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Japanese potato salad with cucumber, carrot, vegan ham, scallions, and roasted sesame dressing

Japanese Potato Salad

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This Japanese Potato Salad Recipe is creamy, chunky, and perfectly balanced with that tanginess from a littler rice vinegar. It's packed with creamy mashed potatoes, some chunks for texture, crunchy cucumber, sweet carrots, scallions, red onion or shallot, vegan "ham," Kewpie mayo, and a little roasted sesame dressing for extra nuttiness.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Appetizer, Salad, Salads, Side Dish, Sides, Starters
Cuisine Asian, East Asian, Japanese
Servings 4 small servings
Calories 204 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

POTATOES

  • 1.2 lb potatoes peeled and sliced into large chunks
  • 1 tsp salt for cooking the potatoes

MIX-INS

  • 1/4 small carrot peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced (60g)
  • 1/2 small Persian cucumber thinly sliced (100g)
  • 1 scallion white part thinly sliced
  • 2 slices vegan "ham" or plant-based deli slices sliced into squares
  • 1/2 small red onion or 1 shallot finely minced

SEASONING

  • 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup Kewpie mayo or egg-free version plus more as needed
  • 1-2 tbsp roasted sesame dressing see homemade recipe here - optional but highly recommended!

TO SERVE

Instructions
 

PREPARE THE VEGETABLES

  • Thinly slice the Persian cucumber. To remove excess moisture, sprinkle the cucumber with a small pinch of salt, massage well into the cucumbers, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze the cucumber to remove excess liquid.
  • Peel and quarter the carrot lengthwise, then thinly slice. Thinly slice the white part of the scallion, mince the red onion or shallot, and slice the vegan "ham" or plant-based deli slices into squares or diced (if using thicker ones)

COOK THE POTATOES

  • Add the peeled potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Starting the potatoes in cold water helps them cook more evenly.
  • Add 1 tsp salt to the water, then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  • If you want the carrots more tender, add the thinly sliced carrots during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking, then drain with the potatoes. You can also keep the carrots raw if you prefer more crunch.

MASH AND SEASON THE POTATOES

  • Drain the potatoes well. Before mashing, set aside a few pieces of potato and slice them into cubes so you have extra chunks in the salad.
  • Mash the remaining potatoes while still hot. Add the rice vinegar, salt, and pepper right away since hot potatoes absorb flavor better.
  • Add the reserved potato chunks and mix gently. Let the potatoes cool until no longer hot before adding the mayo.

MIX THE SALAD

  • Once the potatoes have cooled, add the cucumber, carrot, scallion, vegan "ham," and red onion or shallot.
  • Add the Kewpie mayo and roasted sesame dressing (if using). Mix gently until everything is coated.
  • Taste the potato salad and feel free to season with more salt, pepper, mayo, or roasted sesame dressing (homemade recipe here), to taste, if needed.

TO SERVE

  • This is best enjoyed when it’s chilled! So I recommend to chill it for at least an hour, best if overnight.
  • Top with extra roasted sesame dressing (homemade recipe here), sliced scallions, and roasted sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
  • Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1729IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
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