Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

Whip up our Creamy Pesto Potato Salad for a fresh twist on a classic! Explore our easy recipe and make your next gathering unforgettable.

Potato salad, in its many variations, has been gracing picnic tables and potluck gatherings for generations. There’s something inherently celebratory about its presence – a symbol of coming together and the joys of shared meals.

In this creamy pesto rendition, we retain the potato salad’s timeless spirit, while infusing it with the boldness of fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. It’s delightfully different, yet comfortingly familiar.

Tips for Best Results

• Choose the right potatoes – Baby potatoes or fingerlings work best for even cooking and a tender texture.
• Cook evenly – Boil potatoes until just tender to avoid them falling apart when tossed with pesto.
• Cool completely before dressing – This prevents the pesto from wilting or separating.
• Blend pesto thoroughly – Make sure the basil, parmesan, and other ingredients are smooth for even coating.
• Adjust creaminess – Add an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise or olive oil if you prefer a richer sauce.
• Season gradually – Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice for balanced flavour.
• Make ahead – For deeper flavour, toss potatoes with pesto and refrigerate for 1–2 hours before serving.
• Serving options – Serve chilled for a classic potato salad, or at room temperature for a side dish with dinner.
• Presentation – Slice potatoes uniformly and drizzle any leftover pesto on top for a vibrant finish.

Tips for Best Results

• Choose the right potatoes – Baby potatoes or fingerlings work best for even cooking and a tender texture.
• Cook evenly – Boil potatoes until just tender to avoid them falling apart when tossed with pesto.
• Cool completely before dressing – This prevents the pesto from wilting or separating.-
• Adjust creaminess – Add an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise or olive oil if you prefer a richer sauce.
• Season gradually – Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice for balanced flavour.
• Make ahead – For deeper flavour, toss potatoes with pesto and refrigerate for 1–2 hours before serving.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Serving tip – Give the salad a gentle toss before serving to redistribute any dressing that may have settled.

Refrigerator – Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Keep the salad chilled to maintain texture and flavour.

Separate components – If making ahead, store the potatoes and pesto dressing separately, then toss just before serving.

Avoid freezing – Freezing can make the potatoes mushy and alter the texture of the pesto.

Make-ahead tip – Assemble the salad 1–2 hours before serving to let the flavours meld for a richer taste.

Ingredients for Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

• Potatoes – I like to use baby potatoes for potato salad as they hold together well and tend to have a nice creamy texture. However, you can use red potatoes or Yukon gold. Cook the potatoes until just tender, do not overcook them.
• Basil – Fresh basil is the star of our pesto. I would suggest not making a substitution for it, as we already skipped the pine nuts.
• Cheese – Shred or grate your own Parmesan cheese for best results. You may use store bought grated Parmesan if you prefer for this dish.
• Lemon – Use fresh lemon for the best flavour. If you do use bottled lemon juice, you will need 1/2 tablespoon.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is best. Do not substitute with garlic powder. Prepared minced garlic is alright to use, but the flavour just isn’t as good as fresh.
• Mayo – I found that the mayo added the perfect creamy texture to the sauce and pine nuts were not needed. They can be added if desired for a more traditional pesto, but using the mayo in place of pine nuts significantly decreases the cost of making the pesto . Greek yogurt is a good substitute in place of the mayo for a lighter dish.
• Oil – Extra virgin olive oil is best for making the pesto, however you can use your favourite neutral flavoured oil if you don’t have any olive oil on hand.

Looking for More Potato Side Dishes?

Check out more of my favourite potato side dish recipes!

This is the best funeral potatoes recipe I’ve ever had, it’s creamy and delicious – a great side dish for potlucks and family dinners.

This recipe for crispy roasted garlic parmesan baby potatoes is an easy side dish that’s great with any meal.

Also known as Fondant Potatoes, Melting Potatoes are a tasty potato side dish that are crispy and brown on the outside and soft inside.

How to Make Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

Yields: 4-6 servings | Prep time: 10 Minutes | Cook time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
• 1 ½ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Add potatoes to a large saucepan or pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fully cooked through and tender. Remove from heat and drain potatoes. Set aside to cool completely. (Image 1)
2. Blend the fresh basil, parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, mayo, oil and salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. For a more mellow sauce flavor, you can add an additional tablespoon of mayo. (Image 2)

1. Slice the potatoes into halves and add to a serving or mixing bowl. (Image 3)
2. Pour the pesto mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. (Image 4) Chill in the refrigerator for one hour, or overnight, before serving, or serve warm if desired. Enjoy!

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 Servings

Creamy Pesto Potato Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Whip up our Creamy Pesto Potato Salad for a fresh twist on a classic! Explore our easy recipe and make your next gathering unforgettable.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes
• 1 ½ cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Add potatoes to a large saucepan or pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fully cooked through and tender. Remove from heat and drain potatoes. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Blend the fresh basil, parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, mayo, oil and salt and pepper in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. For a more mellow sauce flavor, you can add an additional tablespoon of mayo.
3. Slice the potatoes into halves and add to a serving or mixing bowl.
4. Pour the pesto mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour, or overnight, before serving, or serve warm if desired. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 189mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g

This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although frugalmomeh.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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