Easy German Potato Salad Recipe
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This tasty German potato salad is so easy to make and is jam-packed with caramelized onions and crisp thick-cut bacon.
In my family, side dishes are what make the meal. When done right they become the perfect accompaniment and can enhance the flavor of the main course. If youre looking for some great new side dish ideas, check out my Vinegar Coleslaw or Italian Pasta Salad Recipe.
What To Eat With German Potato Salad
A warm German potato salad is great with your favorite grilling like grilled chicken breasts or tender grilled pork chops!
As a side dish, German potato salad goes with any kind of meat, especially grilled sausages! In keeping with a German theme, why not try a chilled glass of Riesling or Gewurztraminer wine?
What Makes German Potato Salad Different From Regular Potato Salad
German potato salad is eaten while warm whereas potato salad is eaten while cold. This is mainly due to the fact that Germany potato salad is made ingredients that taste better when they are warm. The ingredients used to make German salad include potatoes, bacon, onion, white vinegar, salt, spice, chopped chives and mustard just to mention a few. Whereas the regular potato salad is made using potatoes, mayonnaise, boiled eggs, yellow onion, garlic, celery and black olives. The ingredients used to make these 2 types of salads are different therefore they also have different tastes. Regular potato salad cannot be reheated since it contains mayonnaise and when mayonnaise is reheated it causes ingredients to separate.
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How To Make This Recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
How To Make German Potato Salad From Scratch
Use this easy-to-follow instruction for making a German potato salad from scratch:
Slice the Yukon potatoes about ¾ inches thick.
Boil the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for 4 minutes.
Remove them from the hot water and strain. Set aside at room temperature in a colander to dry out a bit.
Next, add the bacon to a large frying pan or shallow rondeau pot on medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes or until crispy.
Remove the crisp bacon lardons and set them aside.
Add the slightly dried potatoes into the pan with rendered bacon fat on high heat along with the onions and cook for 4-6 minutes while stirring to lightly brown.
Finish by adding ¾ of the crisp cooked bacon, beef stock, vinegar, salt, pepper, and finely minced fresh parsley and mix to combine.
Garnish with more crisp bacon and addition chopped parsley.
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Is German Potato Salad Served Warm Or Cold
Either! German Potato Salad can be served either warm or cold. Its a matter of personal preference, and it is delicious either way.
Storage of Leftovers: When chilling, you can simply cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. For longer term storage, this salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since it can be enjoyed cold, no reheating is required.
Other German Recipes:
You Will Love This Delicious And Authentic German Potato Salad Because It Is Very Easy To Make And Only Has A Few Ingredients
Whether you had it in Germany or elsewhere, everyone loves a good authentic German potato salad. This recipe has been a family favorite for us because it is so easy to make and still so delicious. It also comes together very quickly once you boil the potatoes.
If you have been following me, you might know that I love easy and no-fuzz recipes. I believe that simple recipes can be very delicious and that you dont need complicated preparations to make good meals.
I learned this recipe when I was taking a cooking class in elementary school growing up in Germany. Actually, I learned the dressing and it was a pasta salad. But interestingly enough, the dressing works just as well or even better in this German potato salad.
Also, I know that warm potato salad is a thing here in the US. But I must tell you that I never had a warm potato salad in Germany. The only time that might have happened was when someone didnt have time to let it cool down. Other than that, every potato salad I had there was always cold.
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How To Make German Potato Salad Step By Step Photos
Wash 2 lbs. of small red potatoes well. Place them in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by one inch. Add about 1/2 Tbsp salt to the water to make sure the potatoes are well seasoned. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat on to high. Bring the pot to a boil, then continue to boil the potatoes until they are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork .
Meanwhile, prepare the mustard vinaigrette. In a small bowl stir together 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp stone ground mustard , 1 Tbsp white sugar, some freshly ground pepper , and 1/2 tsp salt.
Slice 3oz. of bacon into one-inch strips. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it is brown and crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the grease in the skillet.
While the bacon is browning, dice one small yellow onion. After removing the bacon from the skillet, add the diced onion and sauté it in the bacon fat until the onion is soft and transparent. Turn off the heat.
Pour in the prepared dressing and whisk it into the bacon fat. It will create a slight emulsion and get just a LITTLE bit thicker.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander and let them cool for just a few minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Slice the potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds or half moons. Add the sliced potatoes to the skillet with the dressing, along with the crisp bacon and about 1/4 cup of chopped parsley.
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Don’t Throw The Boiling Water Away
When draining boiled potatoes, make sure you do so over a bowl to catch the cooking water. It’s filled with nutrients, starch, and flavor. It’s perfect to use as the liquid in bread recipes in place of milk or other liquid.
Let the boiling water cool to warm before using in your recipe. It can be stored refrigerated for up to 24 hours. After that time, it develops a sweet taste and will not be compatible with all bread recipes. Just remember to let the water come to room temperature before adding it to the dough. You don’t want to shock the developing yeast with cold water.
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German Potato Salad With Bacon
This salad used to grace our dining table every summer at Grandmas house. As a child, I have always loved the bacon bits! And now, I still make this dish for the family.
And we all love it! A nice and refreshing change from the usual potato salad recipes, the dressing of this dish is not creamy.
It is quick to cook and does not require too many ingredients. And yet, the flavors are rich and comforting at the same time.
It is so hearty because of the carbs, fat, and protein which make this dish a great source of energy. The bacon goes well with the spuds in terms of flavor and texture, too.
For sure, you will perfect this dish on your first try! So, if you are craving some of this classic side dish, then go ahead, cook, and enjoy!
