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 really enjoyed this potato salad! I’m half German and I love German food. I also have another recipe for a German potato salad that I enjoy. I know you say in the recipe to add a “few splashes” of Essig Ezzenze, but any estimate on how many teaspoons that might be? I like to try to be precise with measurements, especially since you say it’s really strong, so I wouldn’t want to accidentally add TOO much. I ended up adding about three-quarters of a teaspoon of it. Would you recommend using a bit more than that? Thanks!
Thank you, Kim, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! That sounds about right. It really strictly comes down to personal taste and preference. I always recommend starting with less, tasting it, and then you can always add more if you want.
If the vinegar reacts with the metal bowl, what kind of saucepan do you boil the liquid mixture in? Can’t wait to try this recipe because I love lots of sauce on my German potato salad and a good sweet sour vinegar taste. Do you ever add bacon and celery?
Hi Susan, stainless steel generally does not react with acid but it’s not recommended letting something highly acidic sit in it for long periods of time (aluminum is highly reactive even for short periods of time). So that’s the reason for recommending against using a metal bowl. A stainless steel saucepan is perfectly fine because the vinegar isn’t sitting in it for an extended time. Bacon is added to Bavarian-style potato salad, yes. Celery is not added to any traditional German potato salads and is rarely used in traditional cooking at all (celeriac is the common choice).
You forgot to mention the last secret in the restaurant-style Kartoffelsalat recipe:
A few drops of Maggi!!! ;)
I prepared this German Potato Salad last night in a pretty big glass bowl and placed it in the fridge over night. I was able to find the essig ezzenze locally and I used 2 teaspoons with just under 3 lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes (in addition to the white vinegar). I even found the same mustard locally as well. This morning I took it from the fridge to warm a little before sampling, but I wasn’t very optimistic due to it looking like soup, with all the liquid. I was completely wrong, it was absolutely great. You nailed it. The only thing I’ll add is some well done bacon pieces just like my German grandma & my mom did. Good job and thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much, Mark, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
right now all i have is red potatoes, can i use them?
Hi Grace, yes you can.
Any tips so the potato salad doesn’t become soupy? It tasted great but it was a bit soupy and not as dry as I would have hoped!
Hi Tim, the type of potato you use as well as how long you let it sit and absorb the liquid will determine the degree of soupiness. Otherwise you can simply drain off some of the excess liquid.
Many thanks for the recipe. However how is it with a vinegar part – you add 1/2 cup of essig ezzenze or 1/2 any type of white vinegar + few splashes of essig ezzenze?
Hi Melanie, it’s 1/2 cup of regular white vinegar + a few splashes of Essig Essenz.
As a kid growing up in Germany (and having a German mom) I noticed how different the potatoes were in Germany, when compared to the U.S. potatoes. The German potatoes were more buttery and made the best french fries (or pomme frites). I need to find out the name of those potatoes because they truly are the best. Thanks, love this site, use it all the time now instead of constantly bothering my mother, lol.
Thanks so much, Stephan! :) There are so many great potato varieties in Germany. One of the very best of all is Sieglinde, also known as German Butter Potatoes. Firm, waxy, and super buttery – SO good!
Hello,
Do you dilute the Essig and then add a few splashes? Thanks
Hi Sabrina, no need to dilute, just add a few splashes. Start with less – it’s potent! – and then add more if you like.
I’m planning on making your homemade German bratwurst and this potato salad to bring to deer camp in Northern Wisconsin. I have a question about the vinegar… I’ve been to Munich a couple of times during Oktoberfest, and loved the potato salad there. I don’t recall tasting the vinegar. Was it just more subtle or due to the essenz? Is the vinegar a key ingredient? Thank you!
Hi Pete, Bavarian and Swabian potato salads are a little different and yes, I would say that with Swabian potato salad the vinegar is a little more pronounced. You can certainly add less if you prefer. Happy cooking!
My heritage is German and have been there numerous times and lived there for a year. For our 50th wedding anniversary, our son and daughter went to Germany with us last October. While we have had the typical potato salad with wurst many times, our kids asked if I could attempt to make the potato salad we had while we were over there. I said I would attempt their request. Your recipe “nailed it”. It tastes exactly like what we had over there every time we went out to eat. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait for me kids to taste it!!! Would not change a thing. I have to say, I did not have the vinegar you talked about, but it still tasted wonderful.
I’m so happy to hear that, Sandi, thanks so much!!
By the way, never ever put potatoes in the Fridge! Your potato salad can stay on your kitchen counter over night without going bad.
Kahne is a good substitute vinegar, and available in the USA. Excellent recipe for traditional salad. Take it from an ex-Augsburger.
Künhe vinegar.
If you really want to make this recipe hum, microwave the potatoes instead of boiling. That way the potatoes won’t absorb any water; instead they will be able to absorb more sauce. Here’s how I do it: get 3.25 lbs of potaoes that are roughly the same size and shape, and arrange them on a plate in a circle. Microwave them for 5 minutes on high (my microwave is 1,050 watts. Then flip the potatoes and microwave 2 minutes on high. Let the potaoes cool 20 minutes and then proceed go slice. Better flavor absorption, fewer dishes, and just so much easier. You can’t lose!
I’ll try this method.
I making this right now…I got interested in German potato salad with a purchase of Dusseldorf mustard (Amazon), and later, Essig Essenz vinegar (now THERE’S an acid for you!!). Honestly…I only wanted a good potato salad, but I come from the PA Dutch country, and there have been good p. salads and “WOW!” p. salads and I’ve been looking for the secret ingredient(s) ever since. We’ll have to see. LOVE the small Yukon Gold potatoes…very buttery.
Would it make sense to just boil the potatoes in the beef broth?
I’ll defer to the experts, but my answer would be no. It’s all about the sauce…beef broth mixed with a plethora of ingredients, added to the potatoes that are well cooked, seasoned on their own, and ready for the ‘sauce’.
I am so optimistic about this salad. I am mostly Irish, with some German ancestry, but my family was always in love with German food. We went to a German restaurant when I was a child which had THE most delicious potato salad, which is unlike any other German potato salad I have ever had. This seems very much like what I remember. We have not eaten yet, but I know I have made one mistake: I overcooked the potatoes. As I remember, the slices were a bit more firm. Anyway, the taste is sensational, and I will have to try again, setting a timer next time! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sheila, thank you! The type of potato makes all the difference too. Choose a firm yellow “waxy” potato (as opposed to a floury/starchy variety) because they hold their shape better.