Herb potato salad is a perfect light summer side dish that’s quick and easy to make and full of herb-y lemon flavors. Great for picnics (no mayo), potlucks and BBQs.
I’m not a big fan of mayonnaise-based potato salads. I prefer a vinaigrette dressing which seems lighter and fresher somehow.
The lemon, Dijon, garlic and fresh herbs add a wonderful flavor boost, making this potato salad one of my favorites. And judging from the requests I get for the recipe, it’s definitely popular among friends and family.
The herb potato salad goes really well with any vegetarian, meat or fish main dish. It’s easily transported and can be served at room temperature. All in all, just a simple, yummy side dish. Try it with Grilled Pork Chops, Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Wings or Chicken Burgers with Mango-Avocado Salsa.
Tailor To Your Taste
- Potatoes: I generally use baby red potatoes (new potatoes). If the baby potatoes are on the larger side, cut them in quarters instead of halves. If you can’t find baby potatoes, buy any other waxy boiling potato such as Yukon gold or fingerlings. Just cut them into small bite size chunks.
- Herbs: Use whatever you love. Good ones for this recipe are parsley, dill, chives, basil and/or tarragon. Cilantro for some would be excellent, too, but people tend to love it or hate it. For some quick basic information on how to to keep herbs fresh for weeks, see our post on Herbs: The Bare Essentials.
- Dressing: I love the lemon-garlic-Dijon-herb combination, but almost any type of vinaigrette will do. You can certainly replace the lemon with red or white wine vinegar.
Shortcut
- In a pinch, replace the vinaigrette dressing in the recipe with your favorite store-bought vinaigrette dressing such as zesty Italian.
- If I double or triple the recipe, I use a small food processor to chop the garlic and herbs and make the vinaigrette. Much quicker. Note that in the recipe, you can change the number of servings (hover over the number) and the amounts of ingredients will change.
Make Ahead Herb Potato Salad
- Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days, then bring to room temperature when ready to use. If you are making the herb potato salad earlier in the day to serve that evening, just let it sit on the counter at room temperature.
Herb Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
- 1/3 cup chives or green onions, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup herbs, chopped (parsley, dill, chives and/or basil)
- zest of 1/2 lemon
Vinaigrette
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- BOIL THE POTATOES: Place potatoes in a pot. Cover with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to boil, lower to medium and cook the potatoes until easily pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes. Drain and put potatoes in a serving bowl.
- MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk the lemon, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil and whisk until well blended.
- COMBINE: Pour all the vinaigrette over the potatoes. It might look like more than you need, but it will be absorbed into the potatoes for great flavor. Add the green onions (or chives), herbs and lemon zest. Toss gently to coat the potatoes well. Serve warm or at room temperature. I often make the dish an hour or two ahead to let the flavors develop.
Notes
This recipe was updated from July 2016 with new pictures and some minor tweaks.
Here are a few other potato dishes you might like:
Another WINNER!!!!!!