What To Serve With Rouladen – Top 10 German Side Dishes for Rouladen

➤ by Lydia Fulson

Knowing what to serve with rouladen doesn't have to be a stressful task. Check out this wunderbar Top 10 variety of German traditional sides that make the perfect pair with your delicious beef rouladen recipe!

As you scroll through these mouth-watering side dishes, you're guaranteed to find one that's to your liking. My Oma got me hooked on them, and now I'm here to get you hooked on them too!

Maybe you recognize some of these yummy German sides from growing up with your Mutti. Now, you can make them and relive all of those memories as you enjoy them with the classic German dish, rouladen!

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Not knowing what to serve, whether you're expecting company or have to make sudden dinner plans, can certainly be overwhelming.

Well, my Oma and her irresistible recipes are here to help!

Now, let's say you've never made rouladen before, or even tried it. If that's the case, you've come to the right place. You HAVE to check out Oma's authentic rouladen recipe! Rouladen is such a traditional German recipe and has become one of my all-time favorite German dishes.

If you're looking for another way to make rouladen, you've also come to the right place! Did you know you can make these tasty beef roulades in the pressure cooker too? It's the easiest way to speed up the cooking process and keep the mess of the spraying to a minimum. Click this link to check out Oma's traditional German beef rouladen in the pressure cooker! 

Let's kick off our Top 10 German Traditional Side Dishes to serve with rouladen by starting with...

Salad Sides

Everyone loves a classic German salad. These salad sides are often served right along with the dinner, rather than as a course before dinner, although they could be served before dinner if one wished.

1. Southern Cucumber Salad

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Oma's Southern German Cucumber Salad, aka Gurkensalat, is the version of cucumber salad made without using cream. 

The refreshing goodness of this salad makes it such a great side dish to pair with rouladen, don't you agree? 

This recipe is a great way to use up those cucumbers that have been sitting in your crisper. Put them to use in this lovely salad! You'll love the vibrant pop of color and comforting tangy flavors that this salad adds to your comforting plate of rouladen. 

Next up, the other version of this refreshing treat!

2. Northern German Cucumber Salad

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Prepare to hear lots of "oos' and "aahs" with this traditional German Cucumber Salad, aka Gurkensalat. The Northern version, made with cream.

Using sour cream, mayo and yogurt are very common in Northern german heritage. They are used in lots of foods and cooking, ESPECIALLY in salads.

This one is my Oma's favorite! Since her Mutti is from Northern Germany, this is the salad she grew up knowing and still loving to this day. It's always a staple at our summertime family get-togethers and special occasions. :)

Up next, a classic with a German twist!

3. Green Salad with Oma's Sour Cream Dressing

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Oma's sour cream dressing, aka Sauerrahm-Dressing, is perfect for overtop of a classic green salad.

My favorite part of this dressing recipe is that it has lots of dill ... and if there's one food that I love more than any other, it's dill pickles. That lovely dill adds such a nice punch of flavor to the dressing.

This dressing over greens is a great pairing to rouladen. The pickle taste to accompany the dill pickle spears inside the rouladen, it's like they're meant to be!

Next, let's check out some carb sides. 

Carb Sides

There are several carb sides for rouladen, partially dependent upon which area of Germany you're from but all are such traditional dishes. 

4. Potato Dumplings

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Potato Dumplings, aka Kartoffelklöße, especially if you’re from Northern Germany ... this is my Oma's favorite. As she says, potatoes are king in Northern Germany, so these have become a favorite.

Dumplings are a staple in German comfort food and cuisine, much like rouladen. Did you know that it is very traditional to see these dumplings served with butter-fried bread croutons in the middle? YUM.

Whether you buy the store-bought mix or are making them by hand, they're delicious either way. Always remember that there's no shame in taking the easy route and buying store-bought... I do it too!

I quite often take the easy route when cooking red cabbage as well and buy store-bought, which, by the way, tastes amazing beside potato dumplings. In fact, potato dumplings with red cabbage, rouladen, and gravy would be my favorite German dinner of choice. 

Continuing on with the famous dumplings, let's talk about ...

5. Bread Dumplings

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These Bread Dumplings, aka Semmelknödel, are the perfect side to serve with rouladen because they soak up that lecker rich gravy so nicely. 

Making bread dumplings is also a fantastic way to use up leftover bread rolls before they go bad and have to be thrown away. 

There is one rule while one is eating bread dumplings ... Always pull them apart with two forks, then pour that delicious rouladen gravy over the top. It's the most popular way in Bavaria and it's a huge tradition to use two forks instead of a knife.

