A mustard vinaigrette French style potato salad with minced garlic and fresh parsley. A light and easy late summer side to complete an al fresco meal!
I've never been a huge fan of potato salad. But that's because—growing up in the Midwest and moving to the South—I've only ever seen potato salad made with mayo. Cold, creamy potato salads never appealed to me, but the first time I had an oil and vinegar potato salad I was amazed at how such a simple dish could be bursting with aromatic, herby flavor. Now this French style potato salad is a staple on my summer menu.
Soft baby potatoes are tossed with a mustard vinaigrette. The addition of minced raw garlic and fresh parsley give this dish a pungent, herbaceous bite. With less than 10 ingredients, this recipe is simple, yet packed with bold, bright flavor.
Make it a meal and pair the French style potato salad with Grilled BBQ Tofu Sliders and a Grilled Peach Panzanella Salad.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- An impressive side: Bring this dish to your next social gathering!
- Less than 10 simple ingredients: This recipe only has 8 ingredients, including things like oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper—things you already have on hand!
- Round out a meal: Need a side dish to give your meal a little more umph? This one goes with so many mains, from pasta to wraps or sandwiches.
- A taste of France: Want to mentally be in France? Dijon mustard, raw garlic, and parsley are just a few of the ingredients that give this potato salad its very French feel. 🙂
- A filling summer dish: Though this dish is typically a side, it's also a very filling summer snack.
Vinaigrette Potato Salad Dressing
What makes this oil and vinegar potato salad a summer staple is how light and balanced it is. This mayo-free recipe uses mustard vinaigrette to add a tangy, pungent flavor rather than a creamy, heavy coating. If you've been weary of potato salad in the past, I can't wait to hear what you think of this vinaigrette potato salad!
Simple Ingredients
I use baby gold potatoes for this recipe, but you can also use any type of baby potato, like red potatoes. I have made this recipe with Yukon gold potatoes when I had them on hand and the flavor was a bit more starchy rather than sweet and creamy.
Salt is added to the boiling potatoes to start the seasoning process. The skin on the potatoes provides a barrier, which is why I use a teaspoon rather than a pinch to ensure the flavor remains.
The mustard vinaigrette is a simple olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing. Dijon mustard adds a distinctly tangy and pungent flavor. Raw garlic adds to this pungent flavor, though the dressing is overall well-balanced. Salt helps to highlight the flavors, while black pepper adds a little kick!
Garnish the dish with freshly chopped parsley for an herby finish.
How to Make this Potato Salad
Start by placing the potatoes into a colander. Rinse them under cold water, then place the potatoes in a medium pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring the water to a boil. Let the potatoes simmer for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the vinaigrette. Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together.
When the potatoes are fork tender, drain them in the colander and let cool for about 20 minutes—or until they are cool enough to handle. Once cool, slice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. I cut mine into quarters. Place them into a serving dish.
Add the dressing and gently combine with the potatoes. Add the freshly chopped parsley, either mixing into the dish or keeping it on top for a pretty garnish. Serve at room temperature.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Potatoes: I recommend using baby gold or red potatoes for this recipe. In addition to their size (which makes them easy to chop into bite-size pieces!), baby potatoes cook quickly and offer a creamier, slightly sweet taste. Fingerling potatoes are also a good choice for their buttery flavor. Larger potatoes will be a bit starchier.
- Vinegar: I love using white wine vinegar because it is simple in flavor as opposed to other vinegars that have more distinct flavors, like apple cider vinegar. However, I think red wine vinegar would be tasty here too.
- Mustard: Only use dijon here! It is key to this recipe and its distinct flavor.
- Garlic: If you're weary of garlic, you can crush it instead so it blends more into the sauce. Don't skip it though! It's integral to the punchiness of the dish.
- Herbs: I used parsley for this recipe, but you could use dill or basil.
Chef Tips & Tricks
- Salt the water: Don't skimp on the salt when boiling the potatoes. The skin on the potatoes is a barrier. Even with leaving the skins on, you want to make sure a bit of saltiness gets into the actual potatoes.
- Serve at room temperature: Even if you store the potato salad in the fridge, let it sit out for 10 minutes or so to bring it closer to room temp. Add a splash of vinegar to bring the flavors back to life.
- Slice the potatoes while warm: Be sure to let the potatoes cool a bit, as they will be hot! But once you can handle the potatoes, go ahead and slice them even if they are not fully cooled. The warmer the potatoes, the more the flavor of the dressing will soak in.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces: Not only will doing this make it easier to eat, but it also ensures the vinaigrette covers the potatoes well, packing in flavor!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I chop the potatoes before boiling them?
Keep the potatoes whole when boiling them. This helps preserve the flavor of the potatoes, while also preventing them from getting too watery or mushy.
Should I peel the potatoes?
I prefer to leave the skin on. Not only does this save on overall cooking time, but the skin has its own flavor too that adds to the complexity of flavor in the dish.
How long can I leave this salad sitting out?
All salads need to be refrigerated after two hours. I prefer to serve this salad at room temperature, but if you know it will be sitting out for awhile, place the dish on top of a larger bowl that is filled with ice.
Storage
You can keep this potato salad in the fridge for two days. I don't suggest keeping it longer than that as the flavors will be quite a bit milder and the texture will get mushy.
What to Serve Potato Salad With:
Serve this side dish with any of these recipes. 🙂
- Poblano Pesto Tempeh Wrap
- Summer Pasta Salad
- Grilled Zucchini Pesto Pasta
- Tofu Caprese Baguette Sandwich
- Grilled BBQ Tofu Sliders
- Creamy Tomato Gnocchi
More French-Inspired Recipes!
If you love this recipe leave me a comment and share it with a friend! 🙂
📖 Recipe
French Style Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 2 pounds baby gold potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mustard Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Garnish
- ½-1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place the potatoes into a colander and rinse them under cold water. Place the potatoes in a medium pot, adding enough water to cover them. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then let the potatoes simmer for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, make the vinaigrette. Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a bowl and whisk them together.
- When the potatoes are fork tender, drain them in the colander and let cool for about 20 minutes.* Once cool, slice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. I cut mine into quarters. Place them into a serving dish.
- Add the dressing and gently combine with the potatoes. Add the freshly chopped parsley, either mixing into the dish or keeping it on top for a pretty garnish. Serve at room temperature.*
Notes
- Serves 6 people as a side dish.
- If you love the taste of raw garlic like I do, you can roughly chopped the garlic instead of mince to get chunkier pieces of garlic in the dish.
- If you don't mind handling the potatoes while they are slightly hot, go ahead and move on to the next step. The warmer the potatoes, the more they will soak up the flavor of the dressing.
- You can serve the potato salad chilled, but if I am taking the dish out of the fridge, I still let it sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before serving. If you are serving the potato salad after it has been in the fridge, add a splash of vinaigrette to help the flavors come back to life. 🙂
Looking for More Salad Recipes?
- Grilled Peach Panzanella Salad
- Grilled Romaine with Vegan Caesar Dressing
- Heirloom Tomato Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
