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French-Style Potato and Green Bean Salad with Capers and Dijon Vinaigrette

DF Dairy-Free GF Gluten-Free V Vegetarian
Posted by Jess Larson on July 16th, 2026
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY FULL DISCLAIMER POLICY FOR DETAILS.
Bright, punchy, and loaded with fresh herbs, this French-Inspired Potato and Green Bean Salad skips the creamy mayo dressing in favor of a classic Dijon vinaigrette. Tender fingerling potatoes and snappy haricots verts soak it all up, so every bite delivers a bold punch of flavor. Just toss with briny capers and a handful of dill and serve chilled or at room temperature. Best of all, it only gets better as it sits – the perfect make-ahead dish to keep in the fridge all week or share at a spring or summer gathering!
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An oval platter filled with potato salad made of fingerling potatoes, green beans, shallots, and fresh dill, tossed in a mustard vinaigrette. The dish is set on a light-colored table with plates and cutlery nearby.
Photography by Gayle McLeod
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Serves: 4-6

The Potato Salad for People Who Think They Hate Potato Salad: Herby, Tangy, and No Mayo!

I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a potato salad person. There’s something about mayo-dressed potatoes sweating in the sun at a cookout that’s never seemed quite…right. 😅

So imagine my surprise when I fell in love with potato and green bean salad – a French-inspired version I’ve been reaching for all summer.

A platter of potato salad with green beans, topped with fresh dill and thinly sliced red onions, served with a mustard vinaigrette and two serving utensils. this Recipe for Later!
Equal parts fresh and hearty, this French-style potato and green bean salad is a made-for-summer side, great with all things grilled and perfect for picnics, potlucks, and backyard BBQs!

When I started digging into French-style potato salads, many of the versions I found were similar to salade Niçoise – loaded up with olives, hard-boiled eggs, sometimes even tuna! But I felt a pull to strip it back for a simpler, veggie-forward side dish that keeps the potatoes and green beans in the spotlight.

They come together in a tangy Dijon vinaigrette—lots of garlic and shallot, a generous splash of white wine vinegar—with briny capers and a big handful of dill and parsley for a lively finish. Each bite is bright, bold, and flecked with green – truly the freshest potato salad I’ve ever tasted!

Key Ingredients

Fingerling potatoes, green beans, garlic, fresh dill, olive oil, mustard, capers, shallots, salt, and pepper are arranged on a wooden board and white surface, ready for cooking or salad preparation.
This recipe leans on a handful of classic French ingredients: fingerling potatoes, haricots verts (French green beans), shallots, garlic, capers, dill, and Dijon mustard.

🥔Choosing the best spuds for this recipe ⇢ There’s plenty of debate over which potatoes make for the best potato salad, but after all my testing, I’m convinced that variety matters far less than technique – a tender, buttery potato can hold up just as well as a firm, waxy one so long as it’s cooked well.

That said, I like reaching for fingerling potatoes here – they offer a perfect in-between of waxy and buttery, and they hold their shape beautifully. Plus, there’s something about them that feels a little chic, right at home in a French-inspired salad!

Essentials for Next-Level Potato Salad

How to Cook Potatoes for Potato Salad – Without Overcooking!

Overcooking is the fastest way to ruin any potato salad – a lesson I learned the hard way while testing this recipe. Thinking I could treat them like I do for mashed potatoes, I let my first batch boil until fall-apart tender. The second they hit the vinaigrette, they broke down into a mealy, greasy mess. 😭

This sent me down an internet rabbit hole to learn everything I could about potato salad (thank you, Kenji López-Alt!), and I came out with 2 golden rules: be diligent about doneness, and season those spuds start to finish!🥔✨

A blue pot filled with whole and sliced fingerling potatoes being drizzled with vinegar, with a hand holding a white spoon above the pot. A bottle of vinegar and a lid are also visible nearby.
Slice the potatoes evenly so they cook at the same rate, then boil in very well-salted, vinegar-spiked water – they drink in seasoning as they cook. Watch them carefully and strain as soon as they’re fork-tender; they’ll keep cooking as they cool.
Sliced fingerling potatoes are spread on a blue baking sheet. A white spoon pours vinegar over them. A glass of light-colored liquid sits nearby on a table with a light cloth.
Carefully transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet using a spider strainer (dumping them into a colander risks breakage), and give them a final splash of vinegar. Set them aside to cool—dressing warm potatoes can make them mealy!

