Description
This French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad is a vibrant and refreshing dish featuring tender new potatoes and crisp green beans dressed in a tangy Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Enhanced with hard-boiled eggs, olives, capers, and fresh herbs like parsley and chives, it’s a perfect light meal or side dish rich in textures and classic French flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled
- 2 lbs (900g) new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling potatoes)
- 1 lb (450g) green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
- 12 black olives (dry cured)
- 4-5 sprigs fresh flat parsley, stemmed and chopped
- 4-5 sprigs chives, chopped
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup (75ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30ml) white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp chopped capers
- 1 tbsp chopped black olives (dry cured)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the hard-boiled eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then immediately remove the pan from heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Afterward, peel the eggs under cold running water and slice them into rounds.
- Cook the potatoes and green beans: Halve or quarter the new potatoes if they are small, then boil them in salted water for about 12 minutes until tender. Add the trimmed and cut green beans to the same boiling water and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain the vegetables and immediately cool them in ice water to preserve their color and texture.
- Prepare the vinaigrette: In a jar, combine the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped capers, chopped black olives, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Shake the jar well until the dressing is emulsified and well mixed.
- Toss the salad: In a large bowl, mix the chopped parsley and chives with half of the vinaigrette dressing. Add the cooled potatoes, green beans, and whole black olives, then gently toss to combine. Arrange the sliced hard-boiled eggs on top, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh new potatoes for the best texture—waxy potatoes hold together well in salads.
- Cooling the green beans and potatoes quickly in ice water stops the cooking process and keeps the vegetables vibrant and crisp.
- The vinaigrette can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator to develop deeper flavors.
- This salad can be served chilled or at room temperature.
- For a vegan version, omit the eggs or replace with firm tofu cubes.
