Vegan Czech Potato Salad – Easy Bramborový Salát

If you’ve only ever had British potato salad made with potatoes, mayonnaise and perhaps a little onion or chives, Czech potato salad is quite different.

Known as bramborový salát, it’s made with potatoes alongside vegetables, gherkins and a creamy dressing. There are lots of variations because, as with so many traditional recipes, different families have their own way of making it.

This is my simple vegan version. I’ve kept all the things I like about Czech-style potato salad but used vegan mayonnaise, so there’s no egg or dairy in the recipe.

It’s lovely served cold alongside a main meal, but I think it’s particularly good as part of a buffet or barbecue when you want something a little more interesting than an ordinary bowl of potato salad.

What is Czech potato salad?

Potato salad is particularly popular in the Czech Republic at Christmas, when it’s traditionally served as part of the Christmas Eve meal.

Don’t let that stop you making it in July, though!

Unlike the fairly simple creamy potato salads we’re used to seeing in the UK, Czech potato salad usually contains vegetables and gherkins alongside the potatoes.

Carrots are an obvious addition, while recipes can also contain peas, celery or celeriac. Some versions include hard-boiled eggs, which I’ve obviously left out to keep this recipe vegan.

Mustard and some of the liquid from the gherkin jar give the dressing a bit more flavour too.

Which potatoes are best for Czech potato salad?

You want potatoes that will hold their shape once they’re cooked and mixed with everything else.

Waxy potatoes are perfect for this.

Charlotte and Maris Peer are both easy to find in UK supermarkets and work well. Jersey Royals are another option when they’re in season, although personally I’d probably save those for something where their flavour isn’t going to be covered in mayonnaise!

Whatever you use, don’t overcook them.

You’re making potato salad, not accidentally starting on mashed potato.

Vegan Czech Potato Salad

A flavourful and hearty potato salad packed with colourful vegetables. It’s a tasty and exciting alternative to your usual recipe.

Serves: 4 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

200g Potatoes, diced into small cubes, the size will make a difference to cooking time but otherwise choose a size that works for you. Waxy potatoes are best.

300g Mixed root vegetables (like carrots, parsnips, or celeriac), diced into small cubes

100g Peas (frozen is usually easiest, just thaw them first)

2 tbsp Gherkins, finely chopped

1 tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 Small red onion, this is better than white onion for the flavour you need, but if you prefer, use white or brown onion.

60ml Vegan mayonnaise (plus extra if you like it creamier)

Salt, to taste

Czech Potato Salad Method

Cook the vegetables: Place the diced potatoes and mixed root vegetables into a saucepan of salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until they are just tender. Be careful not to overcook them – you don’t want them to turn to mush! Drain them well and set them aside in a colander to cool down completely.

Make the dressing: While the vegetables are cooling, get a large bowl. Add the vegan mayonnaise, chopped gherkins, finely chopped red onion, and fresh parsley. Mix everything together until it’s well combined.

Combine everything: Once the cooked vegetables have cooled to room temperature, add them to the bowl with the dressing. Gently stir until all the vegetables are coated in the mayonnaise mixture.

Adjust and serve: Have a taste. You might want to add a bit more salt or another dollop of mayonnaise if you prefer a creamier salad. The vegetables should be nicely coated but not swimming in dressing.

Chill (optional): For the best flavour, you can cover the Chech Potato salad and pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. This lets all the flavours mingle. Serve as a side dish at a BBQ, with a main meal, or as a tasty lunch on its own.

You can adjust the mayonnaise depending on how creamy you like your Czech potato salad. I’m not a fan of potato salad absolutely swimming in mayonnaise, but you might prefer a little more.

How to make vegan Czech potato salad

Start by cooking the potatoes in their skins until they’re tender but not falling apart.

The exact cooking time will depend on their size, so check them with a knife rather than relying completely on the clock.

Leave the potatoes until they’re cool enough to handle, then peel them and cut them into small cubes.

You can peel and chop them before boiling if you’re short of time, but cooking them whole in their skins helps them keep their texture.

While the potatoes are cooking, peel and finely dice the carrots. Cook them until just tender and add the peas for the final couple of minutes.

Drain them well and leave everything to cool.