Bring On the Green Beans and a Punchy Dijon Vinaigrette!

While the potatoes cook and cool, the rest of the salad comes together in a few simple steps: blanching the green beans (right in the same pot used for the potatoes! 🙌🏼), whisking the dressing, and tossing it all together.

Green beans are being blanched in a pot of boiling water, with a white slotted spoon stirring them. Bubbles are visible around the beans, and the pot has a blue handle.
When the potatoes finish cooking, use the same boiling water to cook the green beans. The goal here is a quick blanch, just 3-4 minutes until the beans are tender-crisp and vivid green. Drain and rinse with plenty of cold water to lock in that snap and color.
A hand pours olive oil from a small white pitcher into a clear bowl containing chopped shallot, minced garlic, mustard, black pepper, and other seasonings on a white countertop.
Meanwhile, mix the vinaigrette. It comes together with olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, shallot, and a hefty spoonful of Dijon – I like using coarse ground mustard for a little extra texture.
A hand holds a whisk, mixing an olive oil-based vinaigrette with minced shallots and seasonings in a glass bowl on a white countertop, surrounded by bottles and bowls.
Whisk until smooth and adjust to taste. I like to thin it out with a splash of water for a more drizzly consistency that coats the potatoes and green beans beautifully.

👩🏻‍🍳A bold dressing makes a perfectly balanced potato salad! ⇢ Using more vinegar and Dijon than I normally do, this vinaigrette is punchy – but that’s intentional! Since the salad is served cold (which mutes flavor), the extra acidity stands up to the hearty potatoes and ensures every bite stays bright.

A bowl filled with green beans, sliced potatoes, capers, fresh dill, and sliced shallots, with a hand pouring a mustard vinaigrette over the vegetables.
To assemble the salad, add the cooled potatoes and blanched green beans to a bowl with thinly sliced shallot, capers, and a handful of fresh dill.
A bowl of potato salad with fingerling potatoes, green beans, sliced shallots, capers, and fresh dill, all tossed in a light vinaigrette. A fork and a small bowl of mustard dressing are nearby.
Pour the vinaigrette over top and toss gently, just until everything’s coated – a light hand keeps the potatoes intact instead of breaking them down.
An oval platter filled with a potato salad made of sliced potatoes, green beans, shallot, capers, and fresh dill, dressed with a grainy mustard vinaigrette.
This is the kind of side that disappears at any summer table – just pile it onto a platter and enjoy chilled or at room temperature.

Serve It Up All Summer Long!

This herby potato salad is a perfect pairing for anything grilled or roasted. It’s great alongside everything from an easy Sheet Pan Salmon weeknight dinner to smoky French Onion Grilled Burgers at a summer cookout – but it’s elegant enough for a spring holiday like Easter, too.

My favorite thing about it, though, is that it actually gets better as it sits. I’ve been loving meal prepping it at the start of the week and pulling it from the fridge for easy lunches and effortless dinner sides all week long.

Close-up of a potato salad with green beans, red onion slices, fresh dill, capers, and whole grain mustard dressing. The ingredients are mixed together, showcasing vibrant green, yellow, and pink colors.
Bright, herby, and not a drop of mayo in sight!
A white oval platter filled with potato salad featuring fingerling potatoes, green beans, red onions, and fresh dill, with salad servers. A lemon drink, dressing jar, and seasoning are nearby on a white table.
Proof that potato salad can be the prettiest thing on the table. Oui, oui!

I can’t wait for you to try this Potato and Green Bean Salad! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!

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A close-up of a potato salad with fingerling potatoes, green beans, sliced red onions, capers, chopped herbs, and whole grain mustard dressing on a white plate.

Potato & Green Bean Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette (No Mayo)

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Side Dish, Entrée Salads & Bowl Recipes
  • Method: Boiling
  • Cuisine: American, French
  • Diet: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
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Description

Bright, punchy, and loaded with fresh herbs, this French-Inspired Potato and Green Bean Salad skips the creamy mayo dressing in favor of a classic Dijon vinaigrette. Tender fingerling potatoes and snappy haricots verts soak it all up, so every bite delivers a bold punch of flavor.

