French Potato and Green Bean Salad
Updated October 16, 2023
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 pounds medium potatoes, like Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1 large thyme sprig
3 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
1 tablespoon chopped anchovy
1 tablespoon chopped capers
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound small French beans, or small romano or wax beans
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil
6 to 8 anchovy fillets, optional, for garnish
8 ounces arugula, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
35 grams carbs; 130 milligrams cholesterol; 327 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 780 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme branch. Cook at a brisk simmer until the potatoes are firm but easily pierced with a skewer, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
- Step 2
While the potatoes are cooking, make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, anchovy, capers, mustard and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk again before using if the dressing separates.
- Step 3
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins with a paring knife and carefully cut into pieces ¼-inch thick, or slightly thicker. Put the slices in a low bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper and add half the vinaigrette. Using your hands, gently coat the potatoes with the vinaigrette, taking care not to break them. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
- Step 4
Top and tail the beans. Simmer in salted water until firm-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, then cool under running water and pat dry.
- Step 5
To cook the eggs, bring a medium pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the eggs and cook for 8 minutes for a somewhat soft-centered yolk or 9 minutes for a firmer yolk. Cool the eggs immediately in ice water, then crack and peel. Cut each egg in half and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Step 6
When ready to serve, season the beans with salt and pepper, then dress with the remaining vinaigrette. (Reserve 2 tablespoons vinaigrette for the arugula, if using.)
- Step 7
Combine the dressed beans and potatoes, using hands to toss, and pile onto a platter. Sprinkle with chives, parsley and basil and arrange the eggs over the top. Garnish with anchovy fillets, if desired. Dress the arugula and send it to the table separately.
Private Notes
Comments
A little trick worth mentioning:
Instead of adding the olive oil to the vinegar, add the vinegar to the olive oil whisking all the while: it will emulsify better and won't separate as easily, if at all.
Great recipe for relatively quick meal. I don't boil eggs though, I steam them and they come out perfect every time. Bring a bit of water to a boil in a pot with the steaming basket in it. When the water is boiling add the eggs to the basket, cover the pot and set a timer for 12 minutes. When the timer goes off, put the eggs in a bowl of ice water until completely cooled. Instead of being dry, crumbly and pale yellow, the yolks are a beautiful dark orange with a soft, creamy texture.
Delicious! It satisfies the craving for Salade Nicoise with less work and a more appropriate amount to serve me and my husband. I added cherry tomatoes, which taste so good with the basil and look beautiful I also use anchovy paste, so convenient to keep on hand. Next time, I'll cook the potatoes differently. I prefer to cut them in chunks and steam with the skin on. I tried to cook them as directed, but I had lots of trouble slicing them, and we like the skins.
Excellent. Served with salmon cakes. Will do it again
Like others have mentioned, there are a couple of time-saving measures you can implement here. Pre-cut your potatoes into chunks. Boil in a sizeable pot. With 9 mins left, add your eggs to the same pot. With 4 mins left, add your beans to the same pot. All finished at the same time, perfectly cooked. Don't bother peeling the potatoes. Otherwise followed all ingredients and amounts exactly as listed and it is perfection. I could drink this dressing.
This is a "Where has this recipe been all my life?" kind of recipe. Ideal if you love a composed nicoise salad but need to eat 'al desko' out of a deli container. I used fingerling potatoes, basil as the only fresh herb, no eggs as it was a side for roasted salmon. I added cherry tomatoes, meant to add olives and more capers but forgot. Looking forward to adapting leftovers. The dressing is the bomb - it would be excellent on some bitter greens, moistening a sandwich or any number of uses.