Description
This French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad combines tender new potatoes, crisp green beans, and flavorful hard-boiled eggs tossed in a zesty Dijon lemon vinaigrette. Enhanced with fresh herbs, capers, and black olives, this salad is a refreshing and hearty side dish perfect for spring and summer meals or a light lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 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
- Prepare hard-boiled eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, cool the eggs under cold running water, peel them, and slice.
- Cook potatoes and beans: Halve or quarter the new potatoes depending on size. Place them in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for about 12 minutes until just tender. Add the trimmed and cut green beans to the pot and cook together for an additional 2-3 minutes until beans are bright and slightly tender. Drain and immediately immerse them in ice water to stop the cooking and retain color and crunch.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a jar or bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped capers, chopped black olives, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Close the jar and shake well until the dressing is fully emulsified or whisk thoroughly.
- Assemble the salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss the chopped parsley and chives with half of the prepared vinaigrette. Add the cooled potatoes, green beans, and whole black olives. Gently toss to coat all ingredients with the herb-infused dressing. Arrange the sliced hard-boiled eggs on top, drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Notes
- Use new potatoes for the best texture and flavor in this salad.
- Cooling potatoes and beans in ice water after cooking helps keep the vegetables vibrant and crisp.
- Feel free to add a few anchovy fillets to the vinaigrette for a deeper umami flavor.
- This salad is best served chilled or at room temperature.
- Can be prepared a few hours ahead, but add eggs and final dressing just before serving for freshness.
