Italian Potato Salad with Olives, Salami, and Basil

Get ready to fall in love with this Italian potato salad. One of our taste testers asked, “What makes this SO DELICIOUS!?” And that’s how we knew we had a winner on our hands.

Potato salad may not be popular in Italy (yet). Still, I think this combination of basil, tomatoes, and olives, when paired with an oil-and-vinegar style, is nothing short of magical!

This potato salad is mayonnaise-free and ideal for a cookout, barbecue, picnic, or potluck party.

It can be made ahead, making it convenient for summer entertaining. The recipe yields 9 cups, making it excellent for a crowd. And if you’re serving it at a potluck, it’s mayo-free and won’t wilt or get soggy while it sits on the serving table.

Summer sides are my favorite. For a pasta version of this Italian potato salad, try my Italian pasta salad, which features cherry tomatoes, olives, and basil. Or try my German potato salad, made lighter without refined sugar or bacon grease, yet still savory and sweet, with a delicious smoky flavor!

Ingredients notes

• Small thin-skinned potatoes: For potato salad, look for “waxy” thin-skinned potatoes such as red bliss, Yukon gold, purple, or a mix of colors. These potatoes are best cooked in a moist-heat environment and retain their shape. There is no need to peel them; just cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
• Garlic: To boldly flavor the dressing, I use fresh garlic mashed with coarse kosher salt to form a paste. This helps blend the raw garlic into the dressing without leaving any big chunks.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: I use it in the dressing because this is an Italian-inspired recipe. Use your best-quality extra virgin olive oil, and the flavors will shine through.
• Cherry tomatoes: I love the sweetness and color they add, but red bell pepper or roasted red pepper can be substituted.
• Italian black olives: Greek olives are a good substitute.
• Salami: This is an optional ingredient in this recipe. I prefer to use an unsliced salami log, peel it, and cut it into matchsticks. First, cut rounds, then stack them and thinly slice them to make matchsticks.
• Basil leaves: We’re pretty sure the basil is what our taste tester was asking about when he asked, “What makes this so delicious?” So please don’t skip it, and use fresh for the best flavor. Chop it at the last minute to prevent it from turning dark.

How to Make Italian potato Salad

1. Set up a pot with a steamer basket and water just below the steamer level. Bring it to a boil. While you bring it to temperature, cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Steam the potatoes (covered) until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
2. Make a garlic-and-salt paste to help the garlic break down, preventing large chunks in the potato salad. This will also imbue the dish with a pronounced garlic flavor using only one clove.

Why are the potatoes steamed and the skin left on? I love the rustic texture of using skin on steamed potatoes. It is easier to skip the peeling, and the hot potatoes soak up the dressing flavors if tossed together right after cooking. We also find that boiling (rather than steaming) them can make the potatoes cook unevenly and fall apart into a crumbly texture that isn’t ideal for this style of potato salad.

3. Whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic paste, and salt in a large bowl. Add pepper to taste.
4. Add the potatoes and toss them with the dressing. This will allow the potatoes to soak up the dressing. Toss them occasionally as they cool to room temperature.

5. Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, add the remaining ingredients.
6. Toss the salad together and serve immediately or chill.

Make Ahead and Store

Make ahead: While I liked this recipe best the first day, it can be made up to two days ahead. The dressing will solidify in the refrigerator, so bring it out about an hour before serving to let the oil return to its liquid state. Pro Tip: Before serving, add the basil and some extra olive oil on top.

Store: Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in your fridge for up to 4 days.

Thanks so much for reading! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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4.87 stars (36 ratings)

Italian Potato Salad with Olives, Salami, and Basil

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

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Dig into this potato salad with Italian flavors. It has basil, tomato, and olives and a red wine vinegar and garlic dressing that really pops!

9

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ lb small red skinned potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks)
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (divided)
• ▢ ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper (plus more to taste)
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
• ▢ ½ cup sliced pitted Italian black olives (optional)
• ▢ 2 ounces thinly sliced salami (optional)
• ▢ ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• ▢ ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions 

• Bring an inch of water to a boil in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add potatoes, cover, and steam until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.
  2 ½ lb small red skinned potatoes
• Meanwhile, sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt over the minced garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until a paste forms.
  1 clove garlic, 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• Scrape the garlic paste into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon salt, oil, vinegar, and pepper.
  ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Add the potatoes to the dressing and toss to coat. Let cool in the dressing, tossing occasionally until about room temperature.
• Add the tomatoes, olives (if using), Salami (if using), red onion, and basil.
  1 cup cherry tomatoes, ½ cup sliced pitted Italian black olives, 2 ounces thinly sliced salami, ½ cup thinly sliced red onion, ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• Toss the potatoes with the veggies, salami, and basil to combine. Season with additional pepper to taste if desired. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Notes

Make Ahead Notes:

While we liked this recipe best the first day, it can be made up to two days ahead. The olive oil dressing will solidify in the refrigerator, so bring it out of the fridge about an hour before serving to let the olive oil go back to its liquid state. Stir well before serving. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 204kcal (10%), Carbohydrates: 22g (7%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 11g (17%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 5mg (2%), Sodium: 801mg (35%), Potassium: 657mg (19%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 190IU (4%), Vitamin C: 16mg (19%), Calcium: 25mg (3%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Author Katie Webster

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.