Honey-Mustard Green Bean Potato Salad
Drizzled with a tangy and sweet dressing, this Honey-Mustard Green Bean Potato Salad is super flavorful with no mayo in sight! Perfect as a side or to bring along to your next BBQ or potluck.
Who doesn’t love a good potato salad? The combination of tender potatoes and a luscious dressing is the perfect compliment to any summer meal. Over the years I think potato salad has gotten a bad rap, in part due to the often ubiquitous mayonnaise-laden dressing. For this potato salad recipe I wanted to go the opposite direction and create a healthy version full of creamy potatoes, crisp veggies, and a tangy-sweet dressing. The result is really quite lovely and super tasty. Because there’s no mayo this version is perfect to serve at room temperature, making it a great choice for your next potluck or BBQ.
This potato salad can be made ahead of time and in fact tastes better when it has a chance to sit for a few hours to absorb the dressing. If you end up with leftovers feel free to add a can of drained tuna, some rinsed and drained canned chickpeas, or chopped hard boiled egg to turn this salad into a simple lunch or dinner. As written this recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, mayo-free, and vegetarian. If you want to make a vegan version feel free to substitute maple syrup for honey in the dressing.
Kid-friendly notes. This potato salad may look a little different than the traditional version, which may or may not make it popular with kids. Here are some options for adapting the recipe for resistant eaters:
- Hold aside some cooked potatoes and green beans prior to adding the shallots and dressing. Serve the potatoes and green beans separately on a plate with the dressing on the side for dipping.
- If your child isn’t a fan of cooked green beans serve him a few raw, along with the cooked potatoes and dressing on the side.
- Omit the shallots from the finished salad if you have an onion-averse eater.
Now, on to the recipe!

Honey-Mustard Green Bean Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound small baby potatoes
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Drop the potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Strain the potatoes and set aside, leaving the water boiling in the pot.
- Drop the green beans into the boiling water. Boil until just cooked and bright green, 3-5 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Drain and rinse with very cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Make the dressing by combining the garlic, honey, mustard, salt, and red wine vinegar in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Stream in the olive oil, whisking until well incorporated.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle slice in half. Add the sliced potatoes, green beans, and shallots to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and stir to combine. Let sit at least 10 minutes for the dressing to absorb. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Best served at room temperature.
Notes
- Hold aside some cooked potatoes and green beans prior to adding the shallots and dressing. Serve the potatoes and green beans separately on a plate with the dressing on the side for dipping.
- If your child isn't a fan of cooked green beans serve him a few raw, along with the cooked potatoes and dressing on the side.
- Omit the shallots from the finished salad if you have an onion-averse eater.
Yum! These pictures are gorgeous, you’re making me want to reach right into my screen to grab a big spoonful! Can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
Ha! You’re so sweet Megan. I hope you love the recipe. 🙂
Just made this for tonight. Looking yummy! Quick random garlic question, why does garlic seem so potent sometimes in dressings and other times it’s not very noticeable? I’d like it to add flavor but not overwhelm the palet or my
Children 🙂
Hi Rachel, I’ve noticed that garlic can be more or less potent depending on the variety and the age (younger garlic is milder). Since it’s not always easy to tell a garlic’s age or variety I simply add a small amount to the dressing (such as half a clove, grated) and then taste the final dressing. You can always add additional garlic at the end if you want a stronger flavor. Hope you enjoy!
I made this as is for a church picnic and it disappeared. It was great and I loved that I didn’t have to worry about refrigeration.
That’s fantastic, so glad this was a hit with your group!