This French potato salad is my favorite summer upgrade—light, bright, and totally mayo-free. Tender potatoes and crisp green beans get tossed in a tangy vinaigrette with plenty of fresh herbs. It’s everything you want in a potato salad without mayo: flavorful, fresh, and perfect for picnics and BBQ.

Oval platter of potato salad with green beans, red onion slices, and herbs, placed on a gray cloth with a small bowl of chopped herbs in the background.

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This hearty salad is the perfect side dish to elevate any gathering! Whenever I bring this to a picnic, I come home with an empty bowl—it's just that good! Pair it with Carolina BBQ grilled chicken or chimichurri steak, and you'll never go wrong.

Plus it is a fantastic way to use up those extra green beans from the garden.

📖Why My Recipe Works

The acidity from the vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the potatoes, while the capers and shallots add sharp, complex notes that elevate every bite.

🧾Ingredient Notes

Baby Potatoes- Substitute with regular potatoes, like russet or Yukon gold potatoes, chop them into 1 inch pieces.
Green Beans- Use fresh green beans for the best texture.
Shallots- Substitute with thinly sliced red onions or green onions.
Capers- Adds a briny, punchy flavor. You can substitute with chopped olives.
Fresh Herbs- Use fresh parsley and either fresh tarragon or dill.
White Wine Vinegar- You can also use champagne vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Grainy Mustard- Dijon mustard would be the best substitute. Don't use yellow mustard.
Olive Oil- Substitute with avocado oil.

A display of labeled ingredients for a green bean potato salad, featuring baby potatoes, green beans, shallot, parsley, tarragon, white wine vinegar, grainy mustard, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and capers.

⏲️How to Make French Green Bean Potato Salad

A metal colander filled with washed and halved yellow potatoes on a light surface.

Simmer the potatoes just until they’re fork-tender—soft enough to pierce easily, but not falling apart. Overcooking them can make the salad mushy and cause the potatoes to break apart when tossed.

A glass bowl filled with green beans and ice cubes submerged in water, placed on a light-colored surface.

In the same pot, blanch the green beans for just 2-3 minutes. Then, transfer immediately to an ice bath to stop cooking. Dry them before adding to the salad.

A bowl of mustard vinaigrette with a spoon, placed on a plate, surrounded by small bowls of fresh herbs and capers.

Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together until smooth and slightly thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

A white bowl contains halved baby potatoes, sliced shallots, capers, chopped herbs, and green beans with a wooden spatula on a white surface.

Toss the dressing and potatoes while they're still warm to soak in all the flavors. Then, add the rest of the ingredients and toss with more dressing.

An oval platter with a salad of baby potatoes, green beans, and herbs sits on a gray textured surface beside a small bowl of chopped parsley.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

Add the potatoes to cold water before bringing it to a boil. This makes sure that it cooks evenly from the inside out.
To make this salad ahead, whisk the dressing and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The potatoes and green beans can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated separately. For the best texture and flavor, assemble the salad 30 minutes before serving.

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Ann MT says