French Potato Salad | Gimme Some Oven

This French Potato Salad recipe is made with lots and lots of fresh herbs, a quick lemon-garlic vinaigrette, and zero mayo!

For all of you out there who don’t love mayo — or really, for any of you who just really love all things lemony and garlicky and ultra-herby — today’s new potato salad recipe is for you!

Meet my favorite French potato salad. ♡

This simple, zesty, mayo-free potato salad has been my go-to for years.  It works well with just about any kind of potatoes you might have on hand.  It’s tossed with a super-simple lemon dressing (which is basically the same one I use for my everyday salad recipe, that many of you already know and love).  It’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, which makes this one a perfect choice for serving to a crowd at parties or potlucks.  And most importantly, it is downright overflowing with soooo many fresh herbs, which everyone always loves during the summertime!

As I’ve mentioned below, you can really use as many or as few kinds of herbs as you would like in this salad.  But I say the more French herbs that you can add to this salad — such as parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme, tarragon, and/or dill — the merrier it will be.

Alright, mes amies, let’s make some French potato salad!

French Potato Salad Ingredients:

To make this French potato salad recipe, you will need:

• Potatoes: I used red potatoes for this recipe, but just about any kinds of potatoes would do.
• Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil will be the base of our dressing.
• Lemon juice: Freshly-squeezed!  Or, you’re welcome to sub in red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar in place of lemon juice.
• Garlic: Either pressed or minced.
• Mustard: Even if you don’t love mustard, don’t skip this one!  The creamy Dijon adds an essential subtle kick to this dressing.
• Salt and pepper: To season the dressing.
• Shallot: Or you can sub in a finely-diced red onion or chopped green onions.
• Fresh herbs: The stars of this salad!  I like to use a good handful of finely-chopped fresh parsley as a base.  But then I also highly recommend adding in a few tablespoons of any fresh French herbs (rosemary, chives, tarragon, thyme, dill, or a combo of these) that you might have on hand.  The more herbs, the merrier with this French potato salad recipe. ♡

How To Make French Potato Salad:

This one is super-easy to make!  Simply…

1. Cook the potatoes: Dice your potatoes into large chunks.  Then add them to a large stockpot and cover with generously-salted cold water, and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Prep the dressing: Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl (or shake together in a mason jar) until evenly combined.
3. Toss everything together: Once the potatoes are ready to go, combine the potatoes, dressing, shallot and fresh herbs together in a large serving bowl.  Toss gently until evenly combined.
4. Season: Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Chill: Cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to chill.  Serve chilled.

French Potato Salad Recipe Variations:

Want to mix things up with this pasta salad?  Feel free to…

• Add cheese: Goat cheese, feta, Parmesan, or even baby mozzarella cheeses would go well with this salad.
• Add jarred veggies: Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, or capers would also be delicious in this salad.
• Add nuts: Toasted walnuts, almonds, pine nuts or pepitas would add some nice crunch.
• Use different potatoes: Yukon golds, fingerling or Russet potatoes would all work well with this potato salad.  (Feel free to peel your potatoes if you prefer.)

More Make-Ahead Salad Recipes:

Looking for more make-ahead salad inspiration for summertime?  Here are a few more favorite recipes:

Yield: 6-8 servings

French Potato Salad

This French Potato Salad recipe is made with lots and lots of fresh herbs, a zippy lemon-garlic vinaigrette, and zero mayo!

Total Time:1 hour

Prep Time:10 mins

Cook Time:20 mins

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 3 small cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup finely-chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh French herbs (rosemary, chives, tarragon, thyme, dill, or a combo)

Directions:

1. Place the diced potatoes in a large stockpot and add enough water so that the potatoes are covered by 1 inch.  Cook over medium-high heat until the water reaches a boil.  Then reduce heat to medium to maintain the simmer, and continue cooking the potatoes for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let cool for 20-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.
4. Once the potatoes are ready to go, combine them in a large serving bowl with the dressing, shallot and fresh herbs.  Toss gently until evenly combined.
5. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed, to taste.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to chill.
6. Serve chilled, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Quick

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