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This Warm French Potato Salad Has Got To Be The World’s Easiest Potato Salad Recipe

Last Modified On: July 14, 2026

It’s a snap to make and soooo good.

This super easy potato salad may just be the world’s best. Served warm, it is a sure-fire hit. Before you get cranking, read my article on the Science of Potatoes.

warm French potato salad
Author: Meathead

Warm French Potato Salad Recipe

3.35 from 41 votes
Rate this Recipe
Warm potato salad? Sure! This recipe is the easiest and probably the best potato salad you ever ate.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine: American, French
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 pounds new potatoes or other waxy potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  • cup of your best extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon large-grain salt such as sea salt

Method
 

  1. Prep. Wash the potato skins thoroughly. If they come good and clean, you can leave them on, otherwise peel them off. Cut the potatoes into 1" (25.4 mm) chunks and put them in a large pot.
  2. Cook. Cover them with cold water so they are at least 1" (25.4 mm) below the surface. Bring to a boil with the cover off, add the salt, and then reduce the heat so the water simmers for about 15 minutes until they are tender. Drain.
  3. Mix. Put the oil and thyme into a large bowl and mix. Add the warm potatoes to the bowl and coat them with the oil. If you are not going to serve them right away you can chill them, but the oil will clump, so bring them to room temp before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle on the large grain salt. You can add the salt earlier, but it will dissolve. The taste will be just fine, but if you salt just before serving you'll have some crunch and bursts of salt flavor, sort of like pretzels. 
  4. Serve. Serve immediately while still warm.

Notes

About the herbs. Thyme is my fave for this recipe, but it works great with other green herbs such as oregano, chives, green onions, and basil.
About the olive oil. You can substitute melted butter if you wish. Or half of each.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works. 
Optional. Put a heaping teaspoon of fresh creamy goat cheese on top of each serving.

Approximate Nutrition

Calories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 384mgPotassium: 539mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 184IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg

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