Description
A vibrant and hearty Potato and Green Bean Salad featuring tender new potatoes, crisp green beans, hard-boiled eggs, and a flavorful tangy vinaigrette with olives, capers, and fresh herbs. Perfect as a light lunch or a side dish, served chilled or at room temperature with improved flavors after resting.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 eggs, hard-boiled
- 2 lbs (900g) new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling water)
- 1 lb (450g) green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
- 12 dry-cured black olives
- 4–5 sprigs fresh flat parsley, stemmed and chopped
- 4–5 sprigs chives, chopped
Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup (75ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp (30ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30ml) white wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp chopped capers
- 1 tbsp chopped black olives (dry cured)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, then boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Cool under cold running water, peel, and quarter the eggs.
- Cook the potatoes and green beans: Halve or quarter the potatoes depending on their size. Put the potatoes in a pot with water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Add the trimmed and cut green beans to the pot and boil together for 2–3 more minutes until the beans are bright green and potatoes are tender. Drain the vegetables and immediately transfer them to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking process and preserve color and texture.
- Prepare the vinaigrette: In a jar, combine the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped capers, chopped black olives, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Shake well until the vinaigrette is emulsified and well combined.
- Toss the salad: In a large bowl, toss the chopped fresh parsley and chives with half of the vinaigrette to lightly coat the herbs. Add the cooled potatoes, green beans, and whole dry-cured black olives to the bowl. Gently toss everything together to mix without breaking the potatoes.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the quartered hard-boiled eggs on top of the salad and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette evenly over everything.
- Serve and store: Serve the salad at room temperature or chilled. For best flavor, allow the salad to rest for a few hours or overnight to let the ingredients meld beautifully.
Notes
- Use new potatoes for a tender texture; other waxy potatoes can be substituted.
- The ice-water bath is key for stopping cooking and preserving the green beans’ bright color.
- Flavors improve after the salad rests, so preparing it ahead is recommended.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste in the vinaigrette as olives and capers can be salty.
- For a vegan version, omit eggs and consider adding chickpeas or tofu for protein.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean