If you think potato salad has to be soft, creamy, and predictable—think again. This vegan potato salad with crunchy oven potato chips flips the script in the best possible way. Instead of boiled potatoes, we use thinly sliced, oven-baked potato chips for maximum crunch. Then we toss them with all the classic flavors you love and the result is a truly unforgettable potato salad.

There's one culinary technique I always teach our students in our vegan cooking school, and it's that texture in dishes can work using the power of contrast (pairing crunchy with soft), or using the power of doubling the textures (crunchy with crunchy), which is exactly what we're going to do in this potato salad. To take the texture even further, we add a quick pickled slaw made with crisp cucumbers and thinly sliced red onion.

The result is a bold, unexpected, and totally addictive crunch bomb of a salad that’s 100% plant-based, gluten-free, and bursting with fresh herbs like dill, chives, and parsley.

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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Potato Salad

✔ Crunchy, creamy, tangy, and fresh

✔ Made with oven-baked potato chips you make at home, not boiled potatoes

✔ 100% vegan and naturally gluten-free

✔ Refreshing and hearty at the same time

✔ A show stopper when serving to friends at a BBQ or picnic

✔ A fun way to practice advanced texture pairing

How to Make this Crunchy Vegan Potato Salad

Step 1: Soak thinly sliced potatoes

1. Place thinly sliced potatoes in a bowl filled with cold salted water. This will give you a crispier chip.

Step 2: Make the Quick Pickle and Dressing

1. Combine thinly sliced cucumber and red onion with some apple cider vinegar and salt for some great tang and extra crunch for this salad.
2. Prepare the dressing by combining tons of fresh herbs, green onion, eggless mayonnaise, mustard and olive oil.

Step 3: Bake the Potato Chips

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).

2. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, add some spray oil or brush some olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

3. Bake for 40–50 minutes until golden and crispy removing and setting aside any that are already golden to prevent them from burning.

4. Let them cool. Combine the dressing and the drained pickle.

5. Right before serving toss everything together and enjoy immediately.
   
   

 ✨ Finish with extra dill and chives on top for that wow factor.

Texture Matters: Why This Recipe Works

This salad is utterly addictive because it plays with contrast:

• 🥔 Crispy potato chips = deep, savory crunch but no frying

• 🥒 Pickled cucumber slaw = fresh, snappy crunch

• 🥄 Creamy dressing = balance and richness

Learning how to combine multiple textures is a skill that can up your game when it comes to the meals you already love to make—and this recipe is a fun, approachable way to practice it at home.

Make-Ahead & Serving Tips

• Best served as soon as you make it for maximum crunch, but some of the components can be made in advance:

  - Soak potatoes overnight to help yo save time.

  - Make the pickle ahead of time.

• Perfect as a side for veggie burgers, sandwiches, grilled tofu, grilled vegan sausages, or summer bowls or BBQ.

Pro Tips for the Best Crunchy Potato Salad

✔ Slice potatoes very thinly (a mandoline helps!)

✔ Soak the potato slices for at least 30 minutes but more works even better

✔ Let chips cool completely before mixing

✔ Drain the pickled slaw lightly to avoid excess moisture

✔ Toss everything together and serve immediately

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✅ Build texture into plant-based dishes

✅ Elevate classic recipes with smart twists

✅ Cook with confidence and add variety to your meals for maximum nutrition perks.

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FAQs

Is this vegan potato salad gluten-free?

Yes! All ingredients are naturally gluten-free—just double-check your vegan mayo and mustard labels.

Can I use store-bought potato chips?

For this one I always recommend making your own, as store-bought chips are too thin and will soften too quickly in the dressing.

What herbs work best here?
Dill is key, but parsley and chives add freshness and balance. Feel free to experiment!

Without further ado, enjoy the video, printable and recipe below!

PDF RECIPE

Crunchy Vegan Potato Salad with Oven Potato Chips, Dill & Pickled Slaw

Yield: 2 servings | Soaking time for the potatoes: 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 40-50 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium potatoes
• A bowl filled with cold salted water
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• A generous pinch of salt for the quick pickle
• A few splashes of apple cider vinegar for the quick pickle
• Olive oil or spray oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 3 tablespoons chopped dill
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons eggless mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  

Directions

1. Thinly slice the potatoes preferably using a mandolin slicer carefully, so that they’re all even sized. Place them in a bowl covered with very cold salted water for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.

2. Make a quick pickle by placing the cucumber and onion in a bowl, adding a few splashes of apple cider vinegar, a generous pinch of salt and massage this into the vegetables. Set aside until ready to serve the salad.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF (218º C) and line a large shallow baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Prepare the dressing for the salad by adding the herbs, green onion, mayonnaise, olive oil, and mustard. Set aside.

5. Drain your potatoes from the water and pat dry with paper towels.

6. Place them on the parchment lined baking sheet, add some spray oil and season with salt and pepper, bake until golden and crispy for about 40-50 minutes, removing any that have already browned before the others so they don’t burn (you can start checking in on them after about 35 minutes).

7. Once golden and crispy remove them from the oven.

8. Drain the pickle from any liquid that might have been released and add it to the bowl with the dressing. Mix and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

9. Right before serving, add the crunchy potatoes and toss. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Final Thoughts

This vegan potato salad with crunchy oven potato chips and dill is bold, playful, and packed with texture. It honors the flavors of classic potato salad while delivering a completely new experience—crispy, creamy, tangy, and fresh all at once.

If you’re ready to think beyond the basics and cook plant-based food that surprises and delights, this recipe is a perfect place to start. And when you’re ready for more, our online vegan cooking school is waiting to help you level up. Come learn what it's all about!