This green bean potato salad is the perfect side dish for any season!
Green Bean Potato Salad
Lately, I’m finding simple, delicious food to be a helpful tonic in healing my hurts. A plate of tender potatoes and still crisp green beans tossed in a tangy mustard vinaigrette is not only delicious, but it’s also so gosh darn pretty. It’s hard not to look at this green bean potato salad and feel a little bit better about life.
Why all the angst, you ask?
The summer slump: it’s inevitable. Although, this year’s mid-summer it’s-so-hot-and-for-whatever-reason-it’s-got-me-all-blue slump definitely has a reason, but I’ll spare you the details because this is a food blog and shouldn’t include personal accounts of all the crappy things that happen in life. All I’ll say is, I’m doing okay aka hangin’ in there aka doing my best to buck up and get back on the horse.
I’m from Wyoming, it’s what we do.
A Salad for Every Season
So let’s talk about the salad. It’s a recipe to tuck away in your ‘perfect for every season’ file. Serve it with grilled chicken, fish, or steak in the summer and when fall and winter come rolling around it’s right at home alongside roast chicken and other slow-cooked entrees. It holds up well at room temperature, thanks to its mayo-less dressing, making it a contender for BBQs, potlucks, or large family dinners that never start on time because there’s just too much to organize.
You don’t need to worry about this green bean potato salad – it’s very patient and doesn’t mind waiting around for dinner to start.
Make it a Main
At the risk of sounding like a late-night infomercial, let me just say “Wait! There’s more!”. This salad was born as a side dish, but think of what a poached egg and some crumbly, crispy bacon would do for it and our lives? I imagine it as a main course, enjoyed al fresco with a crisp white wine to wash it all down. That idea is pushing all of my happiness buttons right now.
Maybe I should have named it green bean potato happiness salad. It seems to be cheering me up.
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Green Bean Potato Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Switch up the old mayo-based potato salad for this fresh and flavorful one that has a Dijon dressing and fresh green beans.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- 24 ounces small white potatoes
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a medium-sized bowl with water and ice for the green beans after they’ve blanched.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and boil them for 1-2 minutes, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, and place them in the bowl with the water and ice to stop the cooking process. Once they’ve cooled drain them in a colander.
- Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water. Boil them for 15-20 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain them and let them cool for a few minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooling, combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Whisking continuously, slowly add the olive oil until the dressing has thickened and is emulsified.
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half lengthwise. Toss them all in a large bowl with the green beans. Add the dressing and toss it all together until everything is well coated. Add the chopped chives and black pepper, toss again, and serve.
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 3.7g
- Sodium: 431.6g
- Fat: 18.9g
- Carbohydrates: 22.1g
- Fiber: 3.8g
- Protein: 2.7g
Keywords: green bean potato salad
Dee says
September 11, 2018 at 3:24 pmThis recipe is amazing! Doing anything in the kitchen other than the dishes brings me anxiety so I will be the first to tell you that you cannot mess this up.
I made this earlier in the day and let the dish stay on the counter to allow the absorption of the flavors and it was delicious!!
I shared this with two “foodies” because they liked it so much.
Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
April says
September 11, 2018 at 4:37 pmSo glad you liked it, Dee!
Anne says
July 31, 2018 at 2:50 pmWe love this salad! A great switch from the traditional potato salad!
★★★★★
Carol L Callender says
June 1, 2018 at 5:45 pmThis was a very delicious. It was also easy. (I like easy recipes in the summer!) While chatting with friends, I found out that green bean salad and potato was something made by the “old timers” in my area (north of Pittsburgh). However, I bet they didn’t made the dressing which took it from ordinary to very special.
Suzi says
July 20, 2018 at 2:09 pmI really loved this one! The dressing makes it extra special! I’ll be picking up more green beans at the market for sure.
★★★★★
Josie says
July 4, 2017 at 7:56 pmMade for BBQ party, and it was enjoyed by women, but the guys didn’t care for it. Also, mine looked a lot darker than the photo shows due to the balsamic vinegar.
April says
July 5, 2017 at 11:30 amThank you for commenting, Josie! Nice to hear the ladies liked it 🙂
Kate says
April 2, 2017 at 10:42 pmCan this be made ahead of time and then served? Do you serve warm or chilled?
April says
April 3, 2017 at 7:19 amHi Kate, when I make it I let the potatoes cool just until I can handle them and then toss everything in the dressing and serve warm. You could make all of the components ahead – cook the veggies and make the dressing – but I would keep the dressing separate until read to serve. Does that make sense?
Anne says
July 15, 2016 at 7:06 pmOmg this is genius! Green beans are absolutely my favorite!!