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This simple French-inspired vegan potato salad is prepared with baby potatoes and comes with a garlicky homemade vinaigrette! It takes less than 30 minutes and just 7 ingredients. A hearty and flavorful plant-based appetizer!
🥔 Why You Should Try It
- It’s a rustic and hearty salad. This classic French salad is often served all year round as an appetizer with other crudités. It also makes a healthy and filling side dish that you can serve at picnics or parties.
- There is no mayo. As opposed to American potato salads, this French-inspired one is made with a vinaigrette. It yields a light salad that makes the flavors of potatoes really shine.
- It’s vegan and gluten-free. Since this salad doesn’t contain any egg, mayo, or wheat, it’s naturally plant-based and gluten-free.
🧄 Ingredient Notes
This potato salad is made in just 30 minutes with 7 basic ingredients. Here is what you will need:
- Potatoes – Use waxy potatoes. I personally went with baby potatoes. Check out the FAQ for more tips on picking the best type of potatoes.
- Garlic and shallots
- Olive oil – Preferably extra virgin olive oil for a fruity flavor.
- Vinegar – A dash of apple cider vinegar brings some tanginess. Feel free to substitute it with rice or balsamic vinegar.
- Mustard – Use good quality yellow mustard, preferably Dijon mustard. You can use whole-grain mustard for an even more rustic salad. Mustard acts as a natural emulsifier for the vinaigrette and adds a subtle spiciness.
- Salt and pepper – To season.
- Fresh herbs – I went with cilantro, but you can use the herbs you have on hand. Scallions, parsley, basil, or even tarragon would make great substitutes.
🥣 How to Make It
Preparing this salad is very easy:
- Boil the potatoes. Wash the potatoes, transfer them to a large pot, and cover with water. Next, let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, shallots, salt, and pepper.
- Peel and slice the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool down for 20-30 minutes. Using a knife or a vegetable peeler, peel the potatoes and slice them into thick slices. You can dice them if you prefer.
- Toss with the vinaigrette and serve. Finally, pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the saltiness and serve at room temperature or chilled!
While this salad is delicious on its own, you can also serve it with burgers like these High-Protein Vegan Burgers, Smoky Black Bean Burgers, or with grilled dishes like these Sesame & Peanut Tempeh Skewers or these Grilled Eggplants!
📔 Tips
- Salt the boiling water. Generously salt the boiling water to allow the potatoes to absorb some of the saltiness.
- Peel or not. If you want a bit more texture and color, simply keep the potatoes unpeeled.
- Make sure to season properly. You don’t want a bland potato salad! It should be perfectly salty and a little bit peppery so taste and adjust accordingly.
- Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to merge and the vinaigrette to infuse the potatoes.
💬 FAQ
I recommend using waxy potatoes that will not crumble after cooking. Baby Yukon gold, red-skin potatoes, or fingerling potatoes are great for this recipe.
That is a personal choice. I personally prefer to cook the potatoes unpeeled so they don’t get too watery.
This potato salad is best served at the same time, so feel free to prepare it up to 8 hours in advance. If you plan to make this salad 1-2 days ahead, toss it with the dressing just 30 minutes or 1 hour before serving.
This vegan potato salad will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
This French vegan potato salad makes a vibrant and flavorful summer side for picnics, BBQs, or parties! The tangy mustard vinaigrette brings a ton of flavor and keeps this salad on the lighter side!
🇫🇷 More French-Inspired Recipes
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Vegan Potato Salad (French-Inspired!)
Ingredients
- 8 baby potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro or scallions
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes: Clean the potatoes under cold water. Drain and add them to a medium pot. Cover with water and add a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and let cool for about 30 minutes.
- Prepare the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, minced shallot, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
- Peel the potatoes using a thin knife or a vegetable peeler. Slice the potatoes in 1/2-inch thick slices and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and add the chopped parsley. Toss to coat and adjust the saltiness to taste.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled! This vegan potato salad will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Salt the boiling water. Generously salt the boiling water to allow the potatoes to absorb some of the saltiness.
- Peel or not. If you want a bit more texture and color, simply keep the potatoes unpeeled.
- Make sure to season properly. You don’t want a bland potato salad! It should be perfectly salty and a little bit peppery so taste and adjust accordingly.
- Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to merge and the vinaigrette to infuse the potatoes.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
Just made it for lunch and it’s super. I’d been looking for a potato salad without mayo and this hit the spot. Thanks for another great recipe!
Glad you liked this potato salad Izzi 😉
Thanks for your feedback!
Good morning Thomas,
Does this set\lection come in print form as well as e-form?
Thanks,
Mpnica
Hi Monica,
Sorry, but I’m not sure what you mean exactly.
I tried this Vegan Potato Salad for my family yesterday. Everyone loved it. Thank you Thomas !
Thanks for your feedback Emy 😉
This looks and sounds delish, Thomas. Thank you very much for posting!
You are welcome RoseAnne 😉