While its name sounds Italian, Piemontaise Salad is in fact a very iconic French bistro fare. This potato salad features tangy cornichons, parisian ham, Gruyère cheese, eggs and tomatoes all tossed in a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing.

This easy salad is utterly delicious and satisfying, and perfect for a quick weekday lunch or as a starter for weekend entertaining. There is no doubt why the French love it so much!

About Piemontaise Potato Salad

The Piemontaise Salad is an adaptation of the popular Russian Salad (sometimes called Olivier Salad), which found its fame in the late 19^th century in Russia. The original Russian salad (still very popular today) features potatoes, carrots, peas, pickles, eggs and a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Overtime, the recipe gave way to many local variations in Eastern Europe including Poland, Hungary or Ukraine.

In Western Europe, the recipe was first introduced to the Italian region of Piemond through the Royal Castle of Racconigi. It is said Russian cooks thaught the recipe to the Piemonteese castle cooks, who loosly adapted it with a few local ingredients including olives and capers.

The recipe soon found its way into France, where it was once transformed again with the addition of tomatoes and typical french ingredients: cornichons, paris ham and Gruyère cheese. The salad kept the name “Pietmontaise” in reference to its origin, but it really has become an iconic french salad –  widely enjoyed today in bristos and homes. 

What type of potatoes is best for this salad?

I recommend you make this salad with any small new potatoes, or fingerling potatoes. They keep their shape well once cooked, which is exactly what we want here. 

Cook the potatoes until you can easily poke a knife in them; but they shouldn’t be mushy. Then, drain and rinse them right way under cold water to immediately stop the cooking process. 

Parisian Ham

In France, “Jambon de Paris” is used for this recipe. Jambon de Paris is a lean, unsmoked, mild-flavoured ham that is sold cooked, sliced and ready-to-eat in every grocery store and butcher shop in France.

In North America, this style in less common but can often be found at the deli-counter. Ask for thin (not shaved) slices of “Parisian Ham” from your butcher/deli grocer.

How to store this Piemontaise Salad?

After making and enjoying potato salad– if you have any leftovers – you can store them in the refrigerator

• In the refrigerator: this salad can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• I don’t recommend freezing it, as the flavors and texture can tend to be off once defrosted and the dressing will likely separate. 

Can you make this salad ahead?

Yes! This salad is actually even better if you let it sit for several hours to allow the flavors the develop. This is an ideal dish to make ahead if you’re planning on hosting guests and save some time in the kitchen. 

Cooking tips:

• • This recipes makes enough for 4 people, served as a side or for 6 people, served as an appetizer. 

• • Some Piemontaise Salad recipes call for only mayonnaise for dressing, while some other call for cream, yogurt or a mix. I personally find mixing mayonnaise and Greek yogurt yields a great dressing that’s creamy yet not too heavy on the stomach. If you wish to opt for mayonnaise only, use 5 tablespoons and skip the Greek yogurt.

• • Hard French mountain cheeses, such as Gruyère, Comté or Emmental are traditionally used in this recipe. They are very common cheeses to find in France and are also affordable. In North America, they are slightly more expensive but worth it if you ask me. As a more affordable alternative, opt for white cheddar. 

• • Cornichons are small, tangy French dill gerkins. Smaller and brinier than dill pickles, they can be found at the grocery store in the mustard aisle. As an alternative, you can opt for dill pickles, cut into thin cubes.

• • I love grape tomatoes for this recipe, but you can opt for cherry tomatoes as well. I do not recommend using larger tomatoes as they will render too much juice once chopped, and make the dressing “liquidy”.

More French salad recipes: 

• Classic French Lentil Salad
• Classic French Celery Root Remoulade
• Cucumber Salad with Crème Fraiche
• Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Croutons (Salade Lyonnaise)
• Pickled Herring and Potato Salad (Harengs Marinés Pommes à l’Huile)
• Classic French-Style Potato Salad
• French-Style Couscous Salad (Taboulé)
• French-Style Potato and Green Beans Salad

Piemontaise Potato Salad

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 14 Minutes 14 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.6/5

( 8 voted )

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1.3 lbs (600g) new baby potatoes
8 grape tomatoes (or 10-12 cherry tomatoes)
2 slices Paris ham
½ cup (50g) hard mountain cheese (ie. Gruyère), cubed
1 shallot, peeled and diced
8-10 cornichons (or dill pickles), sliced, plus a few extra for garnish
1 tbsp (15ml) cornichon juice
2 tbsp (30g) mayonnaise
3 tbsp (45g) greek yogurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chive)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Step 1 - Make the hard-boiled eggs. Add eggs to a saucepan. Cover with water by 1 inch and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let rest in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully remove eggs from the water and rinse under cold water. Once cooled, peel the eggs under running cool water and slice into large chunks.

Step 2 - Peel the potatoes and place them in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add 1 tbsp of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 14 minutes until you can easily poke a knife into the potatoes. Drain immediately into a colander/strainer and run under cold water to cool the potatoes (stopping the cooking process). Set aside. When the potatoes are well cooled, slice them in half or quarters.  

Step  3 – Chop the tomatoes in half. Slice the ham into small squares.

Step 4 -  In a large bowl, combine the diced shallot, sliced cornichons, cornichon juice, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Add the potatoes, tomatoes and stir to coat.

Add the ham, cheese, eggs and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper) if needed and serve with extra chopped fresh herbs on top.