Not your average picnic potatoes, this no mayo potato salad is an easy cookout recipe. Southern French Potato Salad is tangy and delicious with a dijon mustard salad dressing. A yukon gold potato salad that will perk up your next barbecue or potluck.
When it comes to cookouts, picnics and potlucks — I usually cede the Weber to my husband or other worthy grillmaster while I tackle the sides. As far as cookout recipes go, a good potato salad still ranks in the top 10 in my book. My Southern French Potato Salad is probably in the top 5 because it’s a no mayo potato salad recipe… and ideal for summer alfresco dining.
These lovely picnic potatoes aren’t heavy or goopy. In fact, they’re delightfully light and zippy thanks to a douse of white wine, briny capers and lots of fresh herbs. The best part is that French potato salad recipe is really easy to assemble. Start with the potatoes. I like Yukon Gold, but any waxy potato will do. Bring the spuds to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain the water from the pot, cover with the lid and let the potatoes steam in the pot. When they’re cool enough to handle, peel off the loose skins and slice them into rounds.
It’s the hard-boiled egg (and celery) that make this French potato salad a Southern French Potato Salad. Folks in the South like eggs in their potato salad — it’s an unwritten but long accepted rule. Having grown up in Virginia, I’m not immune to those cultural dictates — and thus I always make potato salad with eggs.
To add a subtle flavor and moistness to the potatoes, sprinkle on a few tablespoons of dry white wine and chicken broth to the still warm potatoes. Carefully toss the potatoes to coat and let them sit and soak up the liquids while you prep the vegetables.
Most French potato salad recipes use scallions and/or shallots and both work nicely here, but in the summer when I can get a good sweet onion, I like to include them in the mix. Finely diced celery adds a little crunch and it’s in keeping with my Southern roots and chopped capers give a briny little bite that ties this dish together.
The BIG thing that differentiates a French potato salad from a Southern potato salad is the mayonnaise — as in — there isn’t any. Instead a French potato salad uses a dijon mustard salad dressing that coats the potatoes without getting goopy or heavy.
Whisk together the dijon, vinegar, salt and pepper and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you’ve achieved a creamy emulsion. It’s simple and delicious over the warm potatoes .
Add the chopped vegetables and hard boiled eggs to the sliced potatoes and pour on the dijon mustard salad dressing.
Toss in the chopped parsley and dill and gently toss to coat. This Southern French potato salad can be served warm or at room temperature. If you do chill it, bring it to room temperature before serving. The flavors are so mild that you’ll lose the subtle flavors if the potato salad is too cold. I served this at a big family lunch last weekend and everyone loved it.
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Southern French Potato Salad
A great alternative to mayonnaise-based potato salads and perfect for picnics and cookouts. I call it "Southern" French potato salad because I've added egg and celery (typical Southern mix-ins) but you can skip them for a more traditional French potato salad.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds yukon gold potatoes
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 1 small vidalia onion finely diced
- 5 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers chopped
- 4 large hardboiled eggs
- 4 tablespoons drinkable white wine
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
Dijon Mustard Salad Dressing
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
PREP THE SOUTHERN FRENCH POTATO SALAD
In a large stock pot add the potatoes and cover with cool water. Heat over high heat until the water comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Tip the pot to drain all the water then place the lid on the pot and let the potatoes steam (off the heat) for 10 minutes.
Place the eggs in a small sauce pan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes off the heat. Run under cold water, then peel eggs.
Meanwhile, chop the celery, onions, scallions and capers and transfer them to a bowl.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to peel the loose skins from the potatoes. (Don't worry if it doesn't all come off, you just want to remove the loose bits. Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick rounds and transfer to a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle potatoes with wine and chicken broth and toss carefully with a spoon, trying not to break them apart too much. Let the potatoes soak in the liquids for a few minutes.
MAKE THE DIJON MUSTARD SALAD DRESSING:
Meanwhile, make the dijon dressing. In a bowl, combine the dijon, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to form an emulsion. Set aside.
ASSEMBLE THE SOUTHERN FRENCH POTATO SALAD
Add the chopped vegetables to the potatoes and drizzle over the dressing. Add the dill and parsley and lightly toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
“Pin It” For Later!
More Cookout Side Dishes:
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- Mediterranean-Style Fattoush Salad
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- Barbecue Baked Beans
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- Grilled Vegetables with Feta and Farro
This is my kind of potato salad! I’m honestly not a huge fan of the mayo versions – they leave me feeling so heavy. But this sounds fresh and wonderful!
This looks and sounds ridiculously good, Lisa! I’m French, and I’ve never even had French potato salad, let alone make it. I fail. I need to rectify this stat. This sounds so tangy and refreshing. I love the addition of capers, and with a mustard dressing like that, who needs mayo? It’s funny—growing up I was *huge* into creamy sauces and dressings. I still appreciate a little shmear on a sandwich or burger, but when it comes to salads anymore, not a chance. Give me ALL the vinaigrettes.
This is just the type of potato salad we would enjoy. We don’t like the heavy mayo covered potatoes you can’t taste anything else. We really like capers so this side would be perfect for our picnics and bbqs.
“The BIG thing that differentiates a French potato salad from a Southern potato salad is the mayonnaise — as in — there isn’t any.” Yippee! I am not a fan of potato salad with mayo so this recipe is right up my alley. I love eggs in potato salad as well. Bookmarking this for sure!
I love how you mixed French and Southern traditions together in this potato salad! It looks like you took the best of both and put them together for a great BBQ side. And no mayo makes it even better since that is one less thing to worry about when you’re eating outside. I’ll be sure to have the salad room temp when I make it.
Potato Salad is a favorite dish of mine and this recipe looks heavenly. I love how there is no mayo, but the white wine and Dijon mustard must give it the perfect light flavor. I am definitely making this with our next cook out.
I’ve never had capers in my potato salad before! I want to try this ASAP. I’m all about potatoes so I’m going to have to eat this like, tonight! Definitely pinning it!
I can’t tell you how I love your Southern FRENCH potato salad Lisa, although I’m Swiss from Geneva we’re close enough to France to share a lot of recipes. I’ve always had potato salad with your dressing and that’s the way I love it. We also dip the potatoes overnight into a mixture of broth and wine to keep them whole. Since I moved to live by the Mediterranean sea, I’ve started adding a few shredded anchovies. Oh now I’m craving for a potato salad!
You’re the second person that has mentioned soaking them overnight — that’s very interesting — and I think the anchovies would be perfect too.
This was divine! I needed a quick dish to take to a potluck…. and this saved the day! The capers were a game changer! Just the right amount of brine…. made it so well balanced! Im keeping this one to use over and over! 🙂
Thanks, Michele. We brought this one to a picnic last week and there wasn’t any left!
that dijon mustard dressing sounds incredible! I love that this is a non-creamy potato salad and it uses eggs. So yum!
I will have to try this one at my next potluck or BBQ!
Ohhhh yum, just pinned this one! I could eat this all by itself during the summer months. I like the no mayo part, and I especially love the added capers and classic hard boiled eggs. I’ve said this before, but I wish we were neighbors, Lisa 🙂
We love potato salad and are always looking for different variations on it. The dressing sounds amazing.
Oh I agree! Gimme all the eggs in my potato salad! This recipe is delightful, pinning to make, as potato salad is THE perfect summer side dish.
I love the addition of eggs in the potato salad and it looks fantastic I would devour the whole bowl ! we all would.
OMG am loving EVERYTHING about this salad. From the wine, to the capers…and of course the dill. This is going to be a hit at my next BBQ party. Printing right now!!
I love potato salad but I’ve never had it like this. It looks so good, I have to try it!