Red Potato Salad Recipe

Provincial-Style French Red Potato Salad Recipe loaded with roasted new potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, and capers. This potato salad recipe is easy to make and just as easy to love!

It’s human nature to think “My way is the right way.”

We often draw conclusions about certain matters, then fossilize them in our minds. Even with a focused effort on being open to new ideas, sometimes our brains simply hit the “automatic reset button” and we are back to square one.

This sums up my feelings about potato salad. I’ve eaten a myriad of potato salads over the years, and always felt that nothing could compare to my mom’s classic mustard version. Her potato salad has a bright yellow hue; the result of a rather large dollop of yellow mustard. Mom also adds dill, hard-boiled eggs, sweet relish, celery, mayo, and paprika.

You know the kind… In my mind, this was potato salad, anything else was lacking. Case closed.

Until the day I had a hankering for potato salad, but found my pantry bare. There I stood, desperate for potato salad, with no eggs, relish, celery, or dill! Heaven help me; what would I do?

I took a deep breath and decided to improvise. I had new potatoes, not russets. I had capers, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, and some Herbs De Provence.

How about French provincial-style potato salad?

Yes, that was the answer, and the answer was tres bien!

Making A French Red Potato Salad Recipe

In hindsight, I often find that improvisations birth many of my best kitchen creations. As Plato said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” I say necessity keeps you open-minded, at least in the kitchen!

In my heart, mom’s potato salad will always be #1. But I do love this new variety, tremendously. Since that day, I have swapped dried Herbs De Provence, for fresh rosemary, thyme, and lavender. This creates a brighter floral, french-countryside quality.

I’ve also taken to roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them, producing a much better color and texture.

As with all potato salad, the longer it sits, the better it gets. I like to make the French Red Potato Salad Recipe the night before it’s going to be served.

That way, the flavors have time to fully absorb into the potatoes. However, if you just can’t wait, it will still taste wonderful moments after mixing!

Red Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients

• New Potatoes –chopped into bite-size pieces
• Minced Garlic Cloves
• Shallot –chopped
• Capers –reserve brine
• Fresh Chopped Rosemary
• Fresh Chopped Thyme
• Culinary Lavender Buds – or fresh chopped lavender buds and leaves
• Dijon Mustard
• Mayonnaise – or substitute sour cream
•  Salt and Black Pepper
• Olive Oil

How To Make Red Potato Salad with Herbs

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut each potato into bite-size pieces. Lay them on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with a little oil. Lightly salt and pepper.
• Shake the pan to spread the oil around. Then roast the potatoes for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and tender. Make sure to flip once halfway through. Add the chopped garlic and shallots to the potatoes 5 minutes before they are ready to come out of the oven.
• Once the potatoes and garlic are roasted, allow them to cool for a few minutes. Then toss them with the capers, fresh herbs, Dijon mustard, and mayo. Mix well, and add 1-2 teaspoons of caper juice to season and thin out the dressing if needed. *Be careful with the caper brine—it’s really salty! Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Get the Full Printable French Red Potato Salad Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• You can use any kind of potatoes that you have on hand! I like red potatoes here, but gold potatoes or russet would also be delicious.
• Switch up the herbs! If you can’t find lavender, feel free to omit it. You can add additional herbs like basil or chives!
• If you don’t want to use mayo, you can use sour cream or plain greek yogurt instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Can I Store This Potato Salad?

You can store this French potato salad recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. 

What Other Ingredients Could I Add?

Many people love adding a source of protein to this side dish, like crispy bacon or chicken. You can then serve it in a large bowl as a complete meal.

Can I Boil the Potatoes Instead?

Yes, you can boil them in a large pot and drain the fork-tender potatoes, but the crispy potatoes are better for this recipe. The crunch that baking gives them, makes all the difference for this side dish.

More Potato Salad Recipes

• Mom’s Best Potato Salad
• Hawaiian Style Potato Salad
• German Potato Salad
• Raw Sweet Potato Beet Salad

Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, fiber, and calcium percentages.

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