Name: Japanese Miso Potato Salad
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 450 g salad potatoes ((Jersey Royals / new potatoes)); 200 g green beans; 1 tsp brown miso; 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp mirim; 1 tsp sesame seeds; 1 tsp seaweed sprinkles

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This Japanese-inspired miso potato salad is full of flavour, texture and crunch. With steamed green beans and crunchy sesame seeds, this is the perfect no-mayo potato salad for summer! Vegan, and gluten free if you make with gluten free miso and tamari.

Table of Contents

Japanese Potato Salad

What is there not to love about salad or new potatoes? They are quick to cook and don’t need peeling. Win–win! This recipe is ideal if you love new potatoes but don’t want to smother them with butter or mayo.

I am a huge fan of Japanese store cupboard ingredients and flavourings, which I use to add a twist to traditional Western dishes. They are packed with savoury umami (deliciousness), and add an extra layer of flavour.

This simple no-mayo potato salad combines new season Jersey Royals or bite sized salad potatoes in miso dressing with crunchy green beans for texture, colour, flavour, and that all important portion of extra veg!

The salad is quick to make, so good for after-work meals. Super adaptable, it works hot, warm or cold, which means that you can make in advance and take to a pot luck or picnic. Make extra, so you can take a great packed lunch to work the next day.

How to Make Miso Potato Salad

Step 1 – Gather your ingredients. Top and tail the beans.

Step 2 – Cut larger Jersey Royals or new potatoes in half and put them in a saucepan. (There is no need to peel them, which is one of the joys of new potatoes.) Cover with water, bring to the boil and gently simmer for 10–12 minutes until nearly cooked.

You don’t want the potatoes to start to break up, so the secret is not to boil them too quickly. Simmer them very gently with the water barely moving.

Step 3 – While the potatoes are cooking, put all the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl. Mix to make a smooth dressing. Both miso and tamari are quite salty, so you don’t need to add salt.

Step 4 – When the potatoes are almost ready, throw in the topped and tailed green beans.

Step 5 – Once the vegetables are cooked, drain them and leave the potatoes in the strainer to dry. Pick out the beans and plunge into cold water to crisp them up.

Step 6 – Slice the potatoes about 1 cm (a third of an inch) thick, and add to the dressing. Mix well to coat while they are still warm. The easiest way to do this is to add a few at a time and gently turn them over with a silicone spatula. If you try to mix it all in at once, the potato is more likely to break up.

Add the beans and season with sesame seeds and some seaweed flakes.

Japanese Potato Salad – Hints and Tips

It doesn’t matter which type of miso and soy sauce or tamari you use. However, if you need to be gluten free, check the label and select gluten-free miso and tamari.
Experiment with different vegetables – anything with colour and crunch will work. Try cubes of cucumber or strips of bell pepper.
Play with different toppings. I’ve used mixed seeds, or furikake, a Japanese seasoning of sesame seeds and ground dried seaweed.
For a thick and creamy dressing, add a little tahini.

4.94 from 16 votes

A close up of Japanese potato salad with French beans and black and white sesame seeds.

Japanese Miso Potato Salad

Prep Time

9 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

This Japanese-inspired miso potato salad is full of flavour, texture and crunch.

With steamed green beans and crunchy sesame seeds, this is the perfect no-mayo potato salad for summer!

Vegan, and gluten free if you make with gluten free miso and tamari.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Fusion, Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: Japanese potato salad, no mayonnaise potato salad, Potato Salad

Servings: 4

Calories: 112 kcal

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Ingredients

For the salad

450 g salad potatoes (Jersey Royals / new potatoes)
200 g green beans

For the dressing

1 tsp brown miso
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp mirim

To serve (optional)

1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp seaweed sprinkles

Instructions

Cut larger Jersey Royals or new potatoes in half and put them in a saucepan. (There is no need to peel them, which is one of the joys of new potatoes.) Cover with water, bring to the boil and gently simmer for 10–12 minutes until nearly cooked.
You don’t want the potatoes to start to break up, so the secret is not to boil them too quickly. Simmer them very gently with the water barely moving.
While the potatoes are cooking, put all the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl. Mix to make a smooth dressing. Both miso and tamari are quite salty, so you don't need to add salt.
When the potatoes are almost ready, throw in the topped and tailed green beans.
Once the vegetables are cooked, drain them and leave the potatoes in the strainer to dry. Pick out the beans and plunge into cold water to crisp them up.
Slice the potatoes about 1 cm (a third of an inch) thick, and add to the dressing. Mix well to coat while they are still warm. The easiest way to do this is to add a few at a time and gently turn them over with a silicone spatula. If you try to mix it all in at once, the potato is more likely to break up.
Add the beans and sprinkle over some sesame seeds and some flaked seaweed.

Recipe Notes

Serve hot, warm or cold. Leftovers make a good packed lunch.

Make the day before and keep covered in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
It doesn’t matter which type of miso and soy sauce or tamari you use. If you need to be gluten free, read the label and select gluten-free miso and tamari.
Experiment with different vegetables – anything with colour and crunch will work. Try cubes of cucumber or strips of bell pepper.
Play with different toppings. I’ve used mixed seeds, or furikake, a Japanese seasoning of sesame seeds and ground dried seaweed.
For a thick and creamy dressing, add a little tahini.

Nutritional Information

This recipe is 3 WeightWatchers Smart Points per portion.

Nutrition Facts

Japanese Miso Potato Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 112 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1g 2%

Sodium 163mg 7%

Potassium 617mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 22g 7%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 3g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 6.9%

Vitamin C 19.7%

Calcium 3.5%

Iron 7.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2011, but was rewritten and republished with new photos, step by step instructions and hints & tips in June 2019.