This French potato salad is a delicious simple side dish that’s bright and tangy, packed with capers and fresh herbs. An adaptation of Julia Child’s classic recipe, it’s a summer favorite that’s perfect for cookouts!
One of the first cookbooks I picked up when I was learning to cook was a book by Julia Child. After reading it, I fell in love with her personality: her passion for cooking is infectious! She then became my “TV friend” as I binged-watched her black-and-white cooking shows from the 1950’s.
A few years ago I made Nicoise salad, a recipe I learned from Julia, and a component of that bowl was this French potato salad. It was so good that I kept sneaking bites from the bowl! Now when summer rolls around, this French potato salad is what I make: it’s light, simple, no mayo, and everyone always loves it: even more than the classic creamy kind!
5 Star Reader Reviews
“This is the best potato salad I’ve ever made. YUM. It’s my new go-to. Wow. Interesting method but turns out fantastic.” -Stephanie
“The easiest French potato salad I have made. I like the addition of capers. I cooked the potatoes in the pressure cooker and they turned out perfectly.” -Kn
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s a true crowd-pleaser. The tangy-briny-herby flavor is hard to stop eating: everyone I’ve served it to loves this combination.
Make-ahead friendly. You can mix it a full day in advance and it tastes even better the next day.
Works for many diets. It’s vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free so it’s great for cookouts with many types of eaters.
What is French Potato Salad, Anyway?
French potato salad is a vinegar-based salad, instead of creamy like the American version. While the ingredients can vary, it typically includes potatoes, vinegar and olive oil, fresh herbs like parsley or dill, onion, shallot or scallions, and sometimes capers. It’s got no mayo and works for many diets including vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free.
I also made a version of this French potato salad with dill that’s absolutely fantastic. To add an herby pop, go to our Dill Potato Salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Baby red potatoes: Their thin skins and waxy flesh hold their shape after boiling. It’s worth finding the right thing for this recipe — yellow skin potatoes also work.
White wine vinegar. Bright but not aggressive. As a substitution, you can also try red wine vinegar though again, it’s worth finding the real thing.
Capers. These give the salad a salty, briny pop. They’re a berry of the caper bush that’s native to the Mediterranean and sold pickled, in small thin bottles. See my best caper recipes for more info.
Shallot. The flavor is milder than yellow onion, with a hint of garlic. (You can also make a great shallot vinaigrette with leftovers.)
Fresh parsley. Adds a fresh and peppery kick. Here’s how to store parsley so it doesn’t go limp. You can also use dill and make this dill potato salad.
Olive oil. My go-to heart healthy all-purpose oil.
Tips for Making French Potato Salad
This French potato salad is incredibly tasty: every time I make it I truly cannot help myself from sneaking bites: it’s just that good! Here are a few tips for this salad:
Start the potatoes in cold, salted water. This is the move for any boiled potato: cold water means even cooking from the inside out.
Let the potatoes stand with vinegar & water, then mix in olive oil. There’s no traditional vinaigrette here! After the potatoes are boiled and drained, you’ll mix them with white wine vinegar and warm water and let them stand for 5 minutes. At first when you mix in the water, the potatoes will be very watery. But never fear! As you gently mix the potatoes, they’ll absorb the water and vinegar and become moist and tangy. Then you can add a touch of olive oil. This method makes for perfectly moist potato salad!
Don’t skip the capers. Capers add just the right final flavoring to the dish. This was an addition I made to Julia’s salad recipe, as I saw some other French potato salad recipes that incorporated capers. It really makes it shine!
How to Serve French Potato Salad
This French potato salad is perfect for all sorts of occasions and to pair with dishes of all kinds. Here are my top ways to serve it:
Nicoise salad. The hands down best way to serve it: as part of Nicoise Salad! It’s a French main dish salad that’s off the charts good, with boiled eggs, green beans, tuna, olives, and greens covered in a tangy lemon dressing.
This is a great make-ahead salad: you can mix it up to a full day in advance, keep it in the fridge, and pull it out about 30 minutes before serving so it can come back to room temperature. Leftovers store for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
A quick word on warm-vs.-cold: I usually serve this at room temperature, which is when both the potatoes and the seasonings taste their best.
Dietary Notes
This French potato salad recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Fill a large pot with cold water and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add the whole potatoes and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, set a timer for 8 minutes. Cook until fork tender (taste test to check), up to 20 minutes.
Mince the shallot.
When the potatoes are done, drain them. When they are cool enough to handle, slice them into bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl and gently mix in the minced shallot, white wine vinegar, kosher salt, and ½ cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. The potatoes will absorb the water as they stand.
Add the capers, parsley, olive oil, and a few grinds black pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Serve warm or room temperature. Leftovers store up to 4 days refrigerated.
This fresh dill potato salad recipe has big flavor with no mayo, tossed in olive oil, vinegar, capers, and garden herbs. It’s the potato salad I bring to every summer cookout and picnic!
Dill is often dwarfed by basil, but it’s one of the tastiest herbs around. Every year I grow dill in my garden and I’m always itching to find ways to use it. This dill potato salad is one of my favorites: tangy potatoes, drenched in a naturally creamy sauce made with olive oil and vinegar, punchy fresh herbs, and savory capers to round it out.
