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This elegant French potato salad with green beans is made with a light and tangy herb dressing and crispy green beans. It’s the perfect pairing with a summer BBQ, picnic, or potluck!
This French potato salad is packed with crisp green beans and lots of fresh herbs, making it a refreshing, flavorful alternative to creamy American potato salads. It features a bright, tangy vinaigrette made with Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and shallot, giving it a zesty kick. Unlike its American cousin, which uses creamy mayo as the base, this salad is light yet full of flavor.
It’s the perfect side dish for summer BBQs, picnics, or any outdoor gathering. I love bringing it to potlucks, and it pairs beautifully with my Mediterranean chicken legs or dry brined pork chops. Plus, without the mayo, it stays fresh longer on warm days, making it an ideal choice for sunny afternoons!
Ingredients
This French style potato salad uses simple, fresh ingredients.
Salad
- Baby potatoes
- French green beans
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh dill
- Diced green onions
Dressing
- Red wine vinegar
- White wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Shallot
- Salt and black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This potato salad comes together in just 20 minutes. Just cook your potatoes and beans, whip up the dressing, and combine!
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place potatoes in the boiling water and cook over medium-high heat until easily pierced with a fork, about 12-16 minutes.
Step 2: In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the green beans (or cook green beans in a separate medium pot of water if desired). When the potatoes and beans are done, drain and rinse well with cold water. Let drain in a colander for about 10 minutes while you prep the dressing.
Step 3: Add vinegars, mustard, garlic, shallot, and seasonings to a medium bowl and combine with a whisk. Slowly stream in the olive oil while continuing to whisk to emulsify the dressing. Taste the dressing as you go and adjust the flavor as needed.
Step 4: Add drained potatoes, cooked beans, salt and pepper, and half of the herbs to a serving bowl. Drizzle half of the dressing over and gently stir together. Taste, and add more dressing as needed.
Substitutions & Variations
There are several different variations you can try to customize this potato salad recipe to your liking.
- Try different baby potatoes – Any variety of baby potato will work in this recipe, including creamers, red, or fingerlings. I use baby potatoes because the skin tends to be thinner than regular potatoes. The thin skin means you don’t need to peel them. Yay!
- Use regular beans if needed – French green beans, or haricots verts, are longer, thinner, and earthier in flavor than American-style green beans. If you can’t find French green beans at the grocery store, regular fresh green beans work fine.
- Substitute onions for shallots – Shallots and onions are both members of the allium family and can be used interchangeably in many recipes, including this one. Shallot has a milder flavor than onion which I prefer in vinaigrettes that get their punch from the vinegar. If you don’t have a shallot on hand, you can swap 1-2 tablespoons of red onion instead, although it will have a sharper bite.
- Use one vinegar – I find that the combination of the red and white wine vinegars add the right amount of acidity and punch to the dressing. However, the dressing will still taste great if you only have one of them on hand.
- Add capers or olives – For a briny twist, toss in a handful of capers or sliced olives, like Kalamata, Castelvetrano, or black olives. These salty additions add another layer of complexity and pair beautifully with the dijon vinaigrette.
Equipment
For this green bean potato salad recipe, you’ll need a:
- Large pot
- Cutting board
- Colander
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
Storage
This potato green bean salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors will continue to meld together as the dressing soaks in, making it even tastier the next day.
However, avoid freezing this salad as the texture of the potatoes and green beans may become mushy when thawed. Before serving leftovers, give the salad a quick toss and add a little extra dressing if needed to refresh the flavors.
Top Tip
For the best texture and flavor, let the potato salad sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving. This allows the dressing to fully absorb into the potatoes and green beans, enhancing the taste and ensuring every bite is perfectly seasoned.
FAQs about French Potato Salad
No, you don’t have to peel your potatoes for French potato salad. Using baby potatoes like creamers, red, or fingerling potatoes is ideal because they have thin skins, eliminating the need for peeling. This saves time and keeps the texture of the salad light and smooth!
This salad pairs beautifully with grilled meats like chicken, pork chops, or steak. It’s also a great accompaniment to seafood dishes, sandwiches, or alongside a fresh baguette for a light meal.
Yes, potato salad is a great make-ahead dish! You can prepare it up to one day in advance. Just store it in the refrigerator and toss with a little extra dressing before serving to refresh the flavors.
French-style potato salad
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This herby potato salad uses a tangy vinaigrette in place of American style mayo based potato salad.
Ingredients
Salad
2 pounds baby potatoes (yellow, red, or a mix)
½ pound french green beans, trimmed and cut in half
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup diced green onion
Dressing
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub potatoes, then cut into half. Bring a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt. Once water boils, add potatoes and cook over medium/high heat until easily pierced with a form, about 12-16 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the green beans (or cook green beans in a separate pot of water if desired).
- When the potatoes and beans are done, drain and rinse well with cold water. Let drain in a colander for about 10 minutes while you prep the dressing.
- Add vinegars, mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl and combine with a whisk. Slowly stream in the olive oil while continuing to whisk to emulsify the dressing. Taste the dressing and add more vinegar, oil, salt or pepper to adjust the flavor as needed.
- Add drained potatoes, french green beans, salt and pepper, and half of the herbs to a serving bowl. Drizzle half of the dressing over and gently stir together. Taste, and add more dressing as needed.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Potato Salad
- Cuisine: French
I love this version of potato salad!
My kids hate mayo! So this potato was perfect for backyard bbq night!