French Potato Salad
Published Jun 30, 2023
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French Potato Salad is sure to add a touch of elegance to your next get-together! It’s a refreshing change from the typical potato salad, served warm with lots of fresh herbs and a light and lively vinaigrette.
“Just made this for a get-together and it’s SO good… I will be adding this to my go-to recipe list!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
I’m all about a traditional potato salad with the creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, mustardy kick and hard-boiled eggs like my mother’s award-winning Creamy Potato Salad or my Potato Salad with Horseradish Dressing. However, that style is not for everyone.
With over 100 4 and 5-star ratings, this French Potato Salad recipe is a delicious alternative for a change of pace or for people who don’t care for mayonnaise. The bright and lively herbacious flavor is a refreshing change from traditional potato salad.
This French-style potato salad recipe combines Ina Garten’s French Potato Salad and Joel Robuchon’s, one of the most acclaimed French chefs in the world. And when a recipe calls for splashing warm potatoes with white wine, I’m all in!
If you’re looking for another no-mayo potato salad and one served on the warm side, don’t miss my recipe for German Potato Salad!
How to Make French Potato Salad:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this French potato salad recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Potatoes: I use a combination of “new” Yukon Gold and red potatoes for the color. New potatoes are young or early-harvested potatoes popular for their tender texture. They’re harvested before they reach full maturity, typically about two to three months after planting.
- White Wine: Use a dry white wine that you enjoy drinking. Non-Alcohol Substitute: Use a little more chicken broth and white wine vinegar to taste.
- Olive Oil: Use a good extra virgin olive oil. Because of the minimal ingredients in this salad, every ingredient counts.
- White Wine Vinegar: White wine vinegar results from the fermentation and oxidation of white wine. Pompeian White Wine Vinegar is readily available at most grocery stores.
- Dijon Mustard: Use good quality Dijon mustard. (There are some acrid Dijon mustards out there.) I’ve tried numerous brands of Dijon mustard, and you can’t go wrong with Grey Poupon. Grey Poupon originated in Dijon, France, in the 1800s. Although Kraft Heinz now owns it, it has authentic roots. Grey Poupon is widely available in every supermarket.
- The Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs are important in this recipe; I strongly discourage using dried herbs.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Combine the white wine, chicken broth, and shallots in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of generously salted water.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a knife. Be careful not to overcook them, or they will crumble, and slicing them will be difficult.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander.
- As soon as you can handle the potatoes, cut the potatoes into approximately 1/4-inch slices.
- Place in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the wine, broth, and shallot combination over the potatoes and gently toss.
- Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.
- Gradually whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
- Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes along with the herbs and gently toss.
- Serve immediately warm or at room temperature.
- Place in a serving bowl, garnish with more fresh herbs, and then dig in! This dish is so beautiful and tasty, with a simple, rustic yet elegant French flair!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Because the skins are left on the potatoes in this French-style potato salad recipe, be sure the skins are super clean. Scrub them well.
- Be sure to salt the water well. When you cook the potatoes with their skins on, they act as a barrier to the salt in the water.
- If you have any French Potato Salad left over, let it sit out a bit to remove the chill, then splash it with white wine vinegar to help revive it.
Recipe FAQs:
Any type of waxy potato will work. You could also use Fingerling potatoes. They work well because of their firm texture and buttery flavor.
It’s going to be best served immediately. However, if you have to make it ahead of time, cook the potatoes and add the chicken broth, wine, and shallots. Let cool, then refrigerate. When ready to serve, let the potatoes sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off, toss with the dressing then add the fresh herbs. Food such as a French potato salad is safe to consume for up to two hours at room temperature, so keep that in mind at your gathering. Remember you’ve already had them at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Storage:
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Serve with:
- Parmesan and Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops
- Easy Skillet Mediterranean Chicken
- Fish en Papillote
- Baked Catfish Pecan Meuniere with Spicy Sauteed Greens
More great French-inspired potato recipes you’ll love!
- Au Gratin Potatoes for Two
- Garlic Herb Muffin Pan Potato Galettes
- Duck Fat Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Sausage
Get all my potato recipes at Side Dishes – Potatoes – From A Chef’s Kitchen!
French Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth or stock
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- Salt
- 1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Instructions
- Combine the white wine, chicken broth and shallots in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of generously salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a knife. Be careful to not overcook them or they will crumble.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander.
- As soon as you can handle the potatoes, cut the potatoes into approximately 1/4-inch slices. Place in a large bowl.
- Pour the wine-broth-shallot combination over the potatoes and gently toss.
- Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.
- Gradually whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
- Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes along with the herbs and gently toss.
- Serve immediately warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Any waxy potato will work such as fingerlings.
- If you prefer not to use alcohol, use a little more chicken broth and white wine vinegar to taste. (The alcohol in white wine vinegar is negligible.)
- Be sure to salt the water well. Because you’re cooking the potatoes with the skins on, they will act as a barrier.
- If you have any French Potato Salad left over, let it sit out a bit to take the chill off, then give it a splash of white wine vinegar to help revive it.
- This French Potato Salad is going to be best served immediately. However, if you must make it ahead of time, cook the potatoes, and add the chicken broth, wine and shallots. Let cool, then refrigerate. When ready to serve, let the potatoes sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off, toss with the dressing, then add the fresh herbs. This salad is safe to consume for up to two hours at room temperature, so keep that in mind at your gathering. Remember you’ve already had them at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Loved this recipe! So fresh, flavorful. Will share and make again.
Hi, Christine, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed!! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
This potato salad is unbelievably delectable and bursts with the fresh flavors of all the herbs. I love that it’s vinegar-based so I can serve it at room temperature outside at our pool parties. I was looking for a non-mayonnaise-based potato salad and so happy to have found this one. Making it again this weekend, it’s a hit! Thank you for posting the recipe.
Hi, Katie, Thanks so very much and so happy you love this recipe! Appreciate your taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
I have a vegetarian in the family. Can I sub vegetable both for chicken broth or is there a better substitute?
Hi, Patty, Thanks so much for your question. Vegetable broth would be absolutely fine. I believe Imagine or Pacific also makes a “no-chicken” vegetarian broth that tastes like chicken–probably made with brewers yeast. Thanks again and hope everyone enjoys!!
This recipe looks amazing. Can I make it a couple of days ahead of a gathering?
Hi, Ang, Thanks so much for your question. You probably could but it’s better fresh. Let it stand at room temperature a bit before serving–just not too long because potatoes shouldn’t be out a room temperature more than two hours. Thanks and hope you enjoy!
Thank you for the recipe. I followed the recipe but it’s extremely oily. I needed to add a few more splashes of white wine vinegar. Now the salad looks like is drowning in oil and vinegar. It smells and looks great and with the vinegar added is good, but I don’t know what else to do at this moment to make it edible by the rest of the family.
Hi, Cera, Thank you so much and sorry you had some problems. With three pounds of potatoes, that’s 1/4 cup olive oil per pound. Potatoes do tend to soak up liquid. Can you drain off what you don’t care for? Again, sorry you had problems.