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Easy French Potato Salad

Easy French potato salad with tender sliced fingerling potatoes tossed in a white wine vinaigrette with Dijon mustard. Marinate for 1 hour for a light, herb-forward French salad that’s ready at room temperature.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 3 lb fingerling or baby potatoes
Vinaigrette
  • 0.25 cup white wine
  • 0.25 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 cup white wine vinegar
  • 0.333 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste
Fresh herbs
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Boil and slice the potatoes
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then boil the whole fingerling or baby potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Visual cue: a knife should slide in easily with little resistance.
  2. Drain the potatoes and slice them while still warm. Visual cue: keep the slices slightly thick so they can absorb vinaigrette without breaking.
Make the white wine Dijon vinaigrette
  1. Whisk together the white wine, chicken broth, white wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced shallots, salt, and pepper until the dressing looks emulsified. Visual cue: it should turn slightly opaque and look glossy.
Marinate and finish
  1. Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and toss gently to coat. Visual cue: the potatoes should look glistening rather than dry.
  2. Let the salad marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Visual cue: give it one gentle toss partway through if it seems uneven.
  3. Add the chopped parsley and chopped tarragon just before serving. Visual cue: the herbs should look fresh and bright with green flecks throughout.
  4. Serve the French potato salad at room temperature. Visual cue: the dressing should lightly cling to the potato slices.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the potatoes while they’re still warm so they drink in the white wine vinaigrette instead of sitting on top. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; for best texture, add parsley and tarragon right before serving. Freezing is not recommended. Dietary swap: for a lighter version, use part olive oil and part low-sodium broth emulsion, or reduce the olive oil to 1/4 cup if you prefer.