Ina Garten's French Potato Salad Is a Game-Changer
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Potato salad is one of those summer staples found at just about every backyard BBQ, cookout and pool party. While I'm a fan of mayo-based potato salad, it's fun to mix things up once in a while. And when I want to take a classic recipe up a notch, I know just who to go to: Ina.
If you look through her cookbooks, you'll find that the Barefoot Contessa has created five different potato salad recipes, one of which includes lobster. That felt like a bridge to far, but one recipe did catch my eye: Ina Garten's French Potato Salad. When I came across Ina making her light, herb-forward version on YouTube, I knew this was the recipe for me.
Related: 70 Potato Recipes
What Is French Potato Salad?
French-style potato salad is a delicious mayo-free fresh version of the classic dish. Ina tosses perfectly cooked potatoes in an herb Dijon vinaigrette for a side dish that's both elegant and comforting. Serve it at your next outdoor event and watch it disappear.
Theresa Greco
What herbs are in Ina Garten's potato salad?
The fun of this recipe comes into play when choosing the many herbs that flavor the dish. Garten uses dill, parsley and basil but you can use your favorite combination of herbs. I don't eat dill so I left it out and added a bit of tarragon in its place. Being able to use what you like and what you have on hand is part of this easy recipe's appeal.
Do you peel the potatoes for Ina Garten's potato salad?
Ina, the queen of easy elegance, doesn't peel the potatoes for this recipe. But that's not the only potato trick in this dish. Ina likes to cook the potatoes until just tender, then she drains them, puts them in a colander, covers them with a towel and lets them steam until they're perfectly cooked. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, you slice them into rounds and toss them with a splash of white white and a little chicken stock, then lets them sit while she makes the dressing. Adding the wine and stock while the potatoes are warm infuses them with flavor.
The Ingredients You Need for Ina's French Potato Salad
Theresa Greco
The ingredients list is pretty short. You need potatoes (of course). Ina calls for small boiling potatoes, which have nice thin skin. You'll also need dry white wine and chicken stock for tossing with the warm potatoes, and Champagne or apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard for the dressing. For herbs, you can use whatever you like. I used a mix of basil, parsely and tarragon and finished the dish with chives instead of the scallions that Ina uses.
Related: 19 Classic Ina Garten Recipes That Prove She's the GOAT
How to Make Ina's French Potato Salad
The Barefoot Contessa's French potato salad recipe starts off with a mix of red and white boiling potatoes. However, you can easily swap in any potato that has a thin skin. I used Yukon gold and they worked well.
Next, the potatoes are drained and then steamed in a colander with a towel placed over them. The still-warm potatoes are sliced and tossed with white wine and chicken stock and sit in the bowl while you make the vinaigrette. Add the dressing and the herbs to the potatoes, toss well and serve the salad warm or at room temperature.
What I Thought of Ina's French Potato Salad
This recipe is a game-changer! It's so fresh and light and just perfect for summer. I loved being able to choose my own adventure with my favorite herbs and finishing the potatoes by letting them steam was a genius trick. After making this potato salad, I don't know if I'll ever go back to the mayo-based version. It's that good!
