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Creamy Green Bean Potato Salad

Creamy green bean potato salad with tender cubes of potato and bright green beans in a tangy herb dressing. Boiled potatoes, blanched green beans, then chilled for a creamy, spoonable summer salad.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

potatoes
  • 2 lb potatoes cubed
green beans
  • 1 lb green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
dressing base
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
herbs and aromatics
  • 0.25 cup fresh dill chopped
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 0.25 cup red onion finely diced
seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the potatoes
  1. Bring the potatoes to a boil in boiling water over high heat, then cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Visual cue: a fork should slide into the center of a cube with little resistance.
  2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until no longer steaming. Visual cue: the potatoes look matte rather than glossy from heat.
Blanch the green beans
  1. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Visual cue: they turn bright green and slightly tender at the cut edges.
  2. Transfer the green beans to an ice bath to stop cooking, 1 to 2 minutes. Visual cue: they look vivid and crisp-tender.
Make the creamy herb dressing
  1. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, and white wine vinegar until smooth. Visual cue: the dressing thickens slightly and looks uniform.
  2. Stir in fresh dill, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper until evenly distributed. Visual cue: green flecks of herbs are scattered throughout.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled potatoes and drained green beans in a bowl. Visual cue: the mixture shows both pale potato cubes and green bean pieces.
  2. Add red onion to the potato mixture and toss to distribute. Visual cue: onion pieces dot the surface.
  3. Toss the potato mixture with the creamy herb dressing until everything is coated. Visual cue: beans and potatoes appear lightly glossy, not dry.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Visual cue: the salad firms up slightly and looks more cohesive.

Notes

For the best texture, cool the potatoes fully and fully chill the green beans after blanching so the dressing stays creamy instead of watery. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the sour cream-based dressing can separate. For a lighter version, swap half the mayonnaise with additional sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for a tangier, lower-fat dressing.