There’s no salad more symbolic of summer than this Italian Potato Salad. The warm potatoes are tossed with razor-thin red onion in a simple vinaigrette and finished with cherry tomatoes, green beans, and fresh herbs.
Editor’s Note: Originally published on June 14, 2019. Updated with new information, photos, and improved recipe on June 10, 2024.
Italian potato salad, also known as potato and string bean salad, is one that’s loaded with flavor, but incredibly rustic.
Depending on the family you grew up in, you may find different variations and additional ingredients, but the base will always be potatoes and green beans with vinaigrette.
It’s the quintessential Italian-American summer side that’s perfect with burgers or grilled meat such as chicken thighs, steak, lamb chops, or pork chops.
And the best part is it is so easy!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Potatoes. You can use any waxy potato, such as Yukon golds or red potatoes. Depending on the size, you may only need to cut them in half, or if they’re larger you’ll need to cut into quarters or eighths until they’re approximately 1 1/2″ cubes.
- Green beans. Also called string beans, opt for the freshest beans you can find. Often they’ll be in a large bin in the grocery store and you can hand select the best ones, or you can buy them already bagged. I don’t recommend using frozen or canned green beans for this salad. Tip: buy a lot of beans and use extras for different purposes, such as this crisp and easy mixed bean salad.
- Tomatoes and onions. Cherry tomatoes and red onion are great additions to Italian potato salad! Hold off on adding the cherry tomatoes until the very end to prevent them from getting mushy.
- Herbs. I use Italian parsley and fresh basil for this recipe, but this potato green bean salad would be excellent with fresh oregano and/or chives as well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Top tips
- Cooking the potatoes. It’s important to not overcook the potatoes so they remain intact. Cook them until almost fork-tender, then remove.
- Dressing the potatoes. It’s best to have the vinaigrette already made and waiting (along with the red onions) so the potatoes can be tossed with the vinaigrette while they’re hot. This helps them to readily absorb the vinaigrette.
- Serving. Italian potato and string bean salad can be served right away while still warm, but can also be served room temperature, or chilled in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight. If you don’t plan to serve right away, hold off on adding the tomatoes and herbs until right before serving.
More summer salad recipes
If simple summer salads with fresh ingredients are your thing, give these recipes a try!
- Tomato and fresh mozzarella salad – with basil, red onion, and vinaigrette.
- Orange fennel salad – with pignoli, onion, lemon vinaigrette, and flaky sea salt.
- Italian white bean salad – with tomatoes, onions, and fresh herbs.
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Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 3 pounds red potatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 pound green beans stems removed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves hand torn
Instructions
- In a large bowl make the vinaigrette by whisking the Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and parsley. Add the red onions into the bowl, mix, and set aside.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot of salted (2 tablespoons salt) water and bring to a boil. When the potatoes are a few minutes from fork tender, add in the green beans. Continue to cook until the green beans are bright green and the potatoes are almost fork tender (about 3-5 more minutes).
- Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Drain the potatoes into a colander.
- Place the warm potatoes into the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Next, add in the green beans and toss them together. Taste test and make any final adjustments to salt and pepper if required. Let the potatoes and green beans sit in the vinaigrette for at least 10 minutes to better absorb the flavors.
- Finally, add the cherry tomatoes and basil on top and gently mix one more time. Enjoy!
Notes
- The cooking times are approximate. If the potatoes need more time simply remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and allow the potatoes to continue cooking.
- This salad can be eaten right away but letting it sit for 2 hours or even overnight will help the potatoes better absorb the flavors. If refrigerating overnight, hold back on adding the tomatoes until the day it is served so that they don’t become mushy.
- Potato green bean salad can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published on June 14, 2019. It was completely updated on June 10, 2024.
BEYOND delicious! So fresh! Will include this in our menu for our next family gathering.
So happy you enjoyed!
great
So delicious and easy to follow
We’re so happy you enjoyed!
Oops! my previous comment is incorrect! I had made the vinaigrette beforehand but didn’t have room for the onions in the jar. By the time I made the recipe, I had forgotten that they went in the vinaigrette. Sorry, my bad!
Tried this and it is simply delicious! Thank you! BTW, you forget to mention to add the onions in the recipe. 🙂
We loved this salad! It is so flavorful!
We’re so happy you love the salad, Cathy!