Vegan Potato Salad -- The One Maureen Will Never Admit She Liked

Memorial Day weekend, and Southie does Memorial Day the way it does everything — loudly, with flags and cookouts and the specific reverence of a neighborhood that has sent its sons to every war since the Revolution. Da marched in the parade with the fire department, dress uniform, Engine 7 flag. He's been doing this for thirty years and he still tears up at the wreath-laying, though he'd deny it under oath. Patrick was there too, in his own uniform, and seeing them together — father and son, same company, same firehouse, same stubborn Irish jaw — made something in my chest tighten.

Sean D. came to the cookout at the three-decker after. Maureen grilled — yes, Maureen grills, and she's terrifying at it, standing over the Weber in her apron wielding tongs like a weapon. Burgers, hot dogs, Italian sausages, corn on the cob. The neighbors came. The guys from Engine 7 came. There were probably forty people in the backyard, which is the size of a decent bathroom, and somehow Maureen fed all of them. She always feeds all of them. The woman has a gift for multiplication that would impress the apostles.

Work was light this week because of the holiday — a lot of my patients went home for the long weekend, which in oncology is sometimes a gift and sometimes a goodbye. You learn not to think too hard about which one it is. You just say "enjoy the weekend" and mean it with everything you have.

I made potato salad for the cookout — my own recipe, not Maureen's, because Maureen doesn't believe in potato salad. "Why would you put mayonnaise on a perfectly good potato?" she says, as if the entire concept is a personal affront. My potato salad has red potatoes, celery, a mustard vinaigrette instead of mayo (a compromise position), and enough dill to make it interesting. Sean D. ate half the bowl. Da had seconds. Maureen did not comment, which means she tried it and grudgingly approved but will never, ever say so.

Monday night Sean D. and I sat on my fire escape with beers and watched the sun go down over Southie and he said, "I love your family." I said, "They're insane." He said, "That's the same thing." He keeps saying that. He keeps being right.

That potato salad ended up being the perfect thing for a weekend that asked a lot of everyone — something simple and grounding, made with your hands, for the people you love most. I’ve been making this version for a few summers now: red potatoes, plenty of dill, a mustard vinaigrette that even the mayo skeptics in my family can’t argue with. Here’s how it comes together.

Vegan Potato Salad

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for boiling
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 3 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes. Place potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook 12–15 minutes until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork — don’t let them go mushy. Drain well and spread on a sheet pan to steam dry for 5 minutes.
2. Make the vinaigrette. While potatoes cool slightly, whisk together the Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until emulsified.
3. Dress while warm. Add the still-warm potatoes to the bowl and toss gently to coat. Warm potatoes absorb the dressing far better than cold ones — this is the step that makes the salad.
4. Add the mix-ins. Fold in the celery and red onion. Let the salad cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
5. Finish with herbs. Stir in the fresh dill and parsley just before serving. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar, or mustard as needed. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 175 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 320mg