Name: French Potato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: Kosher salt to taste; 3 pounds baby potatoes (scrubbed and sliced 1/4-inch thick); ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; ½ cup minced scallions (white and green parts); 2 tablespoons minced shallots; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; ¼ cup minced parsley; 1 tablespoon minced basil; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon minced dill; Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Large white bowl of French Potato Salad with a spoon.

What is French Potato Salad?

French potato salad is essentially a potato salad made with a vinaigrette-based dressing vs. a mayonnaise based one. It also typically contains Dijon mustard, some member of the onion family, as well as a generous flurry of fresh herbs.

What Kind of Potatoes to Use

You will want to use waxy, non starchy potatoes for potato salad, which tend to hold their shape better. They also have thin skins, which means you don’t have to peel them unless you want to. And for this salad I went with baby potatoes, and cut them into thin slices before cooking them, about ¼-inch thick. You could definitely go with larger waxy potatoes, red or white or yellow. You can cut those into ½ inch cubes, or cut them into quarters, and then slice the quartered potatoes ¼-inch thick.

Spoon scooping French Potato Salad onto a wooden plate.

How Long to Cook Potatoes for Potato Salad

If you slice the potatoes, or cube them into small dice they should take about 10 minutes to cook until just tender. Don’t let them overcook, as they will start to fall apart. And even as they cool in the dressing, they will continue to soften slightly, so make sure to take them out just at the point of tenderness.

French Potato Salad: This mayo-free potato salad is very clean tasting, with fresh herbs and a touch of mustard and a lovely vinaigrette dressing.
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Dress the Potatoes While They are Still Warm

Make sure to finish the dressing while the potatoes are simmering, because you will want to pour the olive oil and vinegar based dressing over the potatoes while they are still warm, so they soak up the dressing nicely.

French Potato Salad piled in a large white bowl.

Once you drain the potatoes, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet or tray of some kind. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the potatoes. When they are slightly cooled Using a spoon, or your hands when they are cooled slightly, toss the potatoes in the dressing on the baking sheet. Spread them out again and let the whole thing come to room temperature. Transfer to a serving dish and serve at room temp.

A Change of Pace No-Mayo Potato Salad

Did anyone miss the mayo? Nope. This potato salad you see sitting before you was inhaled by a bunch of teenage boys. And it was on a buffet with things like ribs and chicken wings and other magical teenage boy foods that might have distracted from the humble potato dish.

Bowl with French Potato Salad set on a table with utensils and other foods.

I rarely am surprised when a dish is so heartily embraced – I usually see it coming from a cutting board away. And conversely I rarely have false expectations about how excited the kids are going to be about a rutabaga puree. I know who I made that for, and it wasn’t Jack and Charlie and associates. This time, I was surprised by the French potato salad.

But in a good way, and I hope you will, too.

What to Serve with French Potato Salad:

Ribs (in the photos are Cajun Sticky Ribs, recipe coming soon, but you could try Asian Baby Back ribs, too).

French Potato Salad on a wooden plate and in a large bowl.

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