Authentic German Potato Salad
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This authentic German potato salad recipe known as Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat is what you will find served in restaurants throughout the country and is made with broth, vinegar, oil, and a dash of mustard of sugar. This remains my favorite potato salad and is made just the way my Mutti and Oma always made it!
I’m a huge potato salad fan and I enjoy it in all its varieties. But my all-time favorite is German potato salad like the kind I grew up with in the Swabia region of Southern Germany: Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat. I’m also the ultimate critic when it comes to potato salads. I’ve probably eaten Swabian potato salad a couple of hundred different times throughout my life in Germany and I will tell you, not all potato salads are created equal, that’s for sure. Hands down the best versions I’ve had were served in southern German restaurants. For any of you who have lived in or visited that area of Germany, you know exactly what I’m talking about: You just can’t beat that restaurant-style Swabian potato salad.
There is one exception to this: My mom’s Swabian potato salad comes closer to the restaurant versions than any others I’ve had. (She also makes the best mayonnaise-based potato salad and it’s her recipe that inspired my Classic Potato Salad.) And so I’ve taken my mom’s German potato salad recipe and have made just a few tweaks replicate that perfect German restaurant quality flavor and texture. And I’m confident you’re going to love the results as much as we do!
Key German Potato Salad Ingredients
The ingredients in a traditional Swabian potato salad recipe are few and simple, but there are a few tricks that are absolute musts for getting it right. Here are the key ingredients:
- The right potatoes: This is the biggest challenge here in the U.S. In Germany you can find potatoes that you simply cannot find here. Unlike Russet potatoes, for example, which are flaky, mealy, and generally flavorless, the kind used in potato salads in Germany are firm, deep yellow in color, buttery and flavorful. And they keep their shape well. The closest you can get to those here are Yukon Gold potatoes and those are the ones I recommend for this recipe. Also, be sure to boil the potatoes in their skins – don’t peel them first.
- Beef broth: There is no substitute, it must be beef broth. And it must be very strong beef broth. And it must be hot when you pour it over the potatoes so they soak it up. Make sure you let the potatoes sit for at least a full hour after you pour the broth over.
- German mustard: I know the recipe doesn’t call for much, but it must be German mustard (mild) if you want it to taste the way it’s supposed to. The kind I use in most of my German recipes is the Alstertor Düsseldorf Style Mustard (click link for convenient access on Amazon).
- Vinegar: No apple cider or balsamic vinegar. It needs to be the strong white vinegar. A vinegar very commonly used in Germany for this salad and salad dressings is called Essig Essenz (can also be found in some Asian grocery stores – Koreans like to use it for kimchi). It’s super concentrated vinegar and you only need a very little of it. If you have access to this vinegar, you would add just a teaspoon or two in addition to the white vinegar, and reduce the amount of white vinegar accordingly. Of course you’ll always want to do a “taste test” before pouring the final mixture over the potato salad.
- Onions: You want them crunchy but not overly so, and you want them saturated with flavor. So add them to the beef broth/vinegar mixture when you heat it up.
- Oil: Lots of it. In olden days homemade beef broth would be used which contained plenty of fat. Nowadays we mostly use store-bought broth in cans or beef bouillon cubes/granules which are all void of fat. So adding oil is absolutely essential to achieving the right texture. As my German mom says, Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat needs to be “schmalzig”. Use a neutral-tasting oil. Germans typically use either rape seed oil (Rapsöl) or sunflower oil.
Pro Tip: The longer the potato salad sits, the better it will taste. I recommend making it the day before and letting it sit in the fridge until the next day. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
German Potato Salad Recipe
Let’s get started!
Select small Yukon Gold potatoes that are uniform in size. Scrub the peels and boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook – you don’t want them mushy. Let them cool down until you’re able to handle them and peel them while they’re still warm.
Slice the potatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices.
Put the potatoes in a large glass mixing bowl and set aside. (Don’t use metal or it will react with the vinegar.)
Add the beef broth, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and white pepper to a medium saucepan and stir to combine.
