Authentic Swabian Potato Salad (No-Mayo Kartoffelsalat)

Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat is the Swabian potato salad you actually get served in southern Germany. It is light, simple, and deliciously schlotzig, the Swabian word for that soft, creamy, moist texture. Once you have tasted its hearty, savory, slightly tart flavor, you will not go back to a heavy mayo version.

Growing up near Frankfurt, I honestly thought this was the only way to eat Kartoffelsalat. A big bowl of it next to a bratwurst or a Frankfurter sausage was simply a given. You turn it over with the spoon and you hear that characteristic squelch, the sound that tells you the salad is ready to eat. Little did I know that this was not a Frankfurt speciality at all, but a Swabian one, from the southern German region of Swabia.

By popular demand, this reader-favorite recipe made it into my debut cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes!

The Five Kinds of German Potato Salad

There is no single German potato salad. Ask five Germans for the recipe and you will get five different bowls, depending on where they grew up.

• Swabian and Southern German: This is the one on this page. Warm beef broth, vinegar, oil, and onions, with no mayonnaise (affiliate link) at all. It is served at room temperature and it should be soft, glossy, and schlotzig.
• With cucumber and dill: A close relative of the Swabian version, using the same broth and vinegar dressing with cucumber, radishes, and dill folded through. Lighter and fresher than the rest. Here is my German potato salad with cucumber.
• Northern German: This is the mayonnaise (affiliate link) one. Mixed cold and thicker, with gherkins, hard-boiled egg, and fresh dill stirred through. Here is my northern German potato salad.
• With apple and gherkins: No mayonnaise (affiliate link) and no broth. The dressing is mustard (affiliate link), sugar, vinegar, and brine from the gherkin jar, with tart apple and chopped gherkins. Best made the night before. Here is my potato salad with apple and gherkins.
• Warm potato salad with bacon: This is the one most Americans picture when they hear "German potato salad." Bavarian, served warm, with a vinegar and bacon fat dressing. If that is what you came for, you want my warm German potato salad with bacon instead.

How to make Kartoffelsalat

For the detailed instructions and exact measurements, please jump to the printable recipe card

Ingredients:

• Waxy potatoes - waxy potatoes are low in starch and hold their shape well when boiled. In the US, go for Yukon Gold or red potatoes (Chieftain, Norland). In the UK, Jersey Royals, Charlotte potatoes, or Cornish Kings work great.
• Onions - add a little sharpness and bite (If you do not like raw onions you can fry them in a little oil until soft)
• For the dressing: beef broth, white wine vinegar, and a neutral oil
• Flavoring: German mustard (affiliate link) and a pinch of sugar round out the flavors
• To serve: fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley

Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat Recipe Steps:

1. Prepare the Potatoes: Wash and boil potatoes in salted water until tender but not overcooked. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onions. Once potatoes are done, drain and peel them while still warm, then slice into thin rounds.
2. Make the Vinaigrette: Heat the broth and whisk in vinegar, oil, and mustard (affiliate link) until well combined. Add the chopped onions to the hot vinaigrette to mellow their sharpness. Season with sugar and salt to taste, being mindful that broth saltiness varies.
3. Combine and Rest: Gradually pour the warm vinaigrette over the warm potatoes, stirring gently after each addition until you achieve that perfect Swabian "schlotzig" texture - soft, creamy, and moist. Let the salad rest for at least one hour, or overnight for best results.
4. Serve: Just before serving, sprinkle with freshly chopped chives, parsley, or spring onions. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, and serve at room temperature for the most authentic flavor.

TIP: Getting the "Schlotzig" Texture Right

• Work with the potatoes hot, not warm. Hot slices drink the broth in a way cold ones will not. Your fingers will complain. Do it anyway.
• Pull them slightly early. A knife should slide into the middle but still meet a little resistance. Fully cooked and they collapse when you mix.
• Add the broth in two stages. Half first, wait until it is soaked up, then the rest. All at once gives you a soupy salad.
• Read the potatoes instead of measuring. How much broth they take depends on the variety and how long they have been stored. Stop when they turn from dry to creamy and glossy. Juicy, never soupy.
• Oil goes in last, once the broth has been absorbed. Too early and it seals the slices so the broth cannot get in.
• Careful with salad servers. My friend Nathalie, who is properly Swabian, swings the bowl upward so the slices lift and fall back and mix themselves. Too daring? You can also use your hands to mix it carefully - just ensure that the potato slices stay whole.
• Give it an hour, then top it up. The potatoes keep drinking. If it looks drier at serving time, add another splash of hot broth.

Recipe Variations

• Add some pickles or pickled gherkins (affiliate link) to the salad. You can also replace some of the vinegar with a splash of juice from the pickle jar. Use dill gherkins not sweet ones.
• Cube half a cucumber and add it to the salad for a fresh texture.
• Add bacon cubes to the salad. Fry until crispy and simply mix in with the finished salad. Add some hard-boiled eggs to the salad.

How to serve

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