Healthy Potato Salad with Pesto Recipe | Easy and Flavorful

This potato salad with pesto is one of my favorite recipes ever! I love all the unexpected flavors and how different it is from the typical potato salad. This salad is crunchy, spicy, flavorful, vegan and very very healthy.

Looking to elevate your potato salad game? This Potato Salad with Pesto recipe offers a healthier twist on the traditional version. Made with a vibrant pesto sauce and wholesome ingredients like potatoes, green beans, and almonds, this salad is packed with flavor and nutrients.

Vegan potato salad with pesto and green beans

What Is Pesto?

Pesto is a type of sauce containing garlic, basil, pine nuts, and a few other ingredients. It is known for its signature green color. Pesto tastes great on pasta and rice, but you can also use it to prepare fresh, healthy, and flavorful salad, such as this Potato Salad with Pesto recipe.

Ingredients Needed to Make the Potato Salad with Pesto

Prepare the Potato Salad with Pesto in no time using the following ingredients:

  • Potatoes. Peel and cut your potatoes before adding them to the water to get them soft enough for the salad.
  • Green Beans. Chop your green beans into small pieces before using them in this dish.
  • Almonds. Use almonds to give your salad the perfect crunch.
  • Jalapeño Pepper. Use at least ¼ of the jalapeño pepper. If you like it spicier, you can use the whole pepper.

The only other ingredients needed to prepare the Potato Salad with Pesto are basil, spinach, garlic, olive oil, and salt.

Can I Use Frozen Green Beans?

While fresh green beans are ideal, you can substitute them with frozen green beans to save time. Thaw the frozen green beans properly to retain their crunchiness before using them in the recipe.

green beans in a cast iron pot

How Long Does It Take to Prepare the Potato Salad with Pesto?

This Potato Salad with Pesto can be prepared in just 10 minutes. Allow an additional 20 minutes for cooking. In under 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious and healthy salad ready to serve.

How to Store the Salad

To store the salad, transfer it to a large food storage container with a lid and refrigerate. When properly stored, the salad can stay fresh for up to five days. It makes a great option for packed lunches or as a side dish for various meals.

If you plan to make this salad in advance for a gathering, pre-cook all the ingredients and assemble them just before serving. Remember to adjust the seasoning if needed.

Blanching green beans

For optimal results, blanch the green beans by cooking them for a minute in boiling salted water, then immediately transfer them to cold water to halt further cooking.

Avoid using canned green beans, as they tend to be soggy due to the pre-cooking process.

spicy almond pesto for green bean and potato salad in the blender

Do I Have to Use Fresh Garlic?

While fresh minced garlic is recommended, you can use pre-minced garlic from a jar as a convenient alternative. It will still provide the desired flavor to the recipe.





What to Do If the Pesto Comes Out Thick

If your pesto turns out thicker than desired, add a tablespoon of water and mix well. Assess the consistency and add more water if needed, tablespoon by tablespoon, until you achieve the ideal thickness.

green beans and spicy almond pesto in a bowl

Tips and tricks to make the best salad

Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you create the best Potato Salad with Pesto:

  • Feel free to use any pesto you have at home, whether it’s homemade or store-bought, or follow the pesto recipe provided.
  • Blanch the green beans before cooking the potatoes. Use the same boiling water for both to save time and maximize flavor.
  • Frozen green beans can be used as a substitute if fresh ones aren’t available.
  • This salad can be enjoyed on its own or as a side dish. It pairs exceptionally well with hamburgers or sandwiches, adding a fresh and flavorful element to your meal.
potato salad with spicy pesto and potatoes
potato salad

Potato salad with pesto

Alejandra Graf
This potato salad with pesto is one of my favorite recipes ever! I love all the unexpected flavors and how different it is from the typical potato salad. This salad is crunchy, spicy, flavorful, vegan and very very healthy.
5 de 1 voto
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Healthy plant based food
Servings 6 people
Calories 134 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 cups potatoes cooked and diced
  • 3 cups cooked green beans cut into pieces

Pesto

  • 1/2 cup basil
  • 1/2 cup spinach
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1/4 of jalapeno pepper or whole if you like it very spicy
  • 1 / 4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Cook the potatoes and the green beans. Leave aside to cool down.
  • Put all the ingredients for the pesto in the blender and blend until it is all super well integrated.
  • Add one tablespoon of water if the pesto is too thick or the blender does not run well.
  • In a large bowl mix the potatoes, green beans, and pesto.
  • Finish the salad with coarse salt, chiffonade basil, and chopped almonds.

Notes

To cook everything faster, use the same salted and boiling water to cook both: potatoes and green beans. You put the green beans for one or two minutes and then put the potatoes in the same water.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSodium: 213mgPotassium: 756mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 720IUVitamin C: 24.6mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 5.5mg
Keyword potato salad, vegan potato salad

information

Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @piloncilloyvainilla on Instagram and hashtag it #alecooks so we can all see your creations.
Alejandra Graf
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