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 and 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: For the best flavor 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. If you’re vegetarian or vegan you can substitute vegetable broth.
- 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 recipes 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!
Hi,Kimberly.That is good advice.I am going to make two versions,one with beef broth heated with dried mushrooms,then strained, and one without the mushroom flavor and see if my guests can taste a difference.I am so thrilled to have discovered your blog! The photos, histories, and personal stories by you and your readers make this a special experience for me. If any of your readers know where to buy Spaetzlemehl,in the states,I would be very grateful. Visitors bring bags of this wonderful grainy flour to me in their suitcases all the way from Germany!
Thank you, Carol, I’m thrilled you’ve found us as well! I’ve never checked for Spaetzlemehl specifically, but there are several online German stores that might carry it. You know though, as readily available as the Spaetzlemehl is in Germany, most German home cooks just use the 405 type flour which, over there, is the standard, most commonly used flour (like the way we would use all-purpose flour). Many people consider the closest equivalent here to be pastry flour. I just tell people to experiment with different flours until they find the one they personally prefer. I generally just use all-purpose. The important thing is to add all the eggs which is what really gives it its texture.
I will try this recipe,but I would like to use beef consomme,as it has that lovely ‘mouth-feel’ of a broth cooked with bones.Have you every used consomme instead of beef boullion ?
Hi Carol, I haven’t used consomme for this potato salad specifically, but it would be a nice option. Depending on whether you’re going to chill any leftovers I would just avoid using double consomme or the traditional kind that gels when chilled.
Have just read all the comments, but as we are in Scotland was wondering if you have a recommendation for which potatoes to use. My husband is also a Berlinerin and I love German food. It’s very difficult to get any German food here so I have to try and seek out recipes. Of course we have Aldi and Lidl here for some things but absolutely no German restaurants! This is my first time visiting your site but definately return.
Hello, Maureen, and welcome! I’ve been trying to remember which potatoes I used when I lived in England but can’t recall the names. What you need are the firmest, waxiest variety of potatoes you can find with a rich yellow flesh. There are some French salad potato varieties available in the UK that should work well. I lived in England for 7 years and was really excited to find out there were Aldi’s and Lidl’s until I went in them – no German products! Same with the Aldi’s here in the U.S. You can find a couple of German candies and that’s pretty much it. You’re right, I never once saw a German restaurant anywhere in the UK. But you have the right spirit to not let that stop you from cooking German food at home! So happy you found my site, Maureen, and I look forward to your return visits. Best, Kimberly
Making a full German meal for friends and family tomorrow and of course it had to have the potato salad. We lived in Germany for many years, including your home town of Stuttgart and have family in Herrsching a. A. ., and my husbands’ mother from Schwabisch Gmund. Needless to say, as you stated, it never tastes exactly the same because the potatoes are different. Like you I have used the Yukon Gold and that is the closest I can get to the potatoes used in Germany. Always have to make a HUGE amount because everyone wants to take some home to enjoy. Same for the schnitzel, sauerkraut, and spaetzle. We always look forward to our trips to see family and friends in Germany and enjoy the wonderful meals.
Hi Kris! I’m always thrilled to meet people who are from or who lived in Germany. I especially get homesick this time of year. I love the Autumn and nothing beats Christmas in Germany. Yes, the Yukon’s come the closest but still not as waxy. Another reader previously commented about Carola potatoes. I haven’t found them here in WA but will need to do some more searching. I agree with you – good German food needs to be doubled because there are always demands for seconds or take-home! :)
Potatoes are easy to grow if you have a patio or balcony to grow them on. Get “potato pots” or canvas pots whose sides you can roll up as the potato plants grow and you add soil. A German variety that’s easily available in the US is Carola, and I do believe they’d be perfect for this recipe. I grew them in potato pots this summer and am still enjoying the beautiful creaminess of the freshly-harvested spuds.
That is a fabulous recommendation, Carrie, thanks for sharing! We grow some vegetables every year and have been wanting to try potatoes. Next year it’s in the plan and I’ll definitely look into growing some Carola’s. Thanks again for the tip!
Late wife was Berlinerin and did essentially this as I remember. Her flavor kicker was a splash or two of pickle juice that folks appreciated. Served this warm or room temperature, not cold, and made hot potato salad with bacon only when I insisted.
Pickle juice sounds like a nice addition, Herschel. And I would definitely use German pickles – totally different flavor compared to American pickles. Bavarian potato salad uses bacon and is another favorite of mine. I still need to get that one posted, too.
This was great Kimberly! I finally got my Essig Essenz so I added a tablespoon of that to the white vinegar (you’re right, I don’t think Harry will be drinking that!), but next time I might add more. How much do you use?
Fantastic, Tammi! You know, I don’t usually measure it. I just keep adding it until it “tastes right.” Same thing when I make German cucumber salad or Wurstsalat. Just add some, taste it, and add more as you like.
I was looking for a recipe like this and after finding this one, it only then occurred to me that I should browse Google.de for recipes. This recipe is very similar to the instructions for the ones I found. Although some don’t use onions. I can’t remember if the kind I had all the time had onions. I’m going to be making this for a potluck. Hopefully they’ll like it, whether or not it tastes “exactly” like the kind I had in Germany.
Hi BB! Traditional Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat is always made with onions. Happy potato salad making! You’ll love it!