Italian Style Potato Salad
This Italian-style potato salad is a fresh tasting, mayo-free potato salad that we have on repeat. We love that it is simple to make and also has some extra veggies in it too. We love our Greek potato salad so we knew we wold love this Italian one too. The addition of green beans, tomatoes, olives and fresh herbs give it loads of flavor, texture and great pops of colour. The bright vinaigrette is made with olive oil and vinegar making it a lighter, tangier, less creamy version of potato salad but no less delicious. It make a great side dish but we often love to add boiled eggs and tuna making it a full on meal, great especially in the warmer months.
Italian Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients
- POTATOES: Feel free to use baby potatoes, new potatoes or baby fingerling potatoes - unpeeled is how I prep new potatoes for this potato salad to keep things simple. You can use larger Yukon gold potatoes - peeled and chopped or large dice or boil them whole then peel and chop, but because they are larger they will require more time to cook
- GREEN BEANS: We like to use French green beans (often called haricots verts) which are longer, skinner, and more tender than standard green beans. They cook twice as fast and offer a milder, slightly sweeter flavor compared to the thicker, heartier, traditional green bean. Either will work just be sure to adjust cooking time to suit the variety.
- TOMATOES: We use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes halved for this recipe but you can use any variety chopped. You will likely need 3-4 Roma tomatoes, large dice instead.
- SHALLOTS & GARLIC: We like the mild flavor of shallots in the salad but red onion would work well here too. We love the flavor the fresh minced garlic adds to the dressing but you could easily use garlic powder in a pinch.
- CAPERS: They add a briny salty, and savory punch of flavor to potato salad, perfectly balancing the earthy starchiness of the potatoes.
- OLIVES: You can use any variety or an olive medley here but we used pitted Castelvetrano olives. Use the olives you love. We prefer pitted for this recipe.
- FRESH HERBS: We add ¼ cup of chopped fresh herbs for this salad and we usually go with fresh parsley or fresh basil or a bit of both.
- OLIVE OIL: We use extra virgin olive oil as the base for the dressing.
- VINEGAR: We like to use white wine vinegar as it has a lighter flavor and it also won’t alter the color. But really you could use any vinegar including red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or you can use lemon juice if you prefer.
- MUSTARD: We like to add dijon mustard to the dressing/ vinaigrette as it adds a nice tangy flavor plus it acts as an emulsifier.
- SPICES: Apart from the salt and pepper we like to add some oregano or Italian herb blend and rich of chili flakes Adjust all to taste.
- EXTRA ADD INS: Tuna, boiled egg, chickpeas or white beans, chopped artichoke hearts, the options are endless.
How To Make Italian Potato Salad
- Boil Potatoes & Green Beans: Place the whole potatoes in a large pot with salt and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork-tender (about 12–15 minutes). Remove with slotted spoon (to cool then slice in half), and then add green beans to the same pot with the same cooking water and cook until just tender and bright green, drain and place in ice water bath, drain then pat dry.
- Make the Dressing: While the potatoes cook, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and spices together in a small bowl.
- Assemble & Dress Salad: Place the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve or serve immediately
Italian Potato Salad Storage & Make Ahead
- MAKE AHEAD: There are 2 ways to this dish ahead of time. Option #1: cook the potatoes and green beans ahead of time (1 day max); store and chill in airtight container until ready to assemble. Option #2: make the entire potato salad, from start to finish. Chill up to 3 hours before serving. You’ll need to add more vinegar, oil and possibly salt before digging in. Toss and adjust elements to taste.
- STORAGE: Place the potato and green bean salad in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. The flavors actually improve as it sits, so it’s perfect for make-ahead meals or leftovers. Just give it a quick toss before serving. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.
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Recipe
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Ingredients
For The Dressing
- ½ cup of olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ Black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
For The Salad
- 1½ pounds baby potatoes
- ½ lb green beans, chopped into ½ or ⅓
- Salt
- 2 cups (1 pint) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup capers drained
- ¾ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs (I like to use either basil or parsley or a blend of both)
Directions
For the Potatoes
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water and add generous pinch of salt.
- Bring to a low boil until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. They are ready when they can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place warm potatoes on a cutting board to cool to room temperature. Use a sharp knife to slice the cooked potatoes in half lengthwise.
For the Green Beans
- Cook the green beans in the same water for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender, but still crisp.
- Immediately transfer the beans to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain the green beans and pat dry with a clean towel
For the Dressing
- To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, chili flakes salt and pepper in small bowl or jar. Whisk together.
Assembling Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, green beans, shallots, tomatoes, olives, capers, and parsley to the large bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with extra fresh herbs if you wish. Serve straight away or chill until ready to serve.
