This Fresh Twist on Classic Potato Salad Will Steal the Show at Your Next Cookout

Potato salad rarely appeared when I was growing up in Jordan—maybe once or twice a year—so it always felt like a special treat. As a teenager (and an adult), my love for potato salad knew no bounds. I’d pile my plate high and quickly return for a second, third, or even a fourth helping, eating each bite so enthusiastically that I’d often give myself the hiccups. When my colleague Julia Levy from our Birmingham, Alabama, test kitchen created her green goddess potato salad, I couldn’t wait to dig in.

This version delivers a fun, herby, and zesty spin on the classic, combining creamy potatoes with crisp-tender haricots verts, perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, and a verdant green goddess dressing that elevates this familiar side into an unforgettable crowd-pleaser.

The secret to success comes down to three things: cooking each vegetable perfectly, nailing the boiled eggs, and crafting a bright and herbal green goddess dressing that will tie it all together.

How to Perfectly Cook Each Vegetable for the Salad

Potatoes are the foundation of any great potato salad, and they will fall flat if not seasoned properly. That means not only using sufficient salt, but also ensuring it penetrates the potato evenly for consistent seasoning throughout, a process that starts with the cooking water. Generously salting the water helps the seasoning penetrate the potatoes as they simmer, ensuring every bite is flavorful. 

It’s also important to start the potatoes in cold water, bringing them up to temperature gently with the water. If you drop them into a pot of hot water, you risk overcooking their exteriors before the interiors are done. Potato cells are held together by pectin, which gradually breaks down as the potatoes cook—if the pectin holding the exterior cells together breaks down too much, the surface will become watery and mushy. By starting the potatoes in cold water, they will heat up more evenly and stay intact.

Once cooked, spreading the potatoes out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet is essential. This lets them cool evenly and quickly, preventing residual heat from cooking them further—overcooked potatoes will simply mash with the dressing, and we don’t want that. 

Nailing the cook of the green beans is just as important as the potatoes. They get a brief blanch in boiling water to ensure crisp-tender green beans. This short boil, followed by an immediate ice water bath to stop the cooking, locks in their bright green color and fresh snap, giving the salad a lively crunch that contrasts with the creamy potatoes and dressing.

The Key to Easy-to-Peel Eggs

To bulk up the salad and add richness, Julia includes hard-boiled eggs—a welcome blurring of the lines between a potato and egg salad. But nailing the hard-boiled eggs can be tricky, especially if you want them to peel cleanly. To avoid this, Julia starts the eggs in boiling water, a technique borrowed from Kenji’s perfect hard-boiled egg method. Starting eggs in boiling water reduces the chance that the whites will cling to the shell, making peeling much easier and cleaner, since the rapid heat helps the proteins in the egg white contract away from the membrane.

After 30 seconds at a boil, the eggs are covered and cooked gently at a bare simmer, allowing the yolks to set perfectly without overcooking or developing that telltale green ring. An immediate ice bath halts the cooking process and further separates the membrane from the shell, making peeling a (usually) smooth, frustration-free experience.

A Dressing That Delivers

The lush, tangy, and layered dressing truly sets this potato salad apart. It starts with a base of creamy mayonnaise and cool, velvety sour cream. A spoonful of sharp Dijon mustard adds just the right bite, while a squeeze of fresh lemon brightens everything up. A briny, umami-packed anchovy brings depth, while generous amounts of fresh basil and dill add freshness that evokes sunny summer outings. Everything is processed until smooth, allowing the flavors to meld into a creamy, crave-worthy dressing. 

When it’s time to combine the dressing with the potatoes, use a gentle hand, folding them in with a rubber spatula to keep the tender chunks intact. This will ensure that every piece is well-coated without breaking apart. 

With creamy potatoes, crisp vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and a vibrant dressing, this salad is perfect for your next cookout, picnic, or as a side alongside grilled proteins. Just remember to pace yourself—you don’t want to risk the hiccups.

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