Home » Salads » French Potato Salad (+Video)

French Potato Salad (+Video)

French Potato Salad is a fresh and light potato salad covered in the most amazing vinaigrette with fresh herbs. A great alternative to the usual potato salad!

A DELICIOUS FRESH HERB VINAIGRETTE

I absolutely adore potato salads so I thought I would come up with a fresh take that is inspired by French style salads. The vinaigrette for this salad turned out amazing. It is so fresh tasting and combined with the creaminess of the potatoes, it is not only delicious but satisfying! I am so pleased with how this turned out!

a fork poking into a potato that is covered in an herb vinaigrette.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Do I have to use baby or little potatoes?

No. It does help to use a waxy potato like a red potato or Yukon gold potato. They are less likely to soak up all the dressing like a russet potato would.

Do I need to use fresh herbs?

The fresh herbs are the star of the show here. This is a true summer potato salad and it takes advantage of the fresh summer herbs. This just will not taste the same with fried herbs.

What if I can’t find shallots?

You can substitute with a small sweet onion. Shallots are usually located near the fresh garlic in the produce section of your grocery store. Shallots have a very mild onion and garlic flavor which makes it perfect for this salad as it doesn’t overpower the other flavors.

How do I store leftovers?

This is best eaten right after it’s made. Potatoes will continue to soak up the dressing the longer it sits so keep this in mind when you store leftovers. It won’t be as “wet” when you aren’t eating it freshly made.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. Potato salad will stay fresh for 1-2 days. Let sit out a room temperature for a little while before eating. Do not microwave to warm up as it will brown the fresh herbs. Do not freeze.

CouldI add bacon to this recipe?

Absolutely! Use about 1/2 pound of cooked and crumbled bacon to the final dish and stir.

Does this potato salad need to be kept refrigerated?

This salad is different from a mayonnaise based potato salad. It can be left out for longer without turning bad. However, I would not recommend leaving it out longer than 4 hours.

closeup photo of French Potato Salad in a small blue bowl with handles.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • little potatoes or baby potatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • white wine vinegar
  • dijon mustard
  • fresh Italian parsley
  • fresh chives
  • fresh tarragon leaves
  • fresh thyme leaves
  • shallot
  • garlic  
Little Potatoes, mustard, herbs

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH POTATO SALAD:

Fill a large stock pot halfway with water and place over high heat. Slice potatoes lengthwise.

sliced little potatoes

Once water boils, add a tbsp. salt, then add in sliced potatoes. Once potatoes are cooked until fork tender, drain well and allow to cool.

potatoes in boiling water

While potatoes are boiling, begin making the vinaigrette. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, white vinegar and mustard.

vinaigrette

Whisk until emulsified.

emulsified vinegar and mustard

Then add in fresh herbs, shallot and garlic.

fresh herbs, shallot, garlic vinaigrette

Whisk again until combined.

fresh herb vinaigrette

Toss vinaigrette with cooled potatoes. Serve at room temperature.

fully made French Potato Salad shown in a small blue bowl with handles and a fork off to the side.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

French Potato Salad recipe.

French Potato Salad (+Video)

French Potato Salad is a fresh and light potato salad covered in the most amazing vinaigrette with fresh herbs. A great alternative to the usual potato salad!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds little or baby potatoes
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

  • Fill a large stock pot halfway with water and place over high heat. Slice potatoes lengthwise.
  • Once water boils, add a Tablespoon of salt, then add in sliced potatoes. Once potatoes are cooked until fork tender, drain well and allow to cool.
  • While potatoes are boiling, begin making the vinaigrette. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, white vinegar and mustard. Whisk until emulsified.
  • Then add in fresh herbs, shallot and garlic. Whisk again until combined.
  • Toss vinaigrette with cooled potatoes. Serve at room temperature.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator. Potato salad will stay fresh for 1-2 days. Let sit out a room temperature for a little while before eating. Do not freeze.
  • This is best eaten right after it’s made. Potatoes will continue to soak up the dressing the longer it sits so keep this in mind when you store leftovers.
  • It does help to use a waxy potato like a red potato or Yukon gold potato. They are less likely to soak up all the dressing like a russet potato would.
  • In the video, the potatoes are boiled then cut which differs from the written recipe. You can do it either way. 
  • If your potatoes are on the large side, you may want to quarter than rather than just slicing. 
Course: Salad
Cuisine: French

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 42mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: January 2016
Updated & republished: July 2021

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




73 Comments

  1. Excited for making 2016 a healthier year! We are planning on cutting down on our unhealthy snacking, chips etc., and adding healthier alternatives like hummus and naan bread.

  2. I'm trying to recover from an eating disorder and healthy recipes like this are really helping me feel good bout nourishing my body, mind and soul. Wish me luck on my journey for a bright and healthy future!