German Potato Salad

It’s that time of year for barbeques and salads and this week we have a recipe for German Potato Salad. I think of this as the potato salad for people who don’t like mayonnaise.

In German, potato salad is called Kartoffelsala and this version comes from Southern Germany. In the north, the potato salad is usually made with a mayonnaise dressing.

Traditionally, German potato salad is served warm though it’s just as tasty served cold. The contrast of the plain potatoes against the sweet and sour vinegar and mustard dressing is what makes this dish so special. Plus, it has bacon. Who doesn’t love bacon?

For an authentic meal, serve German potato salad with grilled sausages and sauerkraut, but it also goes just as well with burgers, steak, or chicken.

I hope you all are staying healthy during these unprecedented times. Let me know what you are cooking in the comments below.

Print Recipe

German Potato Salad

Warm German Potato Salad with Bacon and Mustard Vinaigrette

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: potatoes, salad

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds small red potatoes
• 4 ounces bacon cut into ½” pieces
• 4 ounces red onion small diced
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 each green onions sliced
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley chopped

Instructions

• Cover the potatoes in water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Cut the potatoes into quarters.
• Cut pieces of bacon crosswise into ½” strips and fry until crisp in a large frying pan. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan to drain on a paper towel. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan and pour off the rest.
• Add the diced red onion to the pan with the bacon fat and cook over medium heat until the onion begins to soften. When the onions are soft and starting to color, add the vinegar and whole grain mustard to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Mix in the salt, sugar and black pepper.
• Add the cooked potatoes to the pan with the dressing and toss gently with a large spoon to combine. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Mix in the crisp cooked bacon, the sliced green onion and the chopped parsley. Serve immediately while still warm. The salad can also be served room temperature or cold.