Description
This French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad is a refreshing and vibrant dish featuring tender new potatoes, crisp green beans, and hard-boiled eggs, all tossed in a zesty Dijon and lemon vinaigrette with fresh herbs and olives. Perfect as a light meal or side dish, this salad balances textures and flavors with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients for a satisfying and healthy option.
Ingredients
Scale
Eggs
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled
Vegetables & Herbs
- 2 lbs (900g) new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 1 lb (450g) green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
- 4-5 sprigs fresh flat parsley, stemmed and chopped
- 4-5 sprigs chives, chopped
Olives & Capers
- 12 black olives (dry cured)
- 1 tbsp chopped black olives (dry cured)
- 1 tbsp chopped capers
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
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Other
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling potatoes)
Instructions
- Prepare Hard-Boiled Eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil and let the eggs boil for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Once done, peel the eggs under cold running water and slice them into pieces.
- Cook Potatoes and Green Beans: Halve or quarter the new potatoes depending on their size. In a large pot, boil the potatoes in salted water for 12 minutes. Add the trimmed and cut green beans to the same pot and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Drain the vegetables and immediately cool them in ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their color and texture.
- Prepare Vinaigrette: In a jar, 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. Shake well until all ingredients are fully emulsified into a smooth dressing.
- Toss Salad: In a large bowl, mix the chopped parsley and chives with half of the vinaigrette dressing. Add the cooled potatoes, green beans, and whole black olives to the bowl and gently toss to coat them evenly with the herb dressing. Arrange the sliced hard-boiled eggs on top, drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, and adjust seasoning to taste before serving.
Notes
- Boiling the eggs in hot water instead of cold water prevents cracking and produces perfect hard-boiled eggs with creamy yolks.
- Cooling the potatoes and green beans in ice water immediately after cooking stops further cooking and keeps the vegetables vibrant and firm.
- Use dry-cured black olives for authentic flavor and firm texture in this salad.
- The vinaigrette can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before using.
- This salad can be served slightly warm or chilled, depending on your preference.
- For added protein, you can incorporate chopped cooked chicken or tuna.