Just toss with briny capers and a handful of dill and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Best of all, it only gets better as it sits – the perfect make-ahead dish to keep in the fridge all week or share at a spring or summer gathering!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes, washed well and sliced lengthwise into uniform pieces (halved for small, quartered for large, and cut into bite-sized pieces as needed)
  • ¾ pound haricots verts or green beans, ends trimmed and sliced into 2-inch pieces (about the same size as the potatoes)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar, divided
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • ½ shallot, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup finely chopped leafy fresh herbs, such as dill or parsley

for the Dijon vinaigrette:

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup white wine or champagne vinegar
  • ½ shallot, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard (I like to use coarse ground Dijon)
  • ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1–2 tablespoons water, to adjust consistency

Instructions

Method Overview:

Cover the fingerling potatoes with just-warm water, generously seasoned with salt and a splash of vinegar. Bring to a boil, cooking until just tender – do not overcook. Transfer to a sheet pan and drizzle with more vinegar to cool. Blanch green beans in the same pot until crisp-tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Whisk together the Dijon vinaigrette. Toss cooled potatoes and green beans with shallot, capers, herbs, and vinaigrette.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Boil the potatoes: Place the sliced potatoes in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven and add enough just-warm water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinegar to the pot and season very generously with kosher salt – like you’re seasoning pasta water. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook just until the potatoes are tender enough to pierce with a fork (about 10-15 minutes after the water comes to a boil) – do not overcook.A blue pot filled with fingerling potatoes, some whole and some sliced, sits on a white surface with water being poured in. Nearby are a small bowl of salt and a container of oil. A hand holds a white spoon over the pot.
  2. Set aside to cool: Use a spider strainer to carefully transfer the potatoes from the pot to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and drizzle the remaining vinegar over top. Set aside to cool.A blue baking tray filled with halved fingerling potatoes, some whole and some sliced, being drizzled with oil from a white measuring spoon. A kitchen towel and slotted spoon are nearby.
  3. Blanch the green beans: Add the green beans to the boiling water used to cook the potatoes. Cook 3-4 minutes, until bright green and just-tender with a nice crisp bite. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent overcooking. Set aside to dry while the potatoes cool.Green beans are being blanched in a blue pot filled with boiling water. A white slotted spoon rests in the pot, stirring the beans. The background is a light textured surface.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the Dijon vinaigrette: Add all listed ingredients to a small bowl. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a few twists of black pepper. Whisk well to combine. Add 1-2 tablespoons water as needed to thin the vinaigrette – it should have enough body to cling to the potatoes and green beans but be loose enough to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning to taste.A hand uses a small whisk to mix a bowl of vinaigrette with chopped shallots, herbs, and black pepper; salt and mustard are in bowls nearby on a white surface.
  5. Assemble the potato salad: Once the potatoes have cooled, add them to a large bowl with the blanched green beans, sliced shallot, capers, and herbs. Pour the Dijon vinaigrette over top. Gently toss to combine, taking care not to break up the potatoes. Adjust to taste – I often add an extra pinch of salt to make the flavors pop.A bowl with sliced potatoes, green beans, fresh dill, and red onion, as vinaigrette is poured over. Capers and extra vinaigrette are nearby, with a glass of water and a napkin on a white table.
  6. Serve immediately with additional fresh herbs and your favorite spring or summer mains. Enjoy!A serving platter filled with potato salad featuring fingerling potatoes, green beans, red onions, chopped dill, and a grainy mustard dressing, garnished with fresh herbs.

Equipment

Notes

Jess’ Tips and Tricks:

Make-Ahead and Storage:

  • Storage instructions: This is the kind of potato salad that gets even better as it sits – the flavors intensify and the potatoes soak it all up! Make it ahead of time or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.

Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!

A platter of fingerling potatoes, green beans, sliced red onions, capers, and fresh dill, tossed in a mustard vinaigrette. Two serving utensils rest on the side.

Hi there, I'm Jess!

If there’s 1 thing to know about me, it’s this: I am head-over-heels in love with food. I’m on a mission to make weeknight cooking flavorful, fast, & fun for other foodies, & PWWB is where I share foolproof recipes that deliver major flavor with minimal effort. Other true loves: pretty shoes, puppies, Grey’s Anatomy, & my cozy kitchen in Minneapolis, MN.

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