Turkish homemade potato salad is easy and packed with so much flavor thanks to herbs and olives. You only need a handful of ingredients to make this hearty and healthy potato salad at home.
Part of our Mediterranean recipes is dedicated to Turkish cuisine that I love to share with you. Some of our favorite Turkish recipes are white bean salad, simit and Turkish eggs (cilbir). I love making this Turkish potato salad for potlucks and barbecues. It's simple, easy and calls for just a few ingredients.
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Why this recipe works
Turkish potato salad aka patates salatasi is a delicious mayo-free potato salad that's pretty simple to make and is flavored with a delicious dressing made with olive oil and spices. Since this potato salad is mayo free, it's lighter than its traditional American version and is better for you like its other Mediterranean companions.
This healthy potato salad is perfect for barbecue and outdoor parties because it can stay out for hours without going bad. You can make it in advance and take it to parties or potlucks.
Like many other Turkish recipes, this recipe is made with fresh ingredients and a lot of herbs and is so light. The flavors are so refreshing thanks to all the herbs and spices.
Ingredients
When it comes to making a healthy homemade potato salad, there are only a handful of ingredients you need:
- Potatoes: It's best to use starchy potatoes such as yukon gold or russet for this recipe. You can also use baby potatoes like I used in my Mediterranean potato salad and simply cut them in half. If using baby potatoes, there's no need to peel them.
- Herbs: We are going to use green onions and parsley for this recipe. Use both the green and white part of the green onions. You can also add fresh mint to the salad.
- Olives: Traditionally this recipe is made with black olives. I usually use kalamata olives.
- Eggs: A few hard boiled eggs make this salad hearty and filling. Unlike other potato salads where the eggs are chopped into small pieces and mixed into the salad, for this recipe we top the salad with hard boiled eggs cut into quarters . If you have an instant pot, check out my tutorial on how to make boiled eggs in instant pot.
- Dressing: It's a simple combination of olive oil, sumac, Aleppo pepper and salt. Sumac is a middle eastern spice that's dark red and has a tart flavor. You can find it in ethnic shops or online. The dressing is made in a large bowl and then all the ingredients are added to it.
Instructions
- Wash and dry the potatoes. Then peel them and cut them in half if they're too large. Place the potatoes in a saucepan or a pot and cover with water. Season the water generously with salt.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until they're fork tender. This would take about 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure not to overcook them because you need to be able to cut them into chunks.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water and leave them to cook down.
- In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing. Add the chopped and cooled potatoes to the dressing. Give it a nice stir to make sure all the potatoes are covered with the dressing.
- Add green onions, parsley, and halved Kalamata olives. Mix well and then cover the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and top with hard boiled eggs.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Even though homemade potato salad is best served within the first day, this no-mayo potato salad can stay in the fridge for up to two days. Drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice right before serving to make it taste fresh.
Aleppo pepper, which is very similar to pul biber (Turkish pepper flakes) is a common ingredient in the middle east. However, if you don't have access to this spice, you can simply use chili flakes.
Yes! If you're not a fan of eggs in potato salad, you can simply leave them out for this salad.
Serving suggestions
No mayo salads such as this Turkish potato salad or Turkish tomato salad are the perfect side dish for grilled meat because they're light and fresh. You can serve this salad with grilled spatchcock chicken, beef shish kabobs, kofta kebab, grilled zaatar chicken, Greek grilled chicken or shrimp kabobs.
Notes and tips
- Some Turkish cooks add chopped or sliced white onion to this homemade potato salad. I have made this salad with and without onions, and both versions are delicious.
- Cook the potatoes whole and not chopped. When potatoes are cooked whole, they maintain their texture and flavor better.
- The dressing for this potato salad doesn't call for lemon juice because of sumac, but if you like a bit of acidity in the salad, add the juice of ½ lemon to the dressing.
- I prefer using extra virgin olive oil for this recipe because I love the flavor, however, you can use regular olive oil or light olive oil as well.
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Turkish Homemade Potato Salad (Patates Salatasi)
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes Yukon gold or Russet
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ½ cup green onion chopped
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 2 eggs boiled and peeled
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and place them in a large pot. Fill the pot with water until it covers the potatoes. Add a generous pinch of salt and place the pot over medium high heat.
- Bring the water to boil and let the potatoes cook for about 20-30 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain and let the potatoes cool completely.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix olive oil, Aleppo pepper, sumac and salt. Mix well.
- Add the potatoes to the dressing and stir gently to cover all the potatoes in the dressing.
- Add chopped green onion, parsley, and halved Kalamata olives to the potatoes and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Top with quartered boiled eggs right before serving.
Katie
This has so many unique and bold flavors. We all loved it though! A great side to chicken.
Jacque Hastert
This would e perfect for the upcoming holidays! I love that this is super easy to make and is truly homemade and authentic. Thank you for sharing.