Boiled Potatoes with Olive Oil & Fresh Herbs Recipe - Healthy Side Dish (2024)

These boiled potatoes, with olive oil and fresh herbs, couldn't be simpler, but the flavors will convince you to make this side dish over and over again.

These boiled potatoes are straight out of my mum's playbook, and it's always amazing to me how something so simple can taste so good. Serve them alongside oven baked chicken breast or baked tilapia for an easy meal.

When I was a kid, small new potatoes or fingerling potatoes often turned into a simple side dish. My mum would boil the potatoes, then toss them with butter, chopped parsley and salt. I made a couple of changes to make these potatoes a little healthier (plus vegan and dairy-free).

It’s the perfect sidekick for grilled fish or stuffed portobello mushrooms…the Abbott to the entree’s Costello. The John to its Ono. You get the picture.

MAKING HEALTHY BOILED POTATOES:

I ditched the butter and replaced it with extra-virgin olive oil – a good fruity one. I first made this recipe in the summertime when our herb garden was exploding, and the mint and basil practically begged to be invited to the party. In they went!

The prep time was no more than five minutes (scrub potatoes, chop herbs…done) and the hardest part was waiting for the potatoes to cook.

Thanks to my younger son (okay, and me), half of the potatoes were gone in five minutes flat. The leftovers ended up in my husband’s salad for today’s lunch. We will be making these over and over again!

How to boil potatoes:

• Boiled potato recipes may not seem the most exciting option, but when cooked to perfection and seasoned properly, they are a surprisingly satisfying (and easy!) side dish option.
• If using tender, small potatoes, it isn't necessary to peel or even cut the potatoes. If using larger potatoes, such as russets, peel them and cut into evenly sized pieces so that they cook evenly.
• Start by placing the potatoes in a large saucepan and covering with cold water by about an inch. Season the water well with kosher salt.
• Bring the water to a boil, then cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork. For fingerlings or boiled red potatoes (small ones), this should take 15 to 20 minutes. Take care not to overcook the potatoes, otherwise they will start to fall apart.

Other easy potato recipes:

Caprese Potato Salmon Foil Packets {Cookin’ Canuck}
Buffalo Grilled Potato Skewers {Cookin’ Canuck}
Baked Potato Bites {Cook the Story}

Printable Recipe

This recipe was originally posted on July 23, 2014, and was updated on July 23, 2020.

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