French Potato Salad
This French Potato Salad has absolutely zero mayonnaise, so it's perfect for any time of year! It can be served warm or cold. This easy side dish features ultra-soft baby potatoes and red onions in a delicious dressing of two kinds of mustard and honey. This light side dish is perfect for so many gatherings!
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French Potato Salad Recipe
Okay, I have something controversial to say. I don't like mayonnaise. This has stopped me from being able to enjoy classic side dishes like pasta salad and potato salad.
But then I found a way to make my own light dressing to go with these cold salads! That changed everything and now I can enjoy this veggie-packed pasta salad without mayo and the mayo-free potato salad below.
Whether you're a mayo fan or not, you need to try this delicious twist on the classic potato salad. It's perfectly creamy without a single drop of mayo! Baby potatoes are tossed in a zesty honey mustard dressing. It's light, full of flavor, and comes together in no time, making it the ideal side dish for barbecues, picnics, or a weeknight dinner.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
This easy no-mayo French Potato Salad is wonderful for a number of reasons:
- Mayo-free but oh-so-creamy: A zesty honey mustard dressing adds richness without the need for polarizing mayo.
- Light and flavorful: Tangy mustard, honey, and vinegar keep it fresh and bright.
- Quick and easy: Simple ingredients and fast prep make it a perfect side.
French Potato Salad Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to grab at the grocery store to make this easy potato salad without mayo:
- Baby potatoes
- Red onion
- Fresh parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dressing (recipe below!)
No-Mayo Potato Salad Dressing Ingredients
For the no-mayo honey mustard dressing, here's what you'll need:
- Dijon mustard
- Whole-grain mustard
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil
Optional Mix-ins
The best thing about potato salad is you can make it exactly how YOU like it. I love mine with bacon, but you can mix in tons of other flavors and textures. You could even add in some pickled fennel for a boost in fresh, zesty flavor. Here are a few other ideas:
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Pickles, capers, cornichons or olives
- Bacon bits
- Fresh herbs like chives, tarragon, dill or basil
- Toasted nuts
- Celery
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese
How to Make French Potato Salad without Mayo
Ready to make this easy French Potato Salad? Let's go!
The first step is to cook your potatoes. Start by quartering them (or halving them if they are baby potatoes) and place them in a saucepan of room-temperature water. Bring the water to a boil and cook potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain water and let cool while you work on the rest of the ingredients.
If you're adding any other mix-ins that need cooking, like hard-boiled eggs or bacon, cook those now also! Use whatever method you prefer. I love to cook my hard-boiled eggs in the air fryer and m friend Erin has a great tutorial on how to bake bacon, which is hands-off so you can focus on other things.
I love to make bacon for breakfast and save some leftover pieces for this recipe! Keep the bacon in the fridge until you're ready to use it. Then break it up into pieces with your hands or kitchen shears.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the warm (but not hot) potatoes to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss the potatoes in the dressing until they are well coated. Add in the chopped red onion, and parsley.
If you're adding any extras like hard-boiled eggs, pickles or bacon bits, mix them in now too.
Cover the potato salad and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld. Before serving, give the salad a gentle stir and taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary. This salad can be served chilled, warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Tricks
- Adjust the honey and mustard ratio to suit your taste-more honey for sweetness, more mustard or apple cider vinegar for tanginess.
- Whisking olive oil into the mustard-honey mixture creates a creamy dressing without the need for mayonnaise.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FAQ
You can make a mayo-free potato salad dressing that is similar to a salad dressing. Mine uses Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Less starchy potatoes like red potatoes and fingerling potatoes are best for potato salad. When possible, stay away from starchy varieties like russet potatoes. In a pinch, yukon gold potatoes will work well, too.
Yes! In fact, making it a few hours in advance allows the flavors to meld and makes it taste even better. Just refrigerate it until ready to serve.
What to Serve with French Potato Salad
This dish is perfect for so many occasions. People always think of potato salad as a summer side dish, but potato salad is actually perfect year round. A few ideas of when you could serve this easy side dish:
- Make hamburgers or turkey burgers and pair it with this mayo-free potato salad.
- Serve with grilled chicken or steaks year round.
- Serve it alongside your holiday turkey for a nontraditional holiday side dish.
For other sides, consider making a simple fruit salad or a kale salad.
More Potato Side Dish Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
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French Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped (optional)
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- optional toppings such as chopped hard-boiled eggs, pickles, or bacon bits for extra flavor
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and halve them. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the warm (but not hot) potatoes to the bowl with the dressing.
- Gently toss the potatoes in the dressing until they are well coated. Stir in the chopped red onion, and parsley.
- If you're adding any extras like hard-boiled eggs, pickles, or bacon bits, mix them in now. (I added 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs)
- Cover the potato salad and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld.
- Before serving, give the salad a gentle stir and taste to adjust the seasoning if necessary. This salad can be served chilled, warm, or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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