Recipe Background
French Potato Salad combines tender potatoes with vibrant flavors for a refreshing dish.
French Potato Salad offers a refreshing twist on a classic side. There's an earthy magic in the combination of tender yellow potatoes and crisp haricots verts. The green beans, blanched to a vivid green, add just the right snap against the softer potatoes. Generously coated in a savory dressing of fragrant olive oil, briny olives, and a whisper of anchovy, each bite delivers a whirlwind of flavor that is both vibrant and comforting. The aroma of fresh basil and chives mingles invitingly, bringing a summery freshness to the dish.
The secret to this salad lies in the careful handling of the potatoes. Once they've cooled a bit, cutting them into perfect rounds ensures they absorb the tangy red wine vinegar-based dressing without crumbling—a transformation that seems humble yet feels sophisticated. Sharing this dish around a table invites conversation as bright bursts of caper and creamy bites of hard-boiled egg contrast with the tang. This salad, whether served warm or chilled, evokes leisurely meals and invites a sense of conviviality.
As you serve, a sprinkle of parsley adds a finishing touch, both for color and a hint of peppery bite. It’s a salad that aligns with any gathering, encouraging camaraderie over shared tastes. This dish is more than just a side; it is a shared experience, a slice of joy in every forkful.
Ingredients
- 1 pound small yellow potatoes
- 10 ounces haricots verts French green beans
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3 ounces green olives pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 anchovy fillets minced
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons basil roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 hard-boiled eggs halved
- parsley to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, add the potatoes and boil until they are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes to a plate to cool slightly.
- Add the green beans to the same pot of boiling water and cook until they are bright green and slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- While the green beans are cooking, in a bowl add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the green olives, the anchovies, the shallot, the vinegar, the basil, the chives, the capers, the salt, and the pepper and stir until combined.
- Cut the cooled potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
- Add the potatoes to the dressing mixture and carefully stir to combine. Be careful not to crumble the potatoes.
- In a low bowl, add the coated potatoes, the hard-boiled eggs, and the cooked green beans.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil across the top and season with the salt and the pepper.
- Serve the potato salad garnished with the parsley, warm or chilled.
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