Ina Garten Provençal Potato Salad

Ina Garten Provençal potato salad is an easy French-style potato salad made with haricots verts, Italian tuna and cherry tomatoes, ready in 45 minutes. Save this easy summer salad for your next party, lunch or picnic, because it's make-ahead friendly and needs no last-minute cooking at all.

Plunge the blanched haricots verts into ice water right away, because that locks in their bright green color and snap. Skip the ice bath and they turn dull, soft and olive-colored in the bowl.

Ina Garten calls this a wonderful summer afternoon lunch and built it around her French potato salad from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999). Her trick is letting it sit for an hour before serving, so the potatoes soak up the capers, olives and tuna.

Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (1999)

Ina Garten Provençal Potato Salad

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Course: SaladCuisine: American, FrenchDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Tender potatoes, crisp green beans, briny olives and flaked tuna come together in a bowl that gets better as it sits. Everything is tossed at room temperature, so the flavors soak into the potatoes without any last-minute work.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound haricots verts, stems removed
  

• 1 recipe French Potato Salad
  

• 1 6-ounce can Italian tuna, drained and flaked
  

• 1/2 cup capers, drained
  

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  

• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
  

• 1/2 cup good black olives, pitted
  

• 6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered (optional)
  

• 6 anchovy fillets (optional)
  

Directions

• Blanch the green beans: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch 1/2 pound haricots verts for 3 to 5 minutes. They should be barely tender, so pull them as soon as they lose their raw crunch.
• Shock in ice water: Drain the haricots verts and plunge them into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes. Then drain them again so the salad doesn't turn watery.
• Cook the eggs: Cover the eggs with cold water in a pan and bring to a full boil, then turn off the heat. Let them sit for 5 minutes, cool them briefly and peel them before quartering.
• Combine the salad: Combine the haricots verts and the French potato salad in a large bowl, then add one 6-ounce can of drained, flaked Italian tuna and 1/2 cup capers. Stir in 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced red onion and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, tossing gently so the potatoes stay whole.
• Add the finishing touches: Arrange the quartered eggs and the anchovy fillets over the top. Both are optional, but they add richness and a salty bite.
• Serve at room temperature: Serve the salad at room temperature. It tastes better after an hour or so, because the flavors have time to soak into the potatoes.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, ThermoPro digital kitchen timer. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make Provençal potato salad ahead of time?

Yes, and it actually tastes better if it sits for an hour or so, since the flavors soak into the potatoes. Hold the eggs and anchovies until just before serving so everything looks fresh.

Why is Italian tuna better than regular canned tuna?

Tuna packed in Italy tends to be richer and juicier than the standard American kind. It flakes into tender pieces that blend with the potatoes instead of turning dry and chalky.

How do I keep the green beans bright and crisp?

Shock them in ice water right after blanching. The cold stops the cooking at once, which keeps them bright green and crisp instead of soft and gray.

Can I leave out the anchovies or the eggs?

Yes, both are optional in the recipe. Without the anchovies the salad is a little milder, and the capers and olives still give it plenty of salty punch.

How do I hard-cook eggs without a dark ring around the yolk?

Cover the eggs with cold water, bring them to a full boil and turn off the heat. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then cool them briefly before peeling.