Italian Potato Salad is a lighter, Mediterranean take on the classic. Tender potatoes are tossed with green beans, fresh herbs, and a bright olive oil dressing instead of mayonnaise, making it perfect for warm-weather meals and gatherings. If you enjoy simple Mediterranean salads like this, you might also like my Italian White Bean Salad, another fresh side dish built around herbs, olive oil, and pantry staples.
Italian Potato Salad At A Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: About 30 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 6
- 🌍 Cuisine Type: Italian / Mediterranean
- 🥔 Flavor Profile: Bright and herb-forward with tender potatoes, crisp green beans, olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs
- 🌿 Dietary Info: Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian
- 📦 Storage Notes: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The flavors deepen as it sits.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A lighter potato salad without mayonnaise that's perfect for picnics, summer dinners, and Mediterranean-style meals.s.
Save And Summarize This Recipe
Italian Potato Salad fits right into a Mediterranean table where fresh ingredients and simple flavors shine. If you enjoy salads like this one, try my Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad or the Arugula Salad With Feta and Pistachios. Both bring the same bright combination of herbs, olive oil, and vegetables that make Mediterranean salads so satisfying.
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For more vegetable sides that pair well with grilled meals, my Roasted Smashed Fingerling Potatoes are crispy and full of garlic flavor, while Roasted Brussels Sprouts make another easy side dish that works beautifully alongside fish, chicken, or steak.
This recipe was adapted from Big Heart, Little Stove by Erin French.
Key Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this gluten-free potato salad:
- Olives - You can use Nicoise olives or any black olive in this recipe. If you are looking for another green olive instead of the Castelvetrano, try a pitted greek olive. Castelvetrano olives are easy to find in most grocery store shelves and I like marinating them for a quick appetizer like the Citrus Olives.
- Potatoes - Baby potatoes or small red potatoes work best in this recipe. I tested with other types and the potatoes fell apart when I added the dressing.
See the recipe card for quantities.
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Variations
- Onion - Adding either red onion, white onion, fresh chives, or green onions would provide more onion flavor and crunch to the salad.
- Bacon - Who doesn't love crispy bacon or pancetta? Either would work in this salad.
- Protein - Add in some tuna or cooked chicken for some protein to make this a complete meal. I love using canned tuna for a quick lunch.
- Vinegar - If you don't have seasoned rice wine vinegar on hand, you can substitute either apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Basically any white vinegar will do.
How To Make Italian Potato Salad: Step-By-Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the shallots, garlic cloves, vinegar, and lemon juice. Set it aside.
Step 2: In a medium pot, combine the potatoes, ¼ cup of kosher salt, and just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the warm potatoes, rinse them with cold water, and set them aside until cool. Once cool, halve or quarter the potatoes. and set aside again.
Step 3: Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and cold water. Set the bowl aside. In a large pot, combine 3 quarts of water with the remaining kosher salt and bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green and tender but crunchy, about 1 minute. Immediately drain the beans and transfer them to the ice water to cool and chill, about 3 minutes. Drain and cut the beans into 1 ½ inch pieces. Set aside.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, green beans, green olives, and the kalamata olives. Add the shallot mixture and olive oil. Toss to coat.
Step 5: In a small bowl combine the basil, fresh dill, and parsley. Add to the potato mixture and toss to combine.
Step 6: Drizzle with the browned butter and sprinkle with the lemon zest, flaky sea salt and toss to combine. Serve.
Gwen's Pro Tip
Do not overcook the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until just fork tender, then immediately drain and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process.
For a simple Mediterranean-style meal, this Italian potato salad pairs beautifully with grilled meats or seafood. Try serving it alongside Za'atar Chicken, Grilled Chicken Kabobs, or Salmon With Citrus for a fresh, herb-forward dinner that feels effortless but full of flavor.
Italian Potato Salad FAQ's
It is better to boil the baby potatoes whole, cool them, and then cut them for the salad.
Use the best quality potatoes you can find. In this recipe I use a baby potato which won't fall apart when boiling them.
Yes. Italian potato salad is actually better when made ahead because the potatoes have time to absorb the olive oil, herbs, and seasoning. You can prepare it several hours in advance or even the day before serving. If you enjoy make-ahead Mediterranean salads like this one, my Mediterranean Lentil Salad is another great option for lunches, picnics, or easy weeknight meals.
Other Salads
Let me know your thoughts on this Italian Potato Salad by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Thank you!
Gwen
Italian Potato Salad With Green Beans And Fresh Herbs
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Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 tablespoon shallots finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salad
- 1 ½ lbs baby potatoes
- ¾ cup kosher salt
- 5 oz green beans stems removed
- ½ cup Castelvetrano olives pitted and halved
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives pitted and halved
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsely chopped
- 2 tablespoon butter browned on the stove and melted
- 1 lemon zested
- flaky sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the shallots, garlic cloves, vinegar, and lemon juice. Set it aside to allow the flavors to meld while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- In a medium pot, combine the potatoes, ¼ cup of kosher salt, and just enough water to cover the potatoes.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the warm potatoes, rinse them with cold water, and set them aside until cool.
- Once cool, halve or quarter the potatoes. and set aside again.
- Fill a large mixing bowl with ice and cold water. Set the bowl aside.
- In a large pot, combine 3 quarts of water with the remaining kosher salt and bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green and tender but crunchy, about 1 minute. Immediately drain the beans and transfer them to the ice water to cool and chill, about 3 minutes.
- Drain and cut the beans into 1 ½ inch pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, green beans, green olives, and the kalamata olives. Add the shallot mixture and olive oil. Toss to coat.
- In a small bowl combine the basil, fresh dill, and parsley. Add to the potato mixture and toss to combine.
- Drizzle with the browned butter and sprinkle with the lemon zest, flaky sea salt and toss to combine. Serve.
Katy says
I was looking for something a little different to make with green beans and this hit the spot. So much flavour and a great hit at my BBQ!
Evan says
This was delicious! Sometimes potato salad can be iffy for me, but I loved this lightend up version and the flavor was amazing. Will make again.
chhavi says
Thankyou for this recipe! I always find it tough to eat beans and pairing them with potatoes has been a success!
Sarah says
I love all the fresh herbs in this salad!
Jane says
My husband loved this salad! Thanks for sharing.
Liz says
This was so good! I loved that it didn't have mayo and incorporated greens!!
Poornima says
Such a colorful salad. Made this for my potato loving family, they were amazed that potatoes can also be a salad! I loved the addition of olives in this, keeper recipe!
Sharon says
I love potato salad but have never had it with green beans. It was delicious and my entire family loved it!
Michelle says
Brought this to a BBQ and everyone loved it! Thank you.
Amelia says
This recipe is so delicious! The combination of ingredients are perfect. I would definitely try this again!
Priya Srinivasan says
Such a hearty salad, loved the olives and burst of freshness from the herbs. Made this for our weekend get together and it was a hit!
laura says
The perfect recipe for my gluten free friends!
Kristin says
Love that this is mayo-free. And it was so delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Giangi Townsend says
I love that it is gluten-free. So refreshing and satisfying.
Christine says
I had been looking for a lighter potato salad option for a potluck that I had recently and I am so glad I found this recipe! I loved the inclusion of olives here and the red wine vinegar based dressing. The whole thing was so refreshing, which was perfect for a warm day out! Total crowd pleaser. I am looking forward to making this again for myself and adding some protein -- I'm thinking maybe shrimp or tofu? I think both would be great in here!
Gwen says
Either protein would work!