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!
I’m a 60 year old “bachelor”. My Mom was from Munich and was the world’s best cook (at least to me!). I was born in Stuttgart (Bad Cannstatt) and we ate better than God when he visits France. Long story short, I never took my Mom up on her many offers to teach me how to cook. She’s been gone 10 years, now. and, working reduced hours, and fed up with a decade + of fast food and frozen microwave dinners, occasional bacon and eggs, Leber Käse and egg or a half-hearted attempt at something or the other all turned out more than disappointing, I decided to teach myself how to cook, or at least learn how to cook the food and re-create the flavors I was raised with.
Kimberly, today I tried your schwäbischer Potato salad and followed your recipe to a tee and it was phenomenal! I was able to purchase Essig Essenz from our local German deli (German Gourmet in Falls Church, VA) and that was pretty much the only thing I had to guess a bit on was the Essig Essenz and salt and Pepper. I used 8 Yukon Gold potatoes and, taking a hint from one of the commenters, I only poured 1/2 of the broth over the potatoes. Turns out that was a wise move. When I saw the bath of brown broth the boiled and sliced potatoes lay in, I became concerned – and I only poured 1/2 of the broth over them! I let them sit, covered for 2 hours at room temperature. Poured the oil over them and guessed on the amount of salt and pepper “to taste”. (BTW, that broth is some kind of potent “elixir”!)
Everything turned out perfectly and, comin from a real German raised on German food, I dare say, “just like Mom made it”!
BTW, also tried your Schweine Schnitzel (pork) and, it, too, turned out perfectly! Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, GP, thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed both the potato salad and the Schnitzel. There are many more German recipes on my blog and if you get around to making more of them I hope you likewise enjoy them. My mom is from a small town south of Munich and later lived in Bad Cannstatt as well. Bavaria and Swabia definitely have the monopoly on the best food in Germany, especially Swabia :) Thanks again!
i know that falls church place well. is it worth it to buy the essig essenz?
Instead of the trip, order essig essenz from Amazon. More pricey than in a German grocery, but far, far less expensive than a trip to Falls Church. BTW, it’s worth the money.
Thanks for the receipes and the background story of all of them. I appreciated the way you highlight the differences in the ingredients like vinegar and the potatoes. I am living in Germany now. Do you know the name of the potatoe you use for the salad in German?
Have a great weekend.
Thank you, Angela! You’ll want to choose a variety (there are several) known as “Festkochende Kartoffeln” (firm, waxy potatoes), also referred to as “Salatkartoffeln.” Any grocery store will be able to point you in the right direction.
Hi! I have a question about using Essig Essenz. Do I add a teaspoon of Essig Essenz PLUS 1/2 cup normal white vinegar? Or is it Essig Essenz OR white vinegar? Thank you!
Hi Jen, that’s in addition to the normal vinegar. Happy cooking!
To solve the “potato problem” we have recently started to grow our own potatoes in the garden!! You can e.g. get Sieglinde seed potatoes online (even in North America). These are perfect for making absolutely authentic Erdäpfelsalat.
That’s exactly what we’re doing, Tom! We just massively expanded our garden area this summer so we can grow all our own potatoes. And yes, I LOVE Sieglinde!
I am going to make this recipe this evening. I lived in Bavaria for 15 years and your recipe is closest to what I remember being made. I wish that I had thought to buy chives at the market this afternoon, but parsley will have to suffice. Will also add some chopped pickled gherkins. The pouring over the hot stock and seasonings onto still warm potatoes is the crucial bit.
Thank you form Australia.
I hate to say it, but this stuff trumps my mother’s AND my Oma’s(both from Bayern) kartoffelsalat! The flavor is amazing, authentic, and is food for the soul. The toughest part about it is finding the right Potatoes. All else is easily attainable.
Thank you for sharing this recipe; I look forward to making it again.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Matt, thanks so much for feedback and compliment!
Dear Kimberly,
My wife (who is from Hamburg) and I last visited Germany thirty years ago, but the dish that made the greatest impression on me (throughout our whole time traveling through Germany) was the Schwäbische Maultaschen we had in a small village restaurant in Southern Germany. The dish looked home-made, as it was not at all fancy except for those wonderful fried onions sprinkled over the top; it was nevertheless, delicious. I had asked you previously if you could do an article on this and was wondering if you have been able to make any progress. Thank you very much!
Abracadabra and….POOF! Here it is: https://www.daringgourmet.com/maultaschen/ :)
Newly published and just sent it out today. Happy cooking, Gerald! :)
What! No bacon????
Nope, that belongs in Bavarian potato salad, not Swabian.
Hi! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! My husband is from Stuttgart and his Mom would make her Swaebisch Potato Salad the same way. She even wrote her recipe down for me and it’s very close to how you made it! She recently passed away from cancer so this recipe means a lot to me. Thank you so much!