Why This Recipe Works:
Many German potato salad recipes share some common pitfalls, but Ive perfected the recipe to create a foolproof recipe every time:
- The potatoes dont disintegrate: small red potatoes are cooked just until tender so they dont fall apart
- The potatoes are flavorful: the potatoes are cut in half and cooked in heavily salted water instead of being cooked whole and slicing afterwards
- The bacon isnt lost: plenty of thick cut bacon is added so it doesnt become soft and get lost in the salad
- The dressing is flavorful: party of the rendered bacon fat is used in the dressing along with chicken broth instead of water, apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar, whole grain mustard, sugar, and seasonings
- The dressing is reduced: the bacon fat, broth and vinegar simmer and reduce for maximum flavor and then coat the potatoes so the German potato salad is light yet almost creamy
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How To Make This German Potato Salad
As described above, gently boil the potatoes until they are almost completely done . Drain the water and let the potatoes cool off a bit.
Cut the gherkins into small pieces. If you like their taste you can cut them into bigger pieces. If you dont want them to stand out as much, you can very finely dice them. Add them to a medium bowl .
Add 3-5 tablespoons of mayonnaise to the diced gherkins. Pour about ¼ cup of pickle juice into the bowl. Stir everything until well combined.
While still warm, peel the potatoes, cut them into slices about ¼ inch thick, and add them to the bowl.
Mix everything until the potatoes are evenly coated by the dressing. Note: I like to use a wooden spoon for this rather than a metal spoon since the latter tends to cut more through the potatoes than its wooden counterpart. If the potato salad looks too dry you can add more pickle juice. You can also add more mayonnaise if you like. Then season with salt and pepper to taste.
You can enjoy this potato salad right away . I prefer to cover the bowl and let the potato salad cool in the refrigerator. Also, I find that it tastes better the longer it sits.
Why The Ingredients Matter
Whenever you make recipes with only a few ingredients, the individual ingredients tend to stand out more. Therefore, I find it very important to use the highest quality ingredients you can afford.
Since potatoes belong to the dirty dozen, I always recommend purchasing organic potatoes if you can find and afford them. Conventional potatoes are often heavily sprayed with pesticides, making organic potatoes the better choice.
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How Do You Make Hot German Potato Salad
The first step to making the recipe is to prepare the potatoes. Get a large pan of water heating while you peel the potatoes and cube them. Allow the potato cubes to boil until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork.
- While the potatoes are boiling, heat a skillet and cook the bacon and onion together until the bacon is as crisp as youd like it. Remember that the bacon will soften some once it gets in the potato salad.
- In a small bowl mix together the sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and water.
- Add a tablespoon of flour to the skillet with the cooked bacon and onion. Use a spatula or a whisk to mix it in well. This will help the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Add the vinegar mixture and use a whisk to mix well.
- Allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Then add the bacon and onions to the drained, cooked potatoes and pour the hot sauce all over.
- Mix well and serve warm.
Authentic German Potato Salad
This authentic German potato salad comes from the Swabia region of southern Germany where it remains one of the most popular and most delicious of all potato salads!
Im a huge potato salad fan and I enjoy it in all its varieties. But my all-time favorite is Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat from the Southern Germany region of Swabia where I grew up .
Im also the ultimate critic when it comes to potato salads. Ive 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, thats for sure. Hands down the best versions Ive 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 Im talking about: You just cant beat that restaurant-style Swabian potato salad.
There is one exception to this: My moms Swabian potato salad comes closer to the restaurant versions than any others Ive had. And so Ive taken my moms German potato salad recipe and have made just a few tweaks replicate that perfect German restaurant quality flavor and texture. And Im confident youre going to love the results as much as we do!
The ingredients in traditional Swabian potato salad and few and simple, but there are a few tricks that are absolute musts for getting it right like the restaurants do. Here they are:
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How To Make German Potato Salad
German Potato Salad Instructions
Step 1: Scrub the potatoes and cut any large potatoes into half so that all the potatoes are about equal in size. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
Step 2: Reduce heat and simmer the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender when stabbed with a fork. Drain the water.
Step 3: Return the pot, with the potatoes inside, to the still-hot burner. Leave the lid off the pot and allow the potatoes to steam dry for a few minutes.
Step 4: Set a large pan over medium heat, and cut the bacon strips into about 1-inch pieces directly into the pot using kitchen shears.
Step 5: Cook the bacon until crispy, stirring occasionally. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 thick slices while the bacon is frying, cutting any extremely large slices in half. Then, set aside.
Step 6: Remove the pan from the stove once the bacon is done and use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of bacon to a plate or bowl while leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
Step 7: Add to the bacon grease, slowly and carefully, vinegar, sugar, dijon, salt, and pepper. Place the pot back onto the burner, boil the mixture and stir for a few minutes.
Step 8: Add minced garlic into the mixture and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the garlic begins to turn a golden brown.
Step 9: Remove the pot from heat and toss in the sliced potatoes, gently mix until all the liquid has been absorbed by the potatoes.
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Can I Make This With Apple Cider Vinegar
I know I said to not make any substitutions, but if youre in a pinch and dont have white vinegar you technically can use apple cider vinegar instead. Its a little more mild in flavor than white vinegar and not quite as sour, so try using 1 1/2 cups of cider vinegar to just 1/2 cup water when you stir together the hot German potato salad.
Is German Potato Salad Really German
According to Wikipedia, southern Germany makes potato salad with vinegar, bacon and onions. In northern Germany, the potato salad is mayonnaise based and is similar to United States potato salad.
Youll find that there are different variations of potato salad. My moms German potato salad has potatoes, bacon and onion. It has a sweet and tangy sauce made of sugar, vinegar, flour and water.
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