Once your potatoes and vegetables are cool, put them into a large bowl with the finely chopped gherkins and onion.

In a separate small bowl, mix the vegan mayonnaise with the mustard and a tablespoon of the gherkin liquid.

Add this to the potatoes and gently mix everything together.

Try not to enthusiastically stir it to death. You want recognisable pieces of potato rather than something resembling very lumpy mash!

Taste and add salt, pepper or a little more gherkin liquid if you think it needs it.

Don’t skip the gherkins

If you’re looking at the gherkins and wondering whether you can leave them out, I’d really recommend keeping them.

They’re one of the things that stops this tasting like an ordinary bowl of mayonnaise-covered potatoes.

The acidity cuts through the creamy dressing and the little pieces of gherkin give you extra flavour and texture.

I like adding a little of the liquid from the jar to the dressing for exactly the same reason.

If you’re already a person who eats gherkins directly from the jar, you’ll probably want to add more than I’ve suggested!

Can I add other vegetables to the Czech Potato Salad?

Yes.

This is one of those recipes where you’ll find plenty of variations.

Celeriac works particularly well if you like it, and you could add a small amount alongside the carrots. Celery is another possibility if you want a bit more crunch.

I wouldn’t personally throw every root vegetable in the fridge into it, though.

You still want this to taste predominantly like potato salad, rather than mixed vegetable salad that happens to contain a potato!

And while beetroot would undoubtedly make it look spectacularly pink, I’d save that experiment for another day unless pink potato salad is specifically what you’re hoping for.

Can I use ordinary mayonnaise?

Absolutely.

I’ve made this recipe vegan because it makes a lovely vegan side dish, but if you’re vegetarian or eat everything, simply use whichever mayonnaise you normally buy.

Traditional Czech potato salad can also contain hard-boiled eggs, so if you’re not making a vegan version you could add chopped egg too.

Can I make Czech potato salad in advance?

Yes, and I’d actually recommend making it a little while before you want to eat it.

Give it at least an hour in the fridge if you can. This gives everything time to cool properly and the flavours to come together.

It’s also really handy if you’re making food for a barbecue or buffet because you can get it sorted earlier rather than trying to chop gherkins while everyone else is already eating!

Keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.

How long does potato salad keep?

Keep your Czech potato salad refrigerated in a covered container and use it within around three days.

If it’s been sitting out for a long time at a barbecue or buffet, I wouldn’t put the leftovers back in the fridge for another day.

That’s particularly worth remembering in warm weather when mayonnaise-based salads can easily sit forgotten on the table.

What can I serve with Czech potato salad?

Traditionally, Czech potato salad is associated with Christmas Eve and is commonly served with fried carp or schnitzel.

For everyday meals, though, you can treat it much like any other potato salad.

It works really well as part of a barbecue or buffet, alongside vegetarian sausages, burgers, schnitzel-style dishes or simply with salad and whatever else you’re serving.

Because you’ve already got potatoes and vegetables together, it’s also a useful side when you don’t fancy preparing several separate things.

Can I make this without mayonnaise?

You can certainly make a potato and vegetable salad without mayonnaise, but you’ll obviously end up with something quite different.

If it’s specifically vegan mayonnaise you don’t like, there are plenty of different brands worth trying because they don’t all taste the same.

You could experiment with a yoghurt-style dressing, but at that point I’d probably describe it as a Czech-inspired potato salad rather than pretending it’s the same thing.

A few tips before you make it

The biggest one is don’t overcook your potatoes.

Everything else can be rescued fairly easily. Too dry? Add a little more mayonnaise. Needs more flavour? Add mustard, seasoning or another splash of gherkin liquid.

Potatoes that have disintegrated can’t really be put back together again!

I’d also chop everything reasonably small. One of the things I like about this style of potato salad is getting potato, carrot, peas, onion and gherkin together rather than having enormous chunks of one ingredient.

Finally, taste it after it’s been chilled.

Cold food can taste slightly different from when you’ve just mixed it, so you may decide it needs another little bit of seasoning before serving.

If you’re bored of making the same potato salad every summer, this is definitely one I’d try. It’s familiar enough that everyone knows what they’re eating but has much more going on than potatoes and mayonnaise alone.

And any recipe that gives me an excuse to add extra gherkins is fine by me!

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