Like the German potato salad I grew up with, this dill potato salad has no dairy to speak of, making it vegan and plant-based too. And man is it flavorful: it always disappears very quickly at my house!
5 Star Reader Review
“I have made this a few times and it is one of my favorite potato salads. I’m not crazy about mayo so this really works for me. The half cup of water added is a great idea.” -Florence
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s fresh and simple, no mayo required. I modeled this dill potato salad off of my French potato salad, which was inspired by Julia Child. It’s a potato salad with no mayo: it features a simple sauce of olive oil and vinegar.
It’s so delicious. The potatoes soak up vinegar and salty water while they’re still warm, breaking down to create their own naturally creamy sauce. From there, it’s just olive oil, shallot, capers, and loads of fresh dill.
It’s crowd pleasing and works for many diets. Bring it to cookouts and picnics and it works for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and Mediterranean diet eaters.
How To Make This Dill Potato Salad
The way that the seasoning is added to the potatoes makes it into a naturally creamy, gooey texture. Here’s what I learned from Julia Child on the best way to make a dill potato salad that’s full of serious flavor:
First, boil the potatoes whole until they’re fork tender. Drain and allow them to cool, then when they’re cool enough to touch cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Place the warm potatoes in a bowl and mix them with white wine vinegar, shallot, kosher salt, and here’s the kicker: ½ cup warm water. Let this mixture stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The potatoes will absorb the water and and a runny sauce will form! (If you didn’t add water, the potatoes would simply dry out.)
After the rest time, then add the olive oil, capers and herbs and mix to combine. The potatoes will continue to break down a little and form a gooey texture.
What to Serve with Dill Potato Salad
This dill potato salad is built for summer and it goes with almost anything you could think of. A few of my favorite pairings:
Burgers, bratwurst, or anything else off the grill
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover dill potato salad keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving leftovers. I would not suggest freezing this salad, since the texture of the potatoes is grainy after thawing.
Dietary Notes
This dill potato salad recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan.
This fresh dill potato salad recipe has big flavor with no mayo, tossed in olive oil, vinegar, capers, and garden herbs. It’s the potato salad I bring to every summer cookout and picnic!
Fill a large pot with cold water and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add the whole potatoes and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, boil for about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size. Cook until fork tender (taste test to check).
Mince the shallot. Finely chop the dill and parsley. Thinly slice the green onions, if using.
When the potatoes are done, drain them. When they are cool enough to handle, slice them into bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl and gently mix in the minced shallot, white wine vinegar, kosher salt, and ½ cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. The potatoes will absorb the water as they stand.
Add the dill, parsley, green onions, drained capers, olive oil, and a few grinds black pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary (I usually add ¼ teaspoon more). Serve warm or room temperature. Stores up to 4 days refrigerated.
These grilled desserts make magical summer treats! Here are my favorite easy recipes to finish off any backyard meal.
Looking for the perfect dessert to finish off a summer meal? Try one of my favorite grilled desserts! These tasty treats are easy to whip up after grilling your main course. Who needs to bake when you can grill your dessert?
You can throw the fruit on the grill while it’s still hot, then wrap them in foil until it’s time for dessert. To me, the lightly smoky flavor of grilled fruit is one of my favorite treats! Topped with a little vanilla ice cream, it tastes restaurant style with very little effort. Here are my favorite grilled dessert recipes to try this summer.
Why Grilled Fruit Makes Such a Good Dessert
When ripe fruit hits a hot grate, the sugars caramelize and the flesh softens just enough to turn slightly jammy. It also gets the most delicious charred flavor that you just can’t get from an oven!
The other thing I love about grilling fruit is the how easy it is. When Alex finishes the burgers or chicken thighs, I have a foil packet of apples or peach halves ready to slide on after dinner comes off!
Here’s one of the best grilled desserts out there: grilled apples! Thinly slice those apples and throw them in a foil packet with sugar and spices. The grill turns them tender and velvety, with subtle nuance of smoke. Top with melty vanilla ice cream and doesn’t get any better than this! It’s easy to make up a packet and cook it while prepping the rest of a grilled dinner.
Another fantastic grilled dessert is grilled peaches! Throw these sweet, juicy fruits onto the grill and they get caramelized and lightly smoky. Then top them with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint for a summer dessert that everyone raves about. Only make this when you can find ripe, in season peaches.
This grilled dessert is a spin on the flavors of bananas foster, and the perfect end to a dinner on the patio. Each tender bite is flavored with maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. It’s made even more perfect with a little melty vanilla ice cream: restaurant quality with very little effort.
Grilled pineapple is one of my favorite endings to a summer meal. Pineapple is tangy and juicy as is. For the easiest grilled dessert, throw it on the grates, serve drizzled with honey and top with fresh mint. Or take it over the top and serve with melty vanilla ice cream or toasted coconut.
Pro Tips For Grilling Fruit
Pick ripe but firm fruit. Overripe peaches and pineapple will juice too much and might not survive. If a peach dents under your thumb, save it for a peach smoothie.
Oil the cut sides. A quick brush of oil keeps fruit from sticking.
