Barefoot Contessa: 4 of Ina Garten’s Most Popular Potato Salad Recipes

Ina Garten has hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes. Known for turning up the volume on classic dishes, What’s more classic than potato salad? Garten’s shared various takes on the picnic staple in cookbooks and on her cooking show, Barefoot Contessa. 

1. Potato Salad

Garten has many salad recipes including potato salad. Her basic recipe is on The Food Network’s website. She sticks to her cooking (and entertaining) philosophy: keep it simple. Garten uses 10 ingredients to make a classic potato salad. With 555 reviews and five stars, it’s a hit with many Barefoot Contessa fans. 

Ingredients for the Barefoot Contessa’s Potato Salad: 

• 3 pounds small white potatoes
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

2. French Potato Salad

Garten’s French version of potato salad involves tossing (still warm) potatoes with white wine and chicken stock. That way all the flavors are absorbed.

Meanwhile, Garten gets to work on the dressing. Instead of using mayonnaise, she opts for vinegar. Using Champagne vinegar — Garten keeps vinegar in the fridge — she whips up a vinaigrette. This recipe has five stars and 138 on The Food Network’s website. 

Ingredients for the Barefoot Contessa’s French Potato Salad: 

• 1 pound small white boiling potatoes
• 1 pound small red boiling potatoes
• 2 tablespoons good dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

3. New Potato Salad

This variation on potato salad has 125 reviews and five stars on The Food Network’s website. It’s only a little bit different from Garten’s Potato Salad recipe.

Instead of white potatoes, this recipe calls for red. In place of buttermilk in the dressing, Garten gives the OK to use milk or white wine as a substitute. 

Ingredients for the Barefoot Contessa’s New Potato Salad: 

• 3 pounds small red potatoes
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, milk, or white wine
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion

4. Tarragon Potato Salad

Tarragon is the ingredient that really shines in this five-star potato salad recipe. Originally featured in Garten’s How Easy Is That? cookbook, the celebrity chef made this dish on an episode of Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. Unlike her other potato salads, Garten opts for Yukon Gold potatoes, lemon juice, and tarragon.

Ingredients for the Barefoot Contessa’s Tarragon Potato Salad: 

• 2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes (6 to 8 potatoes)
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tarragon or white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped scallions, white and green parts
• 3 tablespoons minced red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill