No mayo necessary. This French potato salad recipe doesn’t need mayo. Instead, a fresh vinaigrette gets tossed with warm potatoes and tons of fresh herbs for a true standout side dish inspired by an Ina Garten classic.
Why the Ina Garten French Potato Salad Recipe Is So Good
Potato salad may conjure images of lumpy, clumpy starch congealed in a mayonnaise bath. But potato salad can also be fresh and bright with acid, Dijon mustard, and herbs.
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This French potato salad recipe is the latter, and one of my favorite dishes to make year round, but especially in warm summer months, when room-temperature food is a great idea. This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten’s French potato salad recipe. I’ve been making (and tweaking) it for years. This is my easier, alcohol-free version that tastes just as good.
Homemade refrigerator dill pickles are another great way to enjoy fresh dill.
What Is French Potato Salad Made Of?
This potato salad is a vinegar-based herbed French potato salad recipe. Traditional French potato salad is usually dressed with herbs, onions, hard-boiled eggs, and the like.
This French potato salad differs from the potato salad more common in America, which relies on mayonnaise as its base.
I love a standard American potato salad, but prefer this French potato salad recipe. In addition to being a little more food safe than its mayonnaise-based cousin (at least as far as hot summer outdoor barbecues are concerned), this just feels like a more interesting, fresh take on an old standard — despite that the recipe is classic French.
Love a French salad? You’ll love this recipe for Salade Lyonnaise.
Recipe Ingredients
This potato salad does not require a lot of ingredients, just a few very flavorful ones, such as vinegar, good mustard, and lots of fresh herbs. You will need:
- Red wine vinegar
- EVOO
- French whole-grain mustard (such as Maille or Pommery brands).
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh herbs: scallions, basil, dill, parsley
- Potatoes, of course!
French Potato Salad: Recipe Notes
- Cook the potatoes in a large pot until fork tender. Try not to undercook or overcook the potatoes. Overcooking will make the potato salad mushy when tossed with the other ingredients.
- Choose the right potato. I prefer small, waxy yellow potatoes like fingerling or Yukon Gold for this herbed potato salad. If you use Yukon Gold or anything larger than a fingerling, I would cut the medium potato in half or quarters. Red potatoes are a bit too starchy for my taste, but they can work in a pinch.
- If you don’t have basil, just use dill, and so on. Scallions are a non-negotiable for me because the flavor is so good with potatoes, but have fun with it and use what you have. The best herb options for French potato salad are dill, scallion, basil, flat-leaf parsley, and chives. Avoid “hard” herbs like thyme and rosemary.
- Toss the potatoes with the mustard vinaigrette and herbs in a large bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Leftovers can be reheated gently on the stove with a little extra olive oil. Toss gently as the potato salad reheats, and garnish with some fresh herbs to refresh the color.
Here are some more tasty potato recipes:
French Potato Salad With Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small, waxy boiling potatoes, such as fingerling or small yellow potatoes
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (can substitute white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar)
- 5 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 tablespoon French whole-grain mustard, such as Maille or Pommery. Do not use Dijon; use whole grain.
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to boil the potatoes (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 1 teaspoons fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh scallions, green and light-green parts, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, dill, and parsley, or some combination thereof
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil the potatoes in well-salted water until fork tender. Drain well, and return to the pot off heat.PRO TIP: If any potatoes are much larger than others, use a knife to cut the larger ones before boiling, so the size is uniform.
- While the potatoes are boiling, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, whole-grain mustard, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper. Separately, chop and toss together the scallions and fresh herbs.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the warm, drained potatoes and stir to combine in the pot. Add the fresh scallions and herbs, reserving a bit for garnish.
- Toss gently and taste for seasoning. Pour into a serving bowl, garnish with the reserved herbs and a little more salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
7 comments
Lynn
Delicious and better than mayo based potato salad! I will make this again. thanks for the recipe.
Lisa Ruland
So glad you like it. I think it has a lighter “feel” to it than mayo-based potato salad. Perfect for summer. Thanks for the review!
Jill
HIGHLY recommend this to everyone. Absolutely delicious.
S.F.K.
This is an excellent potato salad recipe with no mayo.
T.R.
A new go-to potato salad recipe for sure. I enjoyed the tang of the vinaigrette and the herbs 🙂
Bob Wickett
Very good flavor. We had seconds. Will make again.
Emilee C.
I made this for dinner and it got thumbs-up :-).I have an herb garden this summer and was glad to use some of my chives and basil. I substituted chives for scallions since that is what I had, and used a little extra and it tasted wonderful.