Southern German Potato Salad (no mayo) – Kartoffelsalat ohne Mayo

by: Gerhild Fulson  /  Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

This southern German potato salad, Kartoffelsalat, is a variation of the easy German recipes sent in by one of our readers, Roswitha (Rose) Seemann.  

Her family comes from the southern part of Germany, near the French/Swiss border, and that's reflected in this recipe. In southern Germany, warm potato salad recipes are traditional. These are totally different than the ones served in the northern parts of the country.

Usually made with a vinegar, broth, and a bacon base, these warm versions contrast to the salads made in the northern Germany. There, the potato salads are usually made with a creamy dressing and served cold.

It's these northern German salads that I'm more familiar with. They are the ones I grew up with.

I was most surprised to learn that the vinegary ones were German as well! I love to add celery seeds to Roswitha's salad. Not because it needs anything extra, but I like that it gives "a bit of a herbal bite" to it.

Remember, make the recipe, especially any salad recipe, your own. Add what you think will work. If you like something, it will probably be fantastic in this. I can see radish slices, chopped parsley, even chopped pickles added to this southern potato salad.

Rose's Tips:

Roswitha shared that her potato salad is something a lot of German people like. The original recipe called for 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of vinegar. She cut it down to ⅔ cup because she found it too strong. But those who like the strong vinegar taste can always add more.

Hummus?

Yep. Hummus. Sylvie, my daughter-in-law, shares that hummus is delicious with this. Her easy hummus recipe is so quick to make and it's becoming wildly popular in Germany. Try it. I think you'll like it too!

Ready to make this German potato salad?

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Southern German Potato Salad (no mayo) – Kartoffelsalat ohne Mayo

This warm German potato salad is among the easy German recipes sent in by one of our readers, Roswitha (Rose) Seemann.  Her family comes from the southern part of Germany, near the French/Swiss border, and that's reflected in this recipe.

In southern Germany, the warm potato salad recipes like this one abound. In northern Germany, cold potato salads with mayo abound.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes
• 12 slices bacon
• 1½ cups chopped onions
• ⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Wash and cut into halves the potatoes.
2. Cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain liquid from potatoes and dry by shaking pot over low heat. Peel and cut into ¼-inch slices.
3. Meanwhile, dice and pan-broil bacon, reserving the bacon drippings.
4. Put 6 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in a large saucepan. Add onions and cook until they are transparent, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
6. Heat mixture to boiling over low heat. Add diced cooked bacon and stir. Pour over the warm potato slices and mix lightly to coat evenly.
7. Cover and set aside for about 10 to 15 minutes for the potatoes to absorb the vinegar dressing before serving.
8. Makes a great accompaniment for German sausages or smoked pork chops.

Notes/Hints:

• Use waxy potatoes such as red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes.
• Adding about ¼ teaspoon celery seeds is a nice variation
• Try the northern Germany potato salad with mayo and see how different that is.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

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Southern German Potato Salad ~ Kartoffelsalat ohne Mayo

By Oma Gerhild Fulson

Often thought of as the traditional German potato salad, Kartoffelsalat, this one is popular mainly in southern Germany. It’s without mayo unlike those from northern Germany with mayo.

Ingredients: potatoes, bacon, onions, vinegar, brown sugar, seasonings,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

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From Oma's heart
to your table

Complete your set today - order now!

More about me >

Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.