Japanese Potato Salad (Whole30, Paleo)

An overhead shot of a serving bowl filled with Japanese potato salad.

5 from 10 votes

Japanese Potato Salad (Whole30, Paleo)

Potato salad lovers, rejoice! This Japanese potato salad is creamy, crunchy and full of umami—plus, it's paleo and Whole30 compatible! It's a great side dish for any Asian-inspired meal or a picnic in the park!

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: gluten-free, Japanese potato salad, nom nom paleo, nomnompaleo, paleo, Whole30

Servings:

Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

1½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½ inch cubes
Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced into half-moons
⅓ cup paleo mayonnaise
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small carrot, thinly sliced into half-moons
¼ cup thinly sliced shallot or red onion, soaked for 10 minutes in ice water and drained
2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
½ cup diced ham (optional)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Plop the potatoes into a large pot and add enough cold water to submerge them so that the potatoes are at least an inch below the water’s surface. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring the contents of the pot to a boil over high heat.
Decrease the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the cooked potatoes and cool to room temperature. (Pop them in the fridge to chill them faster.)
While the potatoes are cooking, toss the cucumber slices and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 10 minutes so the excess moisture can be released.
Place the salted cucumber slices in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out and discard the liquid. Set aside the cucumber slices.
In a large bowl, stir together the paleo mayonnaise, rice wine vinegar, and mustard.
Add the cooled potatoes to the bowl. Mash well with a forker potato masher to incorporate the potatoes with the mayonnaise mixture. The resulting creamy texture should resemble chunky mashed potatoes.
Stir in the cucumbers, carrots, shallots, eggs, ham, and scallions. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chill in the fridge before serving!

Video

Notes

Leftover potato salad can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing potato salad because after it thaws, the texture isn’t great.

Nutrition