Add the chopped onions to the broth mixture and quickly bring it to a boil. As soon as it starts boiling remove it from the heat.
Pour the onion/broth mixture over the potatoes, cover with plastic wrap or a large plate and let sit at room temperature for at least one hour. Then pour the oil over the potatoes and carefully stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The flavor of this Swabian-Style German potato salad only gets better over time and this tastes best the next day.
It’s best served at room temperature.
Enjoy!
For more traditional German recipe be sure to try my:
- Rouladen
- Sauerbraten
- Schweinshaxe
- Spätzle
- Käsespätzle
- Semmelknödel
- German Potato Dumplings
- German Goulash
- Kartoffelpuffer
- Königsberger Klopse
- German Sauerkraut Soup
- Senfbraten
- Schnitzel
- Jägerschnitzel
- Maultaschen
- German Potato Soup
- Frikadellen
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Authentic German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds small firm, yellow-fleshed waxy potatoes (e.g. Yukon Gold) of similar size, skins scrubbed and peels left on
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
- 1 1/2 cups water mixed with 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules (Vegans: use vegetable bouillon)
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- a few splashes of Essig Ezzenz , (highly recommended for the best, authentic flavor)
- 3/4 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons mild German mustard (If you can't get it, use regular yellow mustard)
- 1/3 cup neutral-tasting oil
- Fresh chopped chives for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in their skins in lightly salted water until tender. Allow the potatoes to cool until you can handle them. Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch slices. Put the sliced potatoes in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add onions, beef broth, vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, remove from heat and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Cover the bowl of potatoes and let sit for at least one hour.
- After at least one hour, gently stir in the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. If too much liquid remains, use a slotted spoon to serve. Serve garnished with fresh chopped chives. Serve at room temperature. Note: This potato salad is best the next day (remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before serving).
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet May 9, 2014
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
This has just become my family’s favorite potato salad! I always made my potato salad with vinegar and oil but this took it to another level! I did add some hard boil eggs after it sat for an hour . DELICIOUS!!
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you Sharon! <3
Would you be able to convert to 1,300 servings, just to check my conversion?
We will be making it for 1,300 people on Memorial Day, 2025.
Thank you.
Hi Michael, WOW that’s quite the crowd!! I’m afraid math is my weakest suit and whatever calculation you came up with is probably more accurate than mine would be! ;) Hopefully you have a friend who’s good with numbers who you can run it by. Good luck with whatever the occasion is and I wish you the best of success!
I love this recipe, have made it many times. I usually try to make my own beef broth, but when I don’t have time, I use 1 Campbells concentrated Beef broth, and add 1/2 cup water. It works great and gives amazing flavour. Such a great recipe. (LOL, I make no money from this) .
Thank you, Lucia, I’m so glad you this recipe has become a regular! And no shame whatsoever in using canned beef broth, most people don’t have the time to make their own :) Thanks for the Campbell’s tip! :)
what would a few splashes of Essig Essenz be like in teaspoons? Im afraid to put to much or too little
Hi Jenny, like a teaspoon or two. Start with less, taste, and add more as desired.
I remember a salad when I was in Germany and after returning to the US. it was a green salad with cucumber and some type of lettuce, but what I remember most was the yogurt dressing, I always thought it was a delicious light salad, but I can’t for the life of me remember all the different veggies and how the dressing was made. do you have a clue what I’m referring to. any ideas would be appreciated .
Hi, it could have been any number of variations, but it was likely bibb lettuce. For a pretty typical German yogurt dressing, I recommend giving this one a try and see if if what’s you’re looking for: https://www.daringgourmet.com/creamy-german-cucumber-salad/.
Can’t wait to try this recipe tonight!!!
I’m making this tomorrow and it sounds awesome!
Do you cook the potatoey with cold lightly salted water, bring it to a boil and then cook until cooked through? Or do you boil the lightly salted water first, then put the raw potato’s in the boiling water and cook until done? Thanks!
Hi Jay, put the potatoes in cold salted water and then bring to a boil. Happy cooking!
