Vegan Warm Potato Salad Recipe with Spinach and Chickpeas

Today’s vegan warm potato salad recipe is quite simple, requires only one pan (less cleanup!), and is almost impossible to mess up!

I make it no secret that potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables: I cook them in different ways a few times a week, and I’ve featured a number of recipes with potatoes on my blog in the past.

I’m also partial to chickpeas, both in their natural form (see my recipes with chickpeas) and ground up into flour (like my savory chickpea flour pancakes).

As you see, this is not your typical mayo-laden potato salad that’s usually served at barbecues and picnics. The absence of mayo makes for a simple yet elegant potato salad that can be used as a standalone dish or a versatile side.

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In this recipe, potatoes are cooked with the rest of the ingredients in a hot skillet, and there’s no need to add any dressing at the end. The combination of fresh rosemary, basil and other spices brings all of the flavors together nicely.

Watch me make this recipe in an episode of my live vegan cooking show on YouTube:

I’ve been making a version of this potato salad for years, usually as a side for eggs before I went vegan.

After the switch, I decided to experiment with the recipe to make it into a stand-alone meal that could work for lunch or even a light dinner.

Well, ‘experiment’ is a strong word here: I mainly just threw in some chickpeas or black beans, and the dish came out great!

The experimentation continued with adding some fresh spinach to the pan just before taking it off the heat (shown on the pictures), or serving the potatoes on top of some torn-up kale leaves mixed with avocado and lime juice.

Greens definitely complement the spiciness of the potatoes, and I like it how they slightly wilt under the warmth of the potatoes.

Fresh arugula is another type of greens that works great in this recipe. However, this warm potato salad recipe is very forgiving: if you don’t have arugula or spinach in the fridge, just omit them 🙂

I’ve listed oil spray as my preferred method of getting some cooking fat onto the pan in the recipe below, which works for folks who want to eat as little oil as possible.

At the same time, if you’re not concerned about oils, feel free to use regular pourable oil instead of the spray. My recent go-to has been avocado oil, but olive oil works just as well.

The recipe below is highly customizable, as is the case with most of the recipes on my blog.

You can use an entirely different spice combination, although I’m a big fan of adding fresh rosemary and basil. The former especially brings all of the ingredients together and makes the flavor stand out.

No fresh rosemary on hand? Dried is ok too, but you’ll need to add it earlier in the cooking.

This potato salad works well with some crumbled tofu mixed into the potatoes instead of beans.

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Yield: 2 servings

Vegan Warm Potato Salad Recipe

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This vegan warm potato salad is made in a hot skillet, with vegetables and spices instead of mayonnaise. it makes a great side dish for any meal, or can be served on its own over some fresh greens.

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium red potatoes, cubed into 1/2-inch pieces (can be left unpeeled)
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas or other beans
• 1/3 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp red onion, chopped
• 2-3 crimini mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• Handful fresh spinach or arugula leaves
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)
• Olive oil or avocado cooking spray

Spices:

• 1 tsp rosemary, chopped if fresh/ground if dried
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Instructions

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add cubed potatoes, spray them with some more cooking spray, stir with a spatula to distribute them evenly over the pan, and cover with a lid.
2. Cook for 8-10 min, stirring every 2-3 min to prevent the pieces from sticking to the pan. Meanwhile, chop onions, bell pepper and mushrooms.
3. The potatoes are going to be almost done when they form a nice brown crust, and slide easily across the pan. If you pierce a piece with a fork, it should go in easily. At this point, add chickpeas, cover with a lid, and cook 2 min more.
4. Remove the lid, add onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, salt and all of the spices except basil leaves. Cook another 2 min, stirring often.
5. Stir in a handful of spinach or arugula leaves. As soon as they begin to wilt, take the pan off the heat.
6. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through affiliate links on my blog, I receive a very small commission that helps me run this blog, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

• 
  Lodge 12 Inch Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder
• 
  Cuisinart 633-30H Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 5-1/2-Quart Saute Pan with Helper Handle and Lid
• 
  100% Pure Avocado Oil Spray by Chosen Foods, 4.7 oz, for High-Heat Cooking

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 570Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 89gFiber: 19gSugar: 19gProtein: 20g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate.

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Question for you: Have you ever tried a warm potato salad before? What are your favorite potato dishes?

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Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Alina Zavatsky is a vegan of 11+ years, a passionate blogger, a YouTuber, and a mom. She helps new vegans and their families navigate a vegan diet and lifestyle in a sustainable and enjoyable way. This fall, she will be releasing a new vegan meal planning app designed to make following a vegan diet a breeze for everyone.

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