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.
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Italian Potato Salad – a summertime favorite
Also known as potato and string bean salad, this Italian potato salad is 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 mixed bean salad, green beans in tomato sauce, and green beans almondine.
- 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 salads
If simple salads with fresh ingredients are your thing, give these recipes a try!
Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup (120g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup (120g) red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (21g) honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 3 pounds (1.4kg) red potatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 pound (340g) green beans stems removed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup (150g) thinly sliced red onion
- 3/4 pound (340g) cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves hand torn
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Instructions
- In a large bowl make the vinaigrette by whisking the Dijon mustard, honey, 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.
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This recipe was originally published on June 14, 2019. It was completely updated on June 10, 2024.
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My mother used to make this and we also do…..we always added some fresh mint….
Just a lovely addition to our 4th of July barbecue or any dinner. We grilled some steaks, etc. & it was a nice change from all the mayonnaisey salads. Not difficult to make ,with ingredients I already had in my kitchen. Really nice & fresh.
So glad you all enjoyed!
What a fabulous recipe. Made a double batch for a barbecue today. I think it would be great with pancetta and it as well thank you so much for sharing it. It will become a family favorite.
So glad you enjoyed!
Looks great
I’ve had a salad similar to this many years ago. Thank you for posting this recipe. I’m going to make this salad – it looks wonderful!
Hope you enjoy, Gwen!
I like the way everything is simply stated and alway a delicious recipe. Thank you for posting.
Glad you enjoyed!
This was a huge win for me and my family.
Thank you so much for your great recipe!
So happy you all enjoyed, Donna!
Oh man! This is such a delicious, easy salad to make for hot, summer nights. Will be a great addition to our annual summer block party next month since there is no mayo involved. A big plus is that our green beans this year are molto abundant! Thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this one, Ceejay!
I have not had Italian potato salad for many years, and your recipe is just as I remember it. Thank you, James, for the authentic Sicilian recipe. Mangia
We’re so happy to hear that, Bettyann!
Love all your recipes and thank you for sharing your beautiful family
We’re so happy to hear that, Holly!
Can’t wait to try! The recipe calls for honey but not sure when to add it?
Hi Joan, it gets added along with the other vinaigrette ingredients. Hope you enjoy!
This was a delicious Italian Summer Salad…..I felt as though I was in Italy savoring Italian Buffet cooking….!
Thank you.
So happy you enjoyed, Regina!
I cannot wait to try this dish. Thank you.
We hope you love it!
Spot on delish! Not a big fan of string beans but loved this recipe. Will be making this again for our bbqs to go with steak or ribs. Keep the recipes coming !
We’re so happy you enjoyed!
I would add a little bit of crushed garlic to the dressing. I found it very good.
You bring back my childhood memories every time I read your recipes. THANK YOU!
We couldn’t ask for a better comment, Anita! So happy to hear that!
Made this for dinner last night. It was awesome everyone really enjoyed it. Can’t wait to make again
So glad to hear that, Scott!
I just made this tonight. I had to check the recipe. Spot on. Delicious!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!
Could you top the salad with some grated parmesan cheese?
I don’t see why not!