Fingerling Potato Salad with Green Beans

Here’s a little twist on traditional Potato Salad. The green beans add nice texture, color, and flavor and the tangy dressing is lighter than the normal mayo-based dressing. I used small red fingerling potatoes, but really, any small, thin skinned variety will work. Also, if I could have found them, I would have used the long, thin delicate green bean known as Haricot Vert. Their season is short and they’re a bit more expensive than regular green beans, but their flavor is really nice and they look cool!

Fingerling Potato Salad with Green Beans
Serves 6-8 people

Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 lbs Small Fingerling Potatoes
3/4 lb Green Beans
3/4 Cup Red Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Celery, chopped
1/3 Cup Fresh Chives, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 ½ Medium sized Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
3 tsp Capers, brine drained
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Salt
About 3/4 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a blender, blend the garlic and vinegar until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the capers and parsley and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the salt, pepper, and Dijon and blend for a few seconds. With the blender on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until it is evenly combined and begins to thicken a bit. Add more salt if needed (it’s better to have it slightly on the salty side because it’s going to be added to the potatoes and veggies). Set aside.

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until tender, but definitely not overcooked or you’ll have a mushy potato salad. Spread the potatoes on a pan after draining to cool and dry. Once cool, slice in half lengthwise. While the potatoes are cooking, trim the ends off the green beans and steam until tender. Remove the green beans and immediately shock them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Once the potatoes and beans have cooled, toss them together with the onions, celery, and chives. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then toss with the Vinaigrette, taste, and season accordingly. If you have time, let the salad sit for a couple hours in the fridge to allow all the flavors to soak in, otherwise you can serve it immediately.