Easy French Potato Salad Recipe
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A simple vegan French potato salad recipe made with a tangy grainy Dijon mustard vinaigrette and fragrant fresh herbs. Chives, thyme and parsley make for a lovely marriage of flavors but feel free to add in some dill, tarragon and even salty capers. No mayo, no gluten!
French Potato Salad
The Potatoes:
Yukon gold potatoes work best here, they slice nicely without falling apart. The red skin potatoes, purple heirlooms, fingerlings or baby goldens would work great as well, you’ll just need to cut them in half to expose their flesh to the vinaigrette. Just in case you feel they might be absorbing a little too much of the dressing you can always add an extra light drizzle of olive oil or veggie broth and give it a gentle toss.
The Mustard Vinaigrette:
French Dijon mustard is the only way to go here, and in my honest opinion the grainy variety is the best. Creamy or grainy just don’t skip the main ingredient of the classic French dressing.
The Herbs:
Fresh chives, thyme and parsley are the Holy Trinity when it comes to herbs in my book. However you can get a little creative here using fresh dill, tarragon, basil and even rosemary instead.
You see, having super tasty French food at home on a Tuesday is no big deal, there are no excuses not to enjoy a lovely potato salad any day of the week!
Vegan and gluten-free, this salad pairs perfectly with a meaty vegan burger, this mushroom lentil loaf, green bean tomato salad, cucumber tomato salad + these vegan bbq ribs.
Potato Salad Add-Ins:
- steamed green beans
- salty capers
- vegan tempeh bacon bits
- sweet green peas (steamed)
- tangy cornichons, roasted red peppers or artichoke hearts
- thinly sliced radishes
- sprinkle with toasted nuts like pine nuts, walnuts or pepitas
- avocado.
watch how to make it:
- Cook the potatoes.
- Prepare the dijon dressing.
- Gently toss everything together.
- Adjust seasonings and dive in!
P.S. As always, If you make this recipe please come back here to rate it, snap a photo and tag us with #VeggieSociety on Instagram. ~ Florentina Xo’s
Easy French Potato Salad with Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard (your choice of grainy or creamy)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Apple cider vinegar - to taste
- 1/4 cup fresh onion chives - chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley or tarragon - chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt + more to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper - freshy cracked
- 2 leaves bay (optional)
Instructions
- Scrub and rinse the potatoes well, add them to a large pot and cover with water by an inch or so. Add the bay leaves and a good sprinkling of salt. You want the water to taste like salt water. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes for about 15 to 20 minutes until tender but still al dente. Use a knife to check for doneness after 12 minutes. If the knife comes out easy with very little or no resistance then the potatoes are done.
- Drain the potatoes and discard the bay leaves. Allow them to cool completely while drying off in their own steam. Once cool enough to handle gently peel and discard the skins. They should easily come right off.
- Use a sharp knife and slice them into 1/4 inch slices. Transfer to a large bowl and allow them to cool even more.
Prepare the Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette:
- Whisk together the olive oil with the dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, parsley, thyme or tarragon and chives. Reserve some of the herbs for garnish. Season to taste with a little sea salt then pour it over the sliced potatoes.
- Using a spatula gently fold the dressing into the potatoes until nicely coated. Adjust seasonings with more sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve at room temperature garnished with more fresh herbs like chives and tarragon.
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These potatoes were absolute killer. The French Know their potatoes for sure, thanks for sharing I will bookmark and make this again for sure. Love every recipe I made from this blog so far.
I tried this last night and added a little bit of minced garlic and dill. It was absolutely amazing! Will definitely be making it again!
Hey, this looks amazing and I’d love to make it for the next family gathering. The only problem is I have 2 cousins with severe apple allergies. One of them can’t even be in the same room with them, Is there anything I can use in place of the apple cider vinegar or is that a vital ingredient?
Hi Leanna, yes you can use a different white vinegar of your choosing and even red wine vinegar will work. Let me know how it turns out for you ~ Florentina Xo’s