There’s a quickie rule of thumb I was taught when I was learning to cook: if a vegetable comes from below the ground (e.g. potatoes) you start it in cold water; if a vegetable comes from above the ground (e.g. spinach, peas, etc.) you bring the water to a boil first and add the vegetable to the boiling water.
Fab recipe, made it for my german husband and he loved it. Tastes like what we get when we visit Germany. Going to become a regular recipe in our household, thank you!
That’s wonderful! I’m thrilled that you both enjoyed it, thank you so much EB!
Made this potato salad many times and just made it again for a family barbecue. We’ll have sausages, potato salad and a vegetable salad. This clean tasting potato salad is very popular. Thankyou.
Thank you so much, Deborah, I’m thrilled this has become a regular!
I tried to make this and failed. It didn’t soak up the liquid.
Hi, it’s not going to soak up all the liquid, there will be a good amount remaining. Also, the potato variety you use very much impacts how much liquid it will soak up.
If I am leaving it in the refrigerator to serve the next day, when do I put the oil in?
Do I stir the oil in and then put in the refrigerator, or take it out the next day and stir in the oil before serving?
Hi John, stir in the oil and then refrigerate it.
I have never used mustard before and I use red wine vinegar or altmeister seasoned vinegar. My recipe is from schwabish Gmund a 200 a year old family recipe. Oil, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, onions, hot beef broth mix it up from the side folding in not to destroy potatoes too much and make it mushy. Too with fresh parsley. (my grandma added a little mrs dash table blend great too)
For beef / chicken / vegetable broth, I only use ( and strongly recommend ) Knorr Beef Bouillon cubes. They have the best flavor and since I cook 90% German food at home, I get fantastic results.
No where near “Authentic” to me! My German grandmother made the authentic stuff and there weren’t any onions in it! She made delicious Warm German Potato Salad. I know it’s a regional thing but don’t pass off yours as ” Authentic”!
Laura, I’m from Stuttgart Germany and this Swabian-style potato salad is 100% authentic. To judge other recipes based on how your grandmother chose to make or alter them is not an accurate gauge for authenticity.
your Oma lied
I lived in Germany for 25 years, the majority of that time was spent in southern Germany and I can assure you and anyone reading your comment that this recipe is most certainly authentic.
Whether or not your grandmother added onions is a matter/question of taste. I have a recipe I brought back with me from a dear friend whose mother made her family’s recipe from generations before her and it called for thinly sliced red onion. I’ve sat in the homes of too many German friends to count and eaten potato salad made just like this one with..I hope you’re sitting down? little bits of bacon added to it. The point is, there are always variations to recipes from countries all over the world, but what makes this particular potato salad authentically Southern German is the use of vinegar and the oil. With onion or without, with mustard or without, with little bits of bacon or chives, or without, this is German potato salad. And it’s an excellent recipe.
It’s a delicious potato salad but don’t vegetarians and vegans get to enjoy it? Why does it have to be beef broth?
Who says they can’t? Yes, beef broth is what is traditionally used to make this but vegetarians and vegans know to substitute vegetable broth.
Both of my parents were born & raised in Germany. My mother always said she was from Stuttgart, because it was a city name people would recognize, but actually was from some small town very near Stuttgart. She ALWAYS used onions in it, and so I’d say that was pretty authentic. She was born in 1906. I’m currently a senior citizen, and have always used onions. Question: Is Essig similar to Maggi? — because that’s what I recall her using, probably because she couldn’t find Essig in New Jersey. She also used red potatoes, because they didn’t fall apart as easily when slicing them after being boiled, and held their sliced shape better.
Thank you so much for sharing that, Georgette. Essig is vinegar while Maggi is a liquid seasoning/flavor enhancer. Kind of like the German version of Worcestershire sauce but a different flavor profile. It’s been around since the 1880’s and has been a kitchen staple for generations to give foods a flavor boost with a few squirts of it. Like Worcestershire sauce it adds depth of flavor and a layer of umami.