This pesto potato salad is an easy to make side dish that’s as satisfying as it is delicious! It’s made with fork-tender, boiled potatoes tossed into a salad with peppery arugula, creamy cannellini beans, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and herby pesto.
Pesto Potato Salad – What’s Inside?
- pesto – store-bought or homemade
- I’ll include a classic basil pesto recipe down below, but feel free to use your favorite store-bought pesto instead. You can also try this with a different type of homemade pesto. I made this recipe to use up the rest of my jalapeño pesto and it was delicious!
- baby potatoes – boil until fork tender
- Choose a waxy potato variety if possible. They have thinner peels that are hardly noticeable after boiling and a stronger potatoey flavor that contrast an intense pesto-flavor.
- cannellini beans – drain, rinse & pat dry
- Cannellini beans & soft and tender like boiled potatoes, but have a creamier, velvet-like texture when you bite into them. They also add a good amount of fiber, protein and complex carbs which makes this salad even more satisfying.
- sun-dried tomatoes – finely chop
- Finely chop them up into little pieces so end up with tangy, savory bursts of intense-tomato flavor mixed into every bite.
- pine nuts – toasted
- You can buy/use pre-toasted pine nuts, but it’s worth toasting them yourself.
- arugula – fresh
- It’s fresh, peppery flavor compliments the salty-savory flavor from the pesto and the buttery, earthy flavors from the beans and potatoes.
- black pepper – freshly cracked
- A little pepper cracked over the salad at the end really adds a lot!
- parmesan (optional) – grated or shaved
- Not totally necessary since the pesto likely already has parmesan or a parmesan-like ingredients, but it’s great if you want to spruce up your salad a little more.
- FYI – If you need this recipe to be vegetarian friendly, make sure to check the label on the parmesan to ensure it’s vegetarian! Skip the cheese or use vegan parmesan if you want to make a vegan potato salad.
- Not totally necessary since the pesto likely already has parmesan or a parmesan-like ingredients, but it’s great if you want to spruce up your salad a little more.
How to Make this Pesto Potato Salad
Potato Prep
Boil: Cover in a large pot of cold water then boil potatoes until fork tender (about 12-15 minutes) then drain.
Steam dry: Let the potatoes rest in the colander over the still-hot (but now empty) pot to steam dry.
Pesto Prep (If needed)
Make pesto: Blend/pulse everything except the olive oil in blender or food processor until minced then drizzle in the oil with the motor running until fully combined.
Season: Taste and season with extra salt, pepper, etc as needed.
Combine Ingredients
In a large bowl: Add the boiled potatoes, cannellini beans, toasted pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and pesto.
Toss & season
In a large bowl: Use a pair of kitchen tongs of salad spoons to toss everything together until evenly coated in pesto. Add a bit more pesto if needed. Finish with freshly cracked pepper & enjoy.
Spruce it up – Recipe Additions & Substitutions
- Add hard-boiled eggs: If you’re still craving a more traditional potato salad experience, add 3-4 hard-boiled eggs.
- Roasted potatoes: In cooler weather months, try roasting the potatoes first!
- Add lemon: Add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice and/or freshly grated lemon zest to your pesto to brighten things up.
- Cheese: Add fresh mozzarella balls, burrata or goats cheese.
- Fresh herbs: Add a small handful of fresh basil leaves, parsley, chives or mint.
- Swap arugula for shredded kale: If you would like this salad to last you an extra day or two, use kale instead of arugula. Check out my Spiced Chickpea Kale Salad if you want a little more info on how to massage your kale.
- Other pesto recipes to use:
- Pesto Rosso (Sun Dried Tomato Pesto)
- Rocket Pesto (Arugula Pesto)
- Pistou (A Provençal Pesto) – garlic & nut free
- Low FODMAP Pesto – a garlic free option
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy as a simple weeknight side dish served along dishes like these Balsamic Glazed Chicken Thighs & Carrots or this Fennel & Thyme Spatchcock Chicken.
- Give yourself a bigger portion and it’s filling enough to have as a healthy lunch option.
- Bring it to share at BBQ’s and summer cookouts. It’s a great alternative to the classic potato salad made with egg & mayo.
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this Pesto Potato Salad recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Recipe
Pesto Potato Salad with Cannellini Beans
No Ratings
Yield:
6 servings
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Fork tender, boiled potatoes tossed into a salad with peppery arugula, creamy cannellini beans, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and herby pesto. Enjoy warm or serve cold.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs baby new potatoes (680g) - halved or cut into equal sizes
- 1 can cannellini beans - drain, rinse & pat dry (400g | 15oz)
- ¾ cup pesto (170g) - use the recipe below or your favorite homemade/store-bought pesto
- 2 oz fresh arugula (60g)
- ¼ cup packed sun dried tomatoes in oil, pat dry & finely chop (45g)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts (30g)
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan (10g) - ensure vegetarian if needed optional
Basil Pesto - Optional
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (30g)
- 3 tbsp pine nuts (25g)
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (10g)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp salt plus more to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil (60g)
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
Salad
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with about 2 inches of cold water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer. Leave uncovered and cook for about 12-15 minutes or until you can easily pierce your potatoes with a knife or fork.
- Pour the potatoes into a colander to drain the water. Let the potatoes rest in the colander placed over the empty, but still hot pot to steam dry for a few minutes while you prep the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Add to a large bowl: potatoes, beans, pesto, arugula, pine nuts, pesto and parmesan + fresh basil (if using). Toss together until well combined. Season with freshly cracked black pepper and and extra pesto as you see fit and serve. Enjoy warm or cold.
Pesto
- Add the basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and salt a food processor or blender. Pulse until the ingredients are all finely chopped and well combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the oil and pulse again until you reach your desired consistency. If needed, add a little more olive oil until it's thinned out to your liking. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- Leftovers: Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days.
- Make it vegan: Use a vegan pesto. If making the pesto recipe above, use 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (15g) or vegan parmesan in place of regular parmesan.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size:
1 cup (180g) Calories: 388Total Fat: 20gCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 14gThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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