French Potato and Green Bean Salad

Warm tender new potatoes are perfectly bathed in a tangy dijon and caper vinaigrette and then folded with green beans and fresh seasonal herbs like dill, parsley and basil. Hard boiled eggs add just the right amount of creamy texture in this French version of the mayo based American summer standard

While I love my mayonnaise -- so much so, I have three different brands of it in my refrigerator -- sometimes a summer menu calls for something with a bit more acid than the more common mayo-based potato salad.

This is more unexpected -- maybe even a welcome change. With fresh herbs at hand and string beans in season, this French-style potato salad hits the mark with a starch and a vegetable all packed into in one dish. The perfect side. I love how the chopped hard-boiled eggs add just the right amount of "egg-y" flavor.

Serve this alongside grilled steak or seafood. Serve it warm on a bed of lettuce. Think about adding it to the menu the next time a potato salad is in the plan. Next time I'm going to toss in some niçoise olives and add some of my fave umami bomb anchovies to the dressing!

It was Bastille Day yesterday. it slipped pasted me. Who knew my favorite French potato and green been salad would be on the plan? "Bonne Fête Nationale!"

Ingredients

• chicken stock
• Champagne vinegar
• fresh lemon juice
• extra virgin olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• shallots
• capers
• small white boiling potatoes
• haricots verts (or green beans)
• bay leaf
• fresh basil
• fresh flat-leaf parsley
• fresh dill
• hard-cooked eggs

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a measuring cup or small bowl. 

Reserve dressing.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and bay leaf. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. 

Drain potatoes in a colander and allow potatoes to cool until able to be handled. 

Cut potatoes in quarters and transfer to a large bowl.

While the potatoes are still warm, gently fold in ½ of the dressing, allowing the potatoes to absorb it.

Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan half-full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add haricots verts and simmer until tender yet firm, about 4 minutes. 

Drain in a colander and cool under running water. Add drained haricots verts to the bowl with the potatoes.

Add basil, parsley, dill and chopped eggs. Gently combine, folding in remaining dressing. 

Transfer to a serving dish if desired and top with reserved chopped egg.

Hint: Some traditional French potato salad recipes call for peeling the cooked potatoes. If you would like to choose this route, the skins should peel off easily by lightly lifting them with a paring knife.

Equipment

• stock pot or large pot
• large saucepan
• large bowl

To keep clean-up at a minimum, rather than mixing the potato salad ingredients in a bowl, simply return the quartered potatoes to the stockpot and add ingredients from there.

Storage

This is best served immediately while still slightly warm. Refrigerate for up to 4 or 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

🍽️ Recipe

French Potato and Green Bean Salad

The Savory Tart

Warm tender new potatoes are perfectly bathed in a tangy dijon and caper vinaigrette and then folded with green beans and fresh seasonal herbs like dill, parsley and basil. Hard boiled eggs add just the right amount of creamy texture in this French version of the mayo based American summer standard.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish, vegetables

Cuisine American, French

Servings 8

Equipment

• large pot / stock pot
• large saucepan

Ingredients

  

Dressing Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped capers plus 1 tsp. caper brine

Salad Ingredients

• 2 pounds small white boiling potatoes
• 12 ounces haricots verts or green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 1 bay leaf optional
• 3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 4 eggs hard-cooked, coarsely chopped, reserve one for garnish

Instructions

 

• Whisk together dressing ingredients in a measuring cup or small bowl. Reserve.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and bay leaf. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. Drain potatoes in a colander and allow potatoes to cool until able to be handled. Cut po5q5o3w in quarters and transfer to a medium bowl.
• While the potatoes are still warm, gently fold in ½ of the dressing, allowing the potatoes to absorb it.
• Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan half-full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add haricots verts and simmer until tender yet firm, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool under running water. Add drained haricots verts to the bowl with the potatoes.
• Add basil, parsley, dill and chopped eggs. Gently combine, folding in remaining dressing. Transfer to a serving dish if desired and top with reserved chopped egg.

Keyword #bbqsalads, #picnicsalads, #summerentertaining, dijon potato salad, French potato salad, potato and green bean, potato salad, summer salads

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