Mediterranean Potato Salad

Summery potato salad with green beans, roasted red peppers, red onion, and olives is tossed in vinaigrette that acts as a marinade. It's a make-ahead side that gets more flavorful as it sits.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated May 09, 2022
Elise Bauer
Mediterranean Potato Salad

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

How is it that it's almost Memorial Day already? 'Splain it to me Lucy! When I was a kid, a week seemed like an eternity.

Now, well into middle-agedom, I blink and it's a new month. One good yawn and we've moved from pea shoots to picnic salads.

Speaking of which, picnic salads that is, everyone needs a good potato salad in their picnic repertoire, right? This one fits the bill.

Mediterranean Potato Salad

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

It's sort of a potato salad a la Nicoise. No mayo, the dressing is a mustard vinaigrette; new potatoes are tossed with green beans, roasted red bell peppers, red onion, minced Kalamata olives, parsley and arugula.

The best thing is that you can make it days ahead. The vinaigrette acts as a marinade, so the longer the salad sits, the more infused with flavor it becomes.

Mediterranean Potato Salad

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 60 mins
Servings 10 to 12 servings

This recipe makes a large batch of potato salad, perfect for a picnic or potluck. You can easily cut the ingredients in half if you want a more moderate amount of potato salad.

To roast bell peppers, rub with a little olive oil, place on an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan under a broiler, and broil until all sides are completely blackened, turning as needed. Place the blackened bell peppers in a bowl and cover with a plate until they cool. Then peel off the blackened bits. For more details on various methods to roast bell peppers see: Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds small new potatoes or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed clean

  • Salted water (1 1/2 teaspoons salt to every quart water) for cooking the potatoes

  • 1 pound fresh, tender green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups prepped green beans)

  • 3 large roasted red bell peppers, core removed, flesh cut into 2 x 1/4-inch strips (about 2 cups, or a 16 ounce jar, drained)

  • 3/4 cup red onion, minced

  • 1 cup kalamata and green olives, pitted and minced (mini-chopper works well for this)

  • A large handful fresh Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped

  • A large handful fresh baby arugula leaves

Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or herbes de provence)

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Boil the potatoes:

    Place whole potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water, an inch above the level of the potatoes. Add salt (1 1/2 teaspoons for every quart of water used). Bring to a simmer on high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a simmer.

    potatoes and water in a pot

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (or more, depending on the size of the potatoes), until pierced easily with the tines of a fork or a sharp knife. Check frequently for doneness.

    Once done, drain and place potatoes on a sheet pan to cool. Let cool to room temperature or slightly warm. (You can speed up cooling by placing in the refrigerator if you have space.)

  2. Blanch the green beans:

    While the potatoes are cooking, bring another pot of salted water to a rolling boil (2 quarts of water, 1 tablespoon salt). Add the green beans.

    Blanch for 4 to 5 minutes, more or less depending on the age and toughness of the beans.

    green beans cooking in a pot of water

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    Once cooked until tender, drain and place in a bowl of ice water to shock and stop the cooking.

  3. Make the vinaigrette:

    While the potatoes and green beans are cooking, make the vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and olive oil.

  4. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces:

    Once the potatoes have cooled, cut them into 3/4-inch to 1-inch bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl.

    Cooked potatoes cut into pieces

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  5. Toss together the ingredients:

    To the bowl add the green beans, strips of roasted peppers, red onion, and olives. Toss with the vinaigrette.

    Mediterranean potato salad mixed in a bowl

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    Let marinate until ready to serve.

  6. Toss with the parsley and arugula:

    Once ready to serve, toss with the parsley and arugula.

    You can easily make this ahead. It lasts several days in the fridge.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
248 Calories
10g Fat
38g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 248
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 720mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 37mg 184%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 958mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.