Syrian-inspired Instant Pot Lemon and Mint Potato Salad is made with fresh, wholesome ingredients only (no mayo and no dairy!). Simply pressure cook potatoes and mix with a lemon, mint and parsley dressing. It's light, refreshing, and perfect for summer dinners and barbecues!
Quick & Healthy Potato Salad
This Instant Pot potato salad is a traditional family potato salad recipe that comes from generations long ago in Syria. It's not your classic potato salad. This one has no mayonnaise, no eggs, no bacon and no otherwise unhealthy ingredients. It's vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free!
While the potatoes cook, a dressing of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley and mint, and allspice is prepared. Tossed with creamy pressure cooked potatoes, it creates a lemony and refreshing lighter pasta salad. This pressure cooker version is based off of the Syrian potato salad I have traditionally made on the stovetop.
It's a great accompany to picnics, barbecues, pool parties, and summer holiday gatherings. Since it's made without ingredients that spoil quickly, there is no need to worry about this Instant Pot potato salad sitting out for too long or going bad on the car ride there.
It's a family favorite at all of my summer barbecues, and I hope it becomes one of yours too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's dairy free and egg free, so it's great for those with allergy concerns.
- Made with only wholesome, fresh ingredients.
- It's light and refreshing on a hot summer day.
- There is no mayonnaise, mustard or miracle whip- so no ingredients that easily cause food poisoning when left out for too long. This Instant Pot potato salad can be safely enjoyed outside at picnics and barbecues!
Ingredients
- Potatoes: waxy potatoes such as baby potatoes, red potatoes, creamers, Red Bliss, and New Potatoes are recommended because they steam well and hold their shape. They have a creamy, yet firm, texture that is perfect for potato salads.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed or bottled are both fine.
- Mint: fresh is preferred but if using dried reduce the amount by ⅓.
- Parsley: fresh is also preferred but dried can be used. Reduce by ⅓ as you would the mint.
- Allspice: a common ingredient in Syrian cooking, this adds a subtle flavor mix of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Extra virgin olive oil: any olive oil or neutral cooking oil can be used in it's place.
- Salt
How To Make Instant Pot Potato Salad
STEP 1: Wash, dry and peel the potatoes. Cut into ½ inch chunks. Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker inner pot. Place cut potatoes into a steamer basket and put into the inner pot. Close and seal the pressure cooker lid. Set to manual/pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. When done, complete a quick release of the pressure. Remove the steamer basket and chill in the fridge while making the dressing.
STEP 2: While potatoes are cooling, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, fresh mint, fresh parsley, allspice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well. Transfer the cooled potatoes to the mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Chill for 2-4 hours before serving for best results.
Enjoy!
Common Questions About Potato Salad
If you don't have a steamer basket in which to pressure cook the potatoes you can place them in a trivet or directly in the water.
Waxy potatoes are preferred when making potato salads. They are low in starch and high in moisture and sugar. Since they hold their shape well when boiling and steaming, they are great to use in soups, stews and potato salads. Waxy potatoes are mildly sweet and have a firm yet creamy texture. Some examples are baby potatoes, creamers, and red potatoes. Avoid using russet potatoes, golden potatoes or white potatoes as these are the starchy variety that become softer and less firm when cooked.
There is no need to peel the potatoes if you love eating the skin! If you don't peel the skins, there is a chance some will come off when tossing the potatoes with the dressing. Just discard these.
Since waxy potatoes are generally smaller than starchy potatoes, you should be able to cut them in half or quarters. About ½ inch chunks are the perfect size bite when enjoying potato salad.
Potato salad should chill before serving so that the potatoes aren't warm. The flavor also becomes elevated as it chills, as the dressing has a chance to "marinate" the potatoes. I think this recipe tastes best when chilled at least 3-4 hours before serving.
This potato salad can be left out at a party or barbecue for up to 4 hours.
Yes! Make Instant Pot potato salad up to 3 days ahead of time. I think it's best when made the day before serving and don't really recommend making it too far in advance. While the flavor will still taste great, the freshness will start to deplete after a few days.
You can double or triple this recipe depending on the size of your Instant Pot. Just make sure the potatoes do not reach over the fill line of your pressure cooker.
How To Store Potato Salad
Store potato salad in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days for optimal quality. Potato salad is not freezer-friendly.
What To Serve With Potato Salad
Potato salad is fantastic served with traditional barbecue and grilled foods such as:
- Hot dogs and hamburgers
- Grilled chicken
- Steak
- Grilled fish and shrimp
- Ham
- Lamb roast
- Veggie burgers
- Ribs
- Kibbeh
Recipe
Instant Pot Lemon and Mint Potato Salad
Equipment
- Steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb waxy potatoes creamer, baby, or red*
- ½ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fresh mint coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ salt
Instructions
- Wash, dry and peel the potatoes. Cut into ½ inch chunks.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooker inner pot. Place cut potatoes into a steamer basket and put into the inner pot. Close and seal the pressure cooker lid. Set to manual/pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Complete a quick release of the pressure. Remove the steamer basket from the pot and chill potatoes in the fridge while making the dressing.
- Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, fresh mint, fresh parsley, allspice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir well. Transfer the cooled potatoes to the mixing bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Chill for 2-4 hours before serving for best results.
Linda
Absolutely delicious! So much lighter than regular potato salad.
Carrie Robinson
Such a great idea to start a potato salad in the instant pot! I will have to try that soon. 🙂 And I love the flavor combo happening here.
Moop Brown
I’ve been looking for more instant pot recipes to try lately and this one seems very easy to make and like it will pair well with a variety of different dishes.