Piemontaise Potato Salad
Mar 26, 2026 11:46 AM
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!
The Piemontaise Salad is an adaptation of the popular Russian Salad (sometimes called Olivier Salad), which found its fame in the late 19th 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.
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
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
14 minutes
Total Time:
24 minutes
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