-Frau Livingston
I’m so glad, Juliana, thank you!
Does anyone know which English potatoes to use please
Hi Alan, some good choices include Charlotte, Anya, Maris Peer, and Jersey Royals.
As a German living in Australia I have been using Kipfler (Austrian potato I believe) with great results. As I am from Hamburg it is the North German kitchen which is quiet different from that of the South. A good cooking program on the internet is: “CALLE KOCHT” his Hamburg dialect never fails
to evoke pangs in spite of having been born there almost 89 years ago. Bavarian “LETITCOOK” is also worth watching. Both are on YouTube.
Congratulations for your wonderful effort!
hey horst,
i have a german father but do not speak the language. do you know of other youtube subscriptions that are of good quality that are in english for me to follow?
thank you, kimberly
Hi Kimberly, I have yet to find a German Blog that uses English. There is a new one on the block called -My German Recipes-
US based run by a German women from Hamburg.
By and large basic description are not hard to follow but the German chatter can be useful. As you know there are ingredients hard or almost impossible to obtain.
Thank you for your feedback and I commend you on your work so well done. Best wishes Horst. Lucht.
Printed this recipe with enlarged print so I could read it. For some reason, other than the headings, it prints in “gray” ink. I’ve stopped buying cookbooks as it seems that all publishers are producing huge, beautiful pictures but the important parts…ingredients and directions are in minuscule font and gray or pastel ink. I read the 7 tips but wish they were condensed in one place so they could also be printed. Other than that, I’m now looking for small size bottles of the mustard and vinegar to make this potato salad.
My Grandmother came here from Germany and her food was outstanding. Sadly, she didn’t write much down and what she did write on little snips of paper were not very precise i.e. scant, pinch and smidge. Right now I’m searching for a Dark Chocolate cake recipe made with sauerkraut that she made in a 9×11 dish with thick chocolate icing. It’s been nearly 60 years since I’ve had it but I remember it like it was yesterday.
Looking forward to more of your German recipes.
Thank you, Peggy, I hope you enjoy the potato salad and any other recipes you try and good luck with that chocolate cake! I email the software developer and inquire about the gray ink.
Hi Peggy, the font color should now be fixed, all the print should be black now (except website links will be blue).
I made this according to the recipe (using Gold Potatoes) and I ended up with potato slices sitting in a brown soup-like mixture which colored the potatoes. On the whole, it looked darker that the photo here and while there was a slight flavor to the potatoes, they were very potatoey in the center. Ultimately, I added a bit more vinegar to give it some flavor. I can’t imaging where I went wrong as I followed the recipe to a T.
Bill, I also thought I’d followed the recipe exactly but found it looking as you say and tasting blah. Can’t figure out where I went wrong?! I also made the schnitzel and mushroom gravy, which were both fantastic.
Thank you Kimberly, I finally perfected this Kartoffel salad after 20 years. I am German too, born and raised in Neckarsulm and lived in several cities throughout Germany. It is my favorite salad. I never added the duesseldorf mustard or mixed the broth, onions and vinegar and seasonings together and boy this was it. Complete perfection. Once in a while I will add thinly sliced seedless cucumbers (that’s how Mutti made it). I can’t buy the Essig essence anywhere but found that rice vinegar is perfect for this salad.
I’m so glad, Irene, thank you for the feedback! The cucumbers are also a great addition. I frequently have cravings for this potato salad and it always reminds me of home :)
Thanks for the Recipe Kimberly, just returned from eating my way across Bavaria, Austria and Eastern France during Christmas markets and trying to duplicate the recipes. Found this offering to be very light and delicate which is traditional to the Swabischisher style. My second effort was to add 1/2 tbs of bacon grease to the oil as a personal pref. People may argue about how traditional one recipe is over another is a specific region but it must be understood that migration in and around the Stuttgart area from all over Germany, Austria and beyond has brought many variations to the food of this region. Employment in the auto industry brought the culture and food of other regions. So as you say, eat what you like. Now, if you can do me 2 huge favors…please find a way to convince Augustiner to export more beer to America, and…Please, any help you can offer on the Bavarian interpatation of pumpkin ginger or pumpkin curry soup would be greatly appreciated.
LOL, Robert, I don’t know that I’ll ever have that degree of influence but I’ll do my best with your second request! :) You can give the following recipe a try – simply substitute pumpkin for the butternut squash, omit the apples and add a splash of white wine: https://www.daringgourmet.com/curried-apple-butternut-squash-soup/
Really appreciate the recipe! Easy, clear instructions. It was so tasty! I love tart things, and so it was absolutely better to my personal taste than a mayo based salad. For sure making this one again.
We also did the schnitzel recipe same night and it was likewise amazing. And much more like a real German schnitzel with the thin-ness and simple crust. Thanks for your efforts posting these!
Fantastic, I’m so glad you enjoyed both of them, thank you!