with grilled chicken.
Roasted or fried chicken, brats or hot dogs, and even grilled or smoked fish would be perfect. For a lighter vegetarian grilled option these BBQ Sweet Potatoes are great.
I love to pair potato salads like this with a pickled beet feta salad, marinated tomato salad or minty pea almond salad.
Looking for more summer salads? Be sure to check out these recipes!
- Light and Crunchy Coleslaw
- Blue Cheese Coleslaw
- Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
- Kohlrabi Slaw
- Chipotle Coleslaw
Can Potato Salad Be Made The Day Ahead?
Potato salad is one of those things that's actually better made the day ahead. The flavors come together nicely when stored for a few hours or a day in the fridge.
If you make it the day ahead make sure to cover the salad tightly with plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.
It should last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge if it there are leftovers.
It should be noted that potato salad should not sit in the sun for hours on end - If bringing potato salad to a picnic it's best not to leave it out for more than 1-2 hours or it may spoil. Always be sure to store leftovers in the fridge.
Can It Be Frozen?
I would not recommend freezing this recipe as it might mess with the texture and it contains mayo.
Mediterranean Potato Salad is one of those things best enjoyed fresh!
Love potato salad? Check out these recipes!
Looking For More Potato Salad Recipes? Don't Miss These!
Warm German Potato Salad
Jalapeno Potato Salad
Fingerling Potato Salad with Pesto Creme Fraiche
Great Grandma's Easy Potato Salad
Deviled Egg Potato Salad
Creamy Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Mediterranean Potato Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. red potatoes equals 8-10 potatoes
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup Kalamata olives or olives of choice
- ½ cup Feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh chives or herb such as parsley, mint, or basil
For The Dressing:
- ½ cup mayo
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup lemon juice 1-2 lemons
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Instructions
For The Potatoes:
- Thoroughly wash and scrub 3 lbs. red or Yukon gold potatoes (equals 8-10 potatoes).
- Cut all of the potatoes into cubes (making sure they are relatively the same size to ensure even cooking), place them in a large pot and cover them with 1-2 inches of cold water.
- Add ½ tsp. kosher salt to the water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a low boil and cook uncovered until the potatoes are fork-tender. This usually takes 8-10 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are tender, place them in a strainer and drain all the water. Allow them to drain and cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the dressing.
For The Eggs:
- Place 6 eggs in a pot and cover them with 1-2 inches of water.
- Place the pot (uncovered) on the stove top and bring the water to a boil. Allow the water to boil for 1 minute, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and set a timer for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them a bowl full of ice water. Allow the eggs to cool for 5 minutes or so.
- Once cooled completely remove the eggs from the water and dry them with a towel. Lightly tap the eggs on a hard surface and peel the shells. Once all the shells are removed place the eggs on a cutting board and cut them into pieces. (You can cut the eggs as large or small as you like).
Prepare The Dressing:
- Combine ½ cup mayo, 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, and ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Stir until completely combined using a fork or small whisk.
- Place half of the chopped potatoes and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Pour half of the dressing over the top and carefully combine with a spatula. Add the remainder of the potatoes and eggs and more of the dressing. Stir once again until combined.
- Chop ½ of pitted Kalamata olives into pieces and add them to the salad. Sprinkle ½ cup of Feta cheese over the top.
- To Serve: Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and minced chives or herbs of choice.
Erin
If a picnic were anywhere in my future, I would totally make this. 😀 I love the Mediterranean spin on it! Great tip on the best potatoes to use.
Christine
Thank you! Yes - This dish is so perfect for a summer picnic! 🙂
Tara
I love potato salad and the mediterranean flavors in this recipe add such a unique quality to the dish. The addition of the olives is my favorite part!
Christine
Thank you! Yes - The olives provide such a nice, salty pop of flavor! 🙂