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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

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.

Find it online: https://playswellwithbutter.com/potato-and-green-bean-salad/