Potato Green Bean Salad

This Potato Green Bean Salad recipe is a vinaigrette-based potato salad featuring loads of fresh dill and salty olives. If you love French cuisine and are looking for a veggie-forward potato salad, this is it.

This French green bean potato salad is a no-mayo potato salad that’s full of vibrant flavors and briny, salty goodness. It’s easy to make, can be prepped ahead of time, and perfect for potlucks, picnics and grill outs.

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This recipe article was originally published in May of 2020, it has since been updated with ingredient notes, helpful tips, step-by-step images and storage information.

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Ingredients Needed

Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this potato salad with green beans. For ingredient amounts, jump down to the recipe card.

• Dill Vinaigrette—you’ll need olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, dill, Dijon, and honey for the vinaigrette. Feel free to sub red wine vinegar in for the lemon juice.
• Baby potatoes—feel free to use baby golds or baby reds—either work here.
• Green beans—use haricot verts for a very authentic French potato salad
• Castelvetrano olives—this type of olive is mild, soft and just gorgeous in this salad. If you can’t find them you can also use pimento-stuffed green olives. Just make sure you grab pitted olives.
• Herbs—in addition to the fresh dill in the vinaigrette, I like to throw in some tarragon and/or parsley for authentic French flavor. Chives are also great. 
• Garlic—one small garlic clove grated into the salad adds a punchy flavor.

Easy Step-by-Step

Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this potato and green bean salad. For ingredient amounts, jump down to the recipe card.

1. Cook the potatoes in a large sauté pan and filled with water. Bring the water and potatoes to a boil and cook until fork-tender (I use a skewer to test doneness). Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool. (Reserve that boiling water for the green beans.)

TIP: Cooking potatoes whole keeps their interiors nice and creamy—not waterlogged.

2. Meanwhile, make the Dill Vinaigrette.

3. Blanch the green beans in the boiling water for just a few minutes until crisp-tender. Transfer the beans to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and dry well.

4. Tear the potatoes into bite sized pieces and add to a large bowl with the green beans, olives and vinaigrette. Toss to combine and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

TIP: I like to tear the cooked potatoes into pieces because it creates craggy edges that hold onto the vinaigrette nicely.

Storage and Make Ahead

This green bean and potato salad will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing this salad.

Any of the components can be made ahead of time! Cook the potatoes off, blanch the green beans, and make the dill vinaigrette up to 1 day in advance.

Since you won’t be tossing everything together when the potatoes are still slightly warm (which helps meld the flavors), I recommend tossing everything together and letting the salad marinate for an hour or so before serving.

Make It a Meal

Potato green bean salad pairs beautifully with anything grilled. Grilled Sablefish is a favorite as is Balsamic Glazed Salmon. For a non-fish option, I love cider Brined Pork Chops or Grilled Top Sirloin.

Fish & Seafood

Grilled Sablefish 

Salmon

4-Ingredient Balsamic Glazed Salmon (Grilled or Baked)

Pork

Pork Chop Brine

How-To

How to Cook Top Sirloin Steak (4 Ways)