Vegan Japanese Potato Salad is a vegan version of an authentic-taste Japanese potato salad just like the one my mom would make for our family! It's perfectly delicious on its own or served as a side dish with, you guessed it, a bowl of rice!
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Servings: 6
Author: Plant-Based Matters
Ingredients
Cooking Potatoes
4-5pcsrusset potatoes(about 3.5 lbs) peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2tspsea salt
1/2tspblack pepper
The Rest
3ozcarrotthinly sliced into quarter-rounds (3/4 cup sliced)
6ozEnglish cucumberthinly sliced into quarter-rounds (1 cup sliced)
1/2tspsea saltfor cucumber
2ozyellow onionchopped finely (1/2 cup chopped)
1 1/4cupsvegan mayoadjust to taste
1-2tspJapanese karashi mustard (neri-karashi)adjust to taste
Cook the potatoes. In a large pot, add the potato chunks then pour enough water to cover the surface (1/2-inch/1.3 cm above the potatoes.) Uncover and cook on high heat to bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling reduce the heat to medium to medium low. Skim the foam as necessary. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. You can check the doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center of a potato chunk. If it goes through easily, it’s ready.
Once the potatoes are cooked, use a colander to drain. Shake off the excess water and let it stand to cool down slightly for 10-15 minutes (until no more steam coming out.) After the potatoes are slightly cooler but still warm, transfer to a large prep bowl and roughly mash them then season with salt and pepper. Don’t over season as you can adjust the seasoning later. Set aside to let it continue to cool down completely.
Meanwhile, prepare the rest. First, cook the carrot. Place sliced carrot in a small sauce pan. Add a pinch of salt and pour enough water to cover the surface. Uncover and cook on high heat to bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes until the carrots are tender. Use a colander to drain. Shake off the excess water and set aside to let it cool down completely.
Next, prepare the cucumber. In a prep bowl, add sliced cucumber. Sprinkle salt and massage gently with hand. Let is stand for 10 minutes then squeeze the cucumber to get rid of the water as much as you can. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
Once the potatoes and carrots cooled down, start assembling. Into the bowl with the seasoned potatoes, add the carrot, cucumber, onion, vegan mayo, Japanese mustard, and dulse flakes (optional.) Mix well until well combined. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and black pepper if needed.
Serve immediately or let it rest in the fridge and then serve chilled.
Notes
Potatoes
Starchy russet potatoes are the preferred potatoes for making Japanese potato salad.
I boil potatoes after peeled and cut into chunks for faster cooking. As long as you drain well and let it stand to cool down for 10-15 minutes, they don’t get mushy. Make sure to cut into larger chunks so you don’t end up with “potato soup.”
Alternatively, you can boil them as whole then peeled after being cooked. This method takes longer but the potatoes may not get mushy.
Carrot
My mom uses cooked carrots so that's what I do here, too. It gives a slightly sweet bite without being too crunchy.
Cucumber
Any seedless cucumber with skin on will work.
The cucumber provides a nice bite! Be sure to squeeze the water out as much as you can.
Onion
I can recall my mom would slice it into thin strips rather than fine chopped which is what I do.
Japanese mustard, neri-karashi, is spicier (similar to wasabi-like effect) than regular yellow mustard and Dijon mustard. It’s a must-try key ingredient in this recipe!
Japanese mustard is typically sold in a tube (ready-to-use) or as a powder (mix with water to make a paste.)
I use Organic Karashi Mustard Powder from The Japanese Pantry or S&B Japanese Mustard Powder. They both have only one ingredient which is mustard powder. Tube options may have other ingredients and additives.
I don’t recommend substituting with yellow mustard or Dijon mustard as they won’t make the same taste of the Japanese potato salad.
Dulse Flakes
Dulse flakes makes the Japanese potato salad tastes similar to how my mom made it which is with canned tuna. It’s optional but worth trying!