If you still have some leftover bread, don't let it go to waste. You can make Oma's Kirschenmichel (bread pudding) for dessert! Turning leftovers into a yummy side, then using them again to make a wunderbar and even more traditional Southern German dessert ... WOW, this dumpling recipe is full of opportunity!

Next up, a Southern German favorite ...

6. Oma's German Spätzle

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German Spätzle is an interesting one and one to mention for sure! This recipe is very popular in southern parts of Germany like Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, just like bread dumplings. 

A popular contraption called a spätzle press is often used to make these noodles. My Oma picked one up on one of her trips to Germany and we've used it every time we make this recipe. 

I remember how tough it was the first time making it. Let's just say I had never seen a spätzle press before, and I definitely underestimated the muscle it takes to push the dough through the tiny holes! It may be tricky at first, but you'll get the hang of it as I did.

I can say, it is definitely worth the effort to have these funky and tasty little noodles accompany your german rouladen at the dinner table!

Up next, our last carb side. 

7. Boiled Potatoes

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Boiled Potatoes, aka Salzkartoffeln, are one of the most traditional of all German side dishes. They're also my Opa's favorite. He loves to mash them into the gravy on his plate. 

I love this recipe because of how simple and quickly it can be done. Everyone loves those recipes that take little effort and little time to do.You really can serve them however you want. Whether you want them in halves, quarters, small cubes, or mashed up, it can be done!

You'll love serving these alongside rouladen to soak up the gravy, just like Opa likes to do. So don't be afraid to mash them! Boiled potatoes actually pair perfectly with many different meat dishes. In the picture above, you can see it being served with Oma's famous pork hocks. 

Speaking of mashing potatoes... plain mashed potatoes are another great potato side. Just boiled potatoes mashed with milk, butter, and salt and pepper. Simple, classic, and delicious!

Now that we've made it through those tasty carb sides, let's move onto our last category!

Want to know which recipes are Oma's favorites? Grab your copy of her very favorite recipes in Favorite German Recipes eCookbook.

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

Vegetable Sides 

Now, let's add vegetables into the mix.

Vegetable sides, serve one or more if you wish. For a dinner party, Oma always chooses two, with one being red cabbage, of course. So, let's start off with the best!

8. Oma's German Red Cabbage

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This German red cabbage recipe, aka Rotkohl, is easy to make, and it tastes even better the next day! Red cabbage recipes are really a staple for German cooking. It's German food at its best! :)

This one has apples in it. Red cabbage is a MUST .., it's THE traditional side dish for rouladen and a very popular choice amongst our family. 

I love making this recipe as a quick side dish or even as a late-night snack. (I take the easy route and buy jarred cabbage with apples.) But nothing beats going to Oma's for dinner and seeing her homemade red cabbage on the table. It will always be my go-to and favorite German food! It's just so tasty. Especially when it's on a plate with our remarkable beef rolls. 

Even people who say they don't like red cabbage find this dish almost like eating candy! They take second helpings because it's so good.

Next up:

9. Brussel Sprouts

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Looking for something bold and brave to pair your rouladen with? Well, these Brussel sprouts, aka Rosenkohl, are the perfect candidate.

Brussel sprouts are Oma's favorite to serve along with her red cabbage. I never used to enjoy Brussel sprouts growing up until I had Oma's. (Although, I don't think many kids take a liking to them right away.) ;)

Oma loves to add extra flavor by mixing cream and butter in with the sprouts. That extra creaminess kind of mutes the boldness of the veggie itself and gives it a lovely flavor that pairs so nicely with rouladen. We actually enjoyed the delicious combo of rouladen, Brussel sprouts, and red cabbage together for our recent holiday dinner! 

Last but certainly not least, we have my Uroma's (great-grandmother's) favorite.

10. Green Beans

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Green beans, aka Grüne Bohnen, are such a classic side. Tenderly cooked, and made with a traditional creamy white sauce to give that extra kick of flavor. 

If you're not sure what herbs to use when cooking green beans, try Bohnenkraut ... It's literally called the bean herb! 

I LOVE beans very much, and that's all thanks to Oma serving her amazing green bean soup to us all the time growing up. If you made this soup and have any leftover beans, make this green bean recipe as a quick side to serve alongside your rouladen dinner!

Don't those all look so incredibly lecker? Now that we've made it to the end of our top 10 sides to serve with rouladen, it's time to get cooking, boiling, mixing, and creating!

Just follow the links, get your favorite apron out and enjoy some kitchen time.

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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.