French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad Recipe
This French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad combines tender new potatoes, crisp green beans, and flavorful hard-boiled eggs with a zesty lemon and caper vinaigrette. Enhanced by fresh herbs and olives, it’s a vibrant, refreshing salad perfect for any meal. The salad improves with time as the ingredients soak up the bright, tangy dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 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 with water by 1 inch. Bring to a rapid boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let the eggs rest for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs carefully and rinse under cold running water. Once cooled, peel under running water and slice into quarters.
- Cook potatoes and green beans: Slice potatoes if large, keeping smaller potatoes halved. Place them in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 12 minutes until potatoes are tender but not fully cooked. Add green beans and boil for an additional 2-3 minutes until beans are crisp-tender and potatoes are easily pierced. Drain immediately and transfer to a large bowl of ice-cold water to stop cooking and preserve bean color.
- Prepare the vinaigrette: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped capers, chopped black olives, salt, and pepper in a jar. Shake vigorously to emulsify and combine all flavors.
- Assemble the salad: In a serving bowl, mix the chopped parsley and chives with about half of the vinaigrette. Add the drained potatoes, green beans, and whole black olives, tossing gently to coat everything evenly. Arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Adjust seasoning if necessary. The salad can be served immediately at room temperature or chilled; it improves in flavor after resting 24 hours.
Notes
- Hard-boiled eggs can be prepared a day ahead and stored peeled in the fridge.
- To retain the vibrant green color of the beans, quickly blanch and then shock them in ice water.
- The salad tastes best if allowed to rest for at least 24 hours, so flavors meld beautifully.
- Use dry cured black olives for the best authentic flavor; avoid brined or wet-packed olives.
- This salad pairs well with grilled meats or as a light vegetarian main dish.
Keywords: French salad, potato salad, green bean salad, vegetarian salad, vinaigrette, herbs, hard boiled eggs
