Creamy Boursin Potato Salad

A Different Take on Potato Salad

Most potato salads rely on mayonnaise for their creamy texture, but this one takes a different approach. Instead of mayonnaise, this recipe uses Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin cheese to create a rich, flavorful dressing that’s creamy without feeling heavy.

The result is a potato salad that’s packed with fresh herbs, bright lemon, tangy onions, and just enough bacon to make every bite interesting.

Why Quick Pickle the Onions?

One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the quick pickle. While the potatoes are cooking, the sliced onions sit in a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, lemon zest, fresh herbs, and seasonings.

In just twenty minutes, the onions lose much of their sharp bite while soaking up all those fresh flavors. Even better, the liquid becomes a flavorful marinade for the warm potatoes.

It’s a simple step that makes a big difference.

Steam or Boil? Both Work

I steam my potatoes because I live aboard a boat and try not to waste water whenever I can. Steaming also keeps the potatoes from becoming waterlogged, so they absorb more of the dressing and stay fluffy instead of falling apart.

If steaming isn’t practical, boiling works just fine. Just be sure not to overcook the potatoes. They should be fork tender but still hold their shape when cut in half.

Warm Potatoes Make Better Potato Salad

One of the biggest mistakes people make is waiting until the potatoes are completely cool before adding any flavor.

Instead, toss the warm potatoes with the quick-pickled onion mixture first. As the potatoes cool, they soak up the olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and lemon zest, seasoning the potatoes from the inside out before the creamy dressing is added.

It’s a small technique that makes a noticeable difference.

Make It Your Own

This recipe is easy to customize with ingredients you already have.

Green olives and Kalamata olives are both excellent choices. If you’re a fan of capers, they make a great substitute for the diced dill pickles or can be used alongside them for even more briny flavor.

Fresh dill and basil work beautifully together, but don’t be afraid to adjust the amounts to suit your taste.

Boursin Potato Salad

Gari McMellon

This creamy potato salad skips the mayonnaise in favor of rich and flavorful Boursin cheese. A quick pickle of red onions, fresh herbs, crispy bacon, and tender baby potatoes create a fresh twist on a classic side dish that's perfect for cookouts, family dinners, and holiday gatherings.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Course Appetizer, dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Comfort Food, Mediterranean

Ingredients

Potato Salad

1 pound baby yellow potatoes
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Quick Pickled Vegetables

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped green or Kalamata olives
1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freashly ground pepper

Boursin Dressing

4 oz Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dill pickle brine
1 tbsp reserved bacon grease
1 tsp honey
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the red onion, garlic, olives, dill pickles, basil, dill, lemon zest, olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss well and set aside to quick pickle while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and reserve 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease for the dressing.
Place the potatoes in a steamer basket over about 1 inch of simmering water. Cover and steam for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a knife slides easily into the center of the potatoes. If you prefer, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain well. Cut the warm potatoes in half.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine the Boursin cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, dill pickle brine, reserved bacon grease, honey, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
Add the warm potatoes to the quick pickle mixture and gently toss until evenly coated. Let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes so they can absorb the flavors of the marinade.
Crumble the bacon and add it to the potatoes along with the Boursin dressing. Fold everything together gently until evenly coated.
Taste and adjust with additional kosher salt, black pepper, or lemon juice if needed before serving.

Notes

Steaming the potatoes helps keep them from becoming waterlogged, allowing them to soak up the flavors of the quick pickle before the creamy dressing is added. If you prefer, you can boil the potatoes in well-salted water until fork tender.
This potato salad is very flexible. Green olives, Kalamata olives, or even chopped black olives all work well. If you enjoy capers, substitute them for the dill pickles or use a combination of both for an extra briny flavor.
For the best flavor, make the potato salad a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate before serving. The flavors continue to develop as it chills.

Keyword homemade, quick, refreshing, savory

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