Authentic Swabian Potato Salad (No-Mayo Kartoffelsalat)

Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat ( Swabian Style Potato Salad)

4.42 from 17 votes

Authentic Swabian Potato Salad (No-Mayo Kartoffelsalat)

This authentic Swabian potato salad from southern Germany is the perfect side to schnitzel or any BBQ. Made with a light oil and vinegar dressing instead of heavy mayonnaise, it's tangy, refreshing. The secret is achieving that perfect "schlotzig" texture - shiny, moist, and irresistibly delicious at room temperature.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine German

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 333kcal

Author by Marita Sinden

Ingredients

2 lb waxy potatoes (for example USA: Yukon Gold, and Red Potatoes, UK Jersey Royals, Charlotte Potatoes and Cornish Kings) unpeeled
2 onions about 200 g/ 7 oz
4 tablespoon neutral oil for example rapeseed or sunflower oil
3 tablespoon white vinegar for example herb vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 ¼ cups beef broth (For an authentic Swabian version, use beef broth; for a vegetarian option, use vegetable stock.)* See notes onthe borth
1 tablespoon mustard Use German mustard or substitute with Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 oz chives can be replaced with spring onions or parsley

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Wash the potatoes and boil them whole and unpeeled in salted water until just tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Push a knife into the middle of one: it should slide in but still meet a little resistance at the core. Boiling them in their skins keeps them firm and stops them getting waterlogged.
2 lb waxy potatoes
While the potatoes boil, finely dice the onions. Combine the broth, vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar, and pepper in a small saucepan and add the onions. Heat gently until warm and the mustard and sugar have dissolved, but do not let it boil. Warming the onions in the dressing takes the raw bite out of them. Keep it warm.
4 tbsp neutral oil, 3 tbsp white vinegar, 1 ¼ cups beef broth, 1 tbsp mustard , 2 onions
Drain the potatoes and let them steam off for a minute. Peel them while they are still hot, then slice into thin rounds and put them in a large bowl. Hot slices soak up the dressing far better than cool ones, so work quickly.
½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar
Pour about half the warm dressing over the hot potato slices. Mix gently and leave for a few minutes until the potatoes have drunk it up, then add the rest a little at a time. Watch the potatoes rather than the measuring cup. How much broth they take depends on the variety and how long they have been stored, so you may need less than the recipe says or a little more. They will go from looking dry to creamy and glossy. That is when you stop. It should be juicy, never soupy.
Now add the oil and fold it through gently. Adding it earlier would seal the potato slices and stop the broth soaking in. Cover and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge for the best flavor.
Before serving, taste and adjust the salt. If the salad has soaked up a lot and feels dry, stir in a splash more warm broth. Scatter over the chives and serve at room temperature.
1 oz chives

Notes

Note on the broth:

This is where the recipe lives or dies. American carton broth is much milder than German Rinderbrühe and will leave the salad bland, so use a bouillon cube or Better Than Bouillon at double the usual strength. The quantity is a guide, not a rule. Thirsty potatoes will take more, so make a little extra and go by how the salad looks. Vegetable stock works for a vegetarian version.

Storage Instructions

This salad can be kept in the fridge for up to three days. Store it in an airtight container.

I would not recommend freezing this potato salad. Technically it is possible, and it would not make you ill. However, defrosted potato salad is often sweet and soggy. So for culinary reasons, I would refrain from freezing this salad.

Nutrition