Italian Potato Salad | Gimme Some Oven

This Italian Potato Salad recipe is loaded up with lots of savory ingredients, tossed in a zesty Italian vinaigrette, and is so flavorful and hearty and delicious!

And finally, the last post in our potato salad recipe series this summer…

…my Italian potato salad recipe! ♡

Ok, so I actually don’t know if potato salads are much of a thing in Italy.  But I happened to have a bunch of random Italian ingredients in my kitchen that needed to be used up.  So I combined them all with a big batch of potatoes, tossed everything together with a quick Italian vinaigrette, sprinkled on some extra Parm, and hello — this potato salad was amazing!

I had intended to serve it as a side dish for a little summertime picnic in our neighborhood.  But honestly, it was so hearty and well-rounded that we all agreed this potato salad could easily work as a main course too.  The joy of this recipe is that it is 100% customizable with whatever Italian ingredients you happen to love best and already have on hand in your kitchen.  And of course, if you would like to keep this salad vegetarian or vegan, just leave out the meat (and cheese) if you prefer.

Just take my word for it — you need to try this one soon! ♡♡♡

Italian Potato Salad Ingredients:

As I mentioned above, this is a super-flexible potato salad recipe.  So please feel free to improvise and add in whatever ingredients you love best!  I used…

• Potatoes: Yukon golds, red potatoes, Russets, fingerlings, or whatever kind of potatoes you love best.  (You are welcome to peel yours if you prefer, but I like to leave the skins on for extra texture.)
• Greens: I added in lots of peppery fresh arugula.  But spinach, kale, collards, or any other favorite greens would work great here too.
• Cheese: I used baby mozzarella balls, whose light flavor and soft texture really worked well here.  But creamy burrata, salty Pecorino, or soft provolone cheese would also work great.  I also highly recommend serving your salad topped with a sprinkle of freshly-grated Parmesan for extra flavor.
• Tomatoes: Either fresh cherry or grape tomatoes, or you are welcome to add in chopped sun-dried tomatoes instead.
• Artichokes: I used one jar of artichoke hearts, drained and halved.
• Salami: Any kind of favorite Italian salami (or pepperoni) would be great here.  Or if you would like to keep this salad vegetarian or vegan, just leave the meat out.
• Olives: Any favorite olives would be great here.
• Red onion: You know me, I always like some thinly sliced red onion in my salads.  (If you would like to mellow out their flavor, just rinse the onions briefly in water after slicing.)
• Fresh basil: Lots and lots of fresh basil, please.  It’s summertime!
• Italian vinaigrette: I just used the dressing from my Everyday Italian Salad recipe, which is easy to make quickly with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

How To Make Italian Potato Salad:

To make this Italian potato salad recipe, simply…

1. Cook the potatoes: Dice your potatoes into large chunks.  Then add them to a large stockpot and cover with generously-salted cold water, and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Prep the dressing: Meanwhile, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl (or shake together in a mason jar) until evenly combined.
3. Toss everything together: Once the potatoes are ready to go, combine the potatoes, dressing, arugula, mozzarella, tomatoes, artichokes, salami (if using), olives, onion and basil.  Toss gently until evenly combined.
4. Season: Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Serve/Chill: Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan if you’d like.  Or cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, then serve chilled.

Possible Variations:

For more ideas on how to customize this Italian Potato Salad, feel free to…

• Add nuts: Toasted pine nuts or walnuts would add a nice crunch to this salad.
• Add in fresh veggies: Sliced carrots, bell peppers, or celery would also be great additions.
• Add in extra (or different) jarred veggies: Such as roasted red peppers, pepperoncini peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, capers, or different kinds of olives.
• Use a different kind of cheese: A creamy burrata, salty Pecorino, or soft provolone cheese would also be delicious in place of the mozzarella.
• Make it vegetarian: Just nix the salami.
• Make it vegan: Nix the salami and cheese.
• Make it gluten-free: This potato salad recipe is already gluten-free, but I would double-check all of the ingredients (especially the salami) to ensure that they are certified gluten-free.

More Make-Ahead Salad Recipes:

Looking for more make-ahead salad inspiration for summertime?  Here are a few more favorite recipes:

Yield: 6-8 servings

Italian Potato Salad

This Italian Potato Salad recipe is loaded up with lots of savory antipasto ingredients, tossed in a zesty Italian vinaigrette, and is so flavorful and hearty and delicious!  See notes above for possible ingredient variations.

Total Time:1 hour

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:20 mins

Ingredients:

Potato Salad Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes
• 2 large handfuls fresh baby arugula
• 2 cups baby mozzarella balls
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 (12-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved
• 1 cup diced Italian salami (optional)
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• half of a small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup finely-chopped fresh basil leaves
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Italian Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the diced potatoes in a large stockpot and add enough water so that the potatoes are covered by 1 inch.  Cook over medium-high heat until the water reaches a boil.  Then reduce heat to medium to maintain the simmer, and continue cooking the potatoes for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let cool for 20-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl (or shake vigorously in a mason jar) until evenly combined.
4. Once the potatoes are ready to go, combine them in a large serving bowl with the dressing, arugula, mozzarella, tomatoes, artichokes, salami (if using), olives, onion and basil.  Toss gently until evenly combined.
5. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed, to taste.  Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  Or cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours and then serve the potato salad chilled.
6. Refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Quick

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