Use the cool side for foil packets. Direct heat is great for searing the cut side of fruit; indirect heat for foil-packet desserts.
More Grill Recipes To Try
Need ideas for grilled meals, too? We’ve got your back! Here are some of our favorite resources for tasty meals from the grill:
20 Vegetarian Grill Recipes All the veggie-forward grilled main dishes and side dishes you need for a summer party!
Grilled Fish & Seafood Recipes These seafood and grilled fish recipes are full of big flavor! Seafood is fast and easy to make on the grill.
25 Best Grilled Vegetables Here’s the master method for how to cook each one of these vegetables on the grill! There’s a recipe for everything from potatoes and peppers to more unique veggies like Brussels sprouts and okra.
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/L1Nf5Cq
These grilled potatoes in foil are tender, seasoned, and totally hands-off: just seal the packet and walk away! There’s no need to parboil using my go-to method for this easy grilled side dish.
Want an easy grilled side dish that requires no effort? You can truly “set it and forget it” with these grilled potatoes in foil. Throw the potatoes and onions in a foil packet and concentrate on the rest of the meal. In 30 minutes, they’re done!
My classic grilled potatoes recipe comes out crispy like French fries, but you have to parboil them first and then baby them on the grill. Grilled potatoes in foil are something different altogether. They come out moist and creamy, flavored with herbs and butter and taste just like the ones you grew up eating (at least, to me!).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s truly hands-off. No parboiling, no flipping, no watching the grates grates. You can use the rest of your grill for things that actually you: like grilled salmon or grilled chicken.
Timing is forgiving. Anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes works depending on how big you chop and your grill temperature.
Cleanup is almost nothing. Just toss the foil and rinse the bowl!
Ingredients You’ll Need
These grilled potatoes in foil are perfect for when you’re making a grilled dinner and want to throw on an easy side dish that you can forget about. I love grilled potatoes, which take just 15 minutes to grill, but they require boiling in advance and turning on the grill. With these, you’ll just throw them in the packet! Here are the ingredients you need for grilled potatoes in foil:
Potatoes: I use a mix when I can: the colors look pretty when you open the packet. What you want is a waxy potato, like most red and yellow varieties, not a starchy potato like a russet (use that for a baked potato on the grill).
Onion: Pick any color: white, yellow, or red.
Olive oil and butter: The combination brings big flavor, but you can skip the butter for vegan
Fresh herbs: I like using fresh thyme and oregano.
Garlic powder, salt and pepper: All you need for the perfect seasoning.
How To Grill Potatoes In Foil
You might think grilling potatoes in foil is simply throwing potatoes into aluminum foil and grilling them. You’d be right! There’s really no trick to this recipe. However, it’s nice to know the grill temperature, approximate timing, and level of seasoning. That’s where we come in! Here are the basic steps (or jump to the recipe below):
Preheat a grill to medium high heat. That’s 375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature for most grilled vegetables.
Chop the veggies and throw them on foil with the seasonings. See the recipe below. Place a piece of foil on top, seal the seams, and poke holes to let the steam escape.
Grill the packet for about 30 minutes. Test with a fork to assess doneness.
Packet ready to get on the grill!
Seasoning Variations to Try
The fresh thyme and oregano we used in this recipe bring an herbaeous flair to these potatoes in foil! As we ate them, Alex and I kept exclaiming: wow, these are so good! But there are so many other ways to season them. Here are some ideas:
Important: Keep in mind many of these blends have salt included. Use ¼ teaspoon of the salt below, then sprinkle with the seasoning.
Ranch seasoning. I mean, who doesn’t want potatoes with ranch? Try this Homemade Ranch Seasoning.
All purpose seasoning. Originally we made this All Purpose Seasoning for fish, but WOW is it good! We highly recommend giving it a try.
Serving Suggestions
There are lots of grilled veggies to throw on the grill alongside these potatoes in foil to make them a meal! Here are a few of our favorites we’d recommend:
This grilled potatoes in foil recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to parboil the potatoes first?
No. The whole point of this method is that the foil traps steam and cooks the potatoes through without any pre-cooking step.
Can I prep the packet ahead of time?
You can assemble the packet up to a few hours in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to grill. Let it come closer to room temperature for about 15 minutes before it hits the grates so the cook time stays consistent.
Can I cook these in the oven instead?
Absolutely. Roast at 425°F for about 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll lose the slight smokiness, but the texture is nearly identical.
These grilled potatoes in foil are tender, seasoned, and totally hands-off: just seal the packet and walk away! There’s no need to parboil using my go-to method for this easy grilled side dish.
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
Chop the potatoes and onions into bite-sized pieces. Place them in a medium bowl and mix them with the olive oil, chopped fresh herbs, garlic powder, kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper.
Place the potatoes and onions on a large sheet of foil and fold up sides. Place the butter, cut into thin pats, on top. Place second piece of foil on top and seal the seams. Poke several holes in the packet with fork (to allow stem to escape).
Place directly on the grill grates and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until tender (open and test with a fork to assess doneness; exact timing depends on the size of pieces and exact grill temperature). Taste and add additional salt as necessary.
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