Here is how to make an easy German potato salad that tastes great warm or cold.
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This post is all about how to make German style potato salad.
For many people, summertime is all about salads. As the temperatures rise, it’s the perfect time to cool down with easy salads and picnic foods.
German style potato salad is a great alternative to mayonnaise based potato salads, especially when you’re eating outside for a backyard party or a picnic.
The salad is also tasty. Potatoes are cooked and then drizzled with a delicious bacon vinaigrette that is tangy and slightly sweet.
German potato salad is often served warm or at room temperature, but you can also serve it chilled. It makes a great picnic salad or potluck dish.
What is German Potato Salad?
Authentic German potato salad is often made using potatoes, onion, bacon, and vinegar. The salad is usually served warm, with a vinegar based dressing.
American style potato salad is usually made with a mayonnaise based salad dressing, and the salad is served cold. American style potato salad includes ingredients like potatoes, onions, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, and boiled eggs.
This version of German style potato salad is made with potatoes, onion, bacon, apple cider vinegar, and fresh parsley. The salad is also topped with a homemade bacon vinaigrette to reinforce the flavor of the bacon and the vinegar. Garnish the salad with additional cooked, crumbled bacon or chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
Two ways to serve German style potato salad is at room temperature, just after the ingredients are ready, or just slightly chilled. Eat the potato salad immediately, and store leftover potato salad in the refrigerator.
German style potato salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What is German Potato Salad Made of?
Traditional German potato salad is generally made using potatoes, onion, bacon, and vinegar. The salad is usually served warm or at room temperature, using a vinegar based dressing.
This German style potato salad is made with boiled potatoes, sautéed onion, crispy bacon, garlic, celery seed, and chopped fresh parsley. The salad is topped with a homemade bacon vinaigrette with apple cider vinegar, honey, and bacon drippings.
This is an incredibly versatile salad, and it’s easy to add more or less of the ingredients that you love. For example, you can the bacon out to make the potato salad vegetarian. Or leave the onion out if you don’t like onions; or add a pinch of onion powder instead to add onion flavor without adding onion pieces, if you prefer.
How to Make German Potato Salad
Start with 2 pounds of waxy potatoes that have been scrubbed clean. Waxy potatoes are great for making potato salad, because they tend to hold their shape well. Slice the potatoes into bite sized pieces.
Place the clean potatoes in a large pot, and then cover the potatoes with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat. Boil the potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Carefully drain the potatoes, and then transfer them to a non reactive, heat resistant bowl. Pour ½ cup of apple cider vinegar evenly over the cooked potatoes to add flavor to them.
Cook 6 slices of bacon in a skillet, according to package directions. Remove the bacon from the skillet, and place the bacon on a bed of paper towels to drain.
Add the sliced onion to the skillet. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and celery seed to the skillet. Then cook the onion and spices for 30 seconds longer.
Remove the skillet from heat. Add ⅓ cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of honey, and ¼ tsp each of salt and ground black pepper to the skillet. Whisk to combine the ingredients until they are well blended.
Then pour the crispy bacon, onion, garlic, celery seed, and vinaigrette mixture over the potatoes. Toss to combine the ingredients. Serve the potato salad warm or chilled.
Preparation Tips
- Use caution when handling hot potatoes and bacon, as the ingredients will be hot.
- Store German style potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can German Potato Salad Be Frozen?
German potato salad can be frozen, although freezing may change the qualities of some of the ingredients.
Let the potato salad cool completely before placing the salad in an airtight freezer container for storage. Store the German potato salad in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Place German potato salad in the refrigerator to thaw overnight before serving. Reheat the thawed salad in the microwave until it’s warmed through to serve.
What to Serve with German Potato Salad?
Here are some ideas for the best side dishes and main dishes to serve with German style potato salad.
- Stovetop Grilled Chicken
- Oven Baked Chicken Wings
- Creamy Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Old Fashioned Banana Pudding in Cups
Recommended Tools
Here are some ingredients and tools that may be used for making German style potato salad.
- Pot. A large pot is great for boiling potatoes to make potato salad. You can also use a large pot to make dishes like beans, soups, pasta, and stews.
- Colander. Use a colander to carefully drain the potatoes. A large spoon can make it easier to transfer the potatoes from the pot to the colander.
- Skillet. Use a large skillet to cook the chopped bacon for the German style potato salad. A pair of kitchen scissors can be used to cut the bacon into bite sized pieces before cooking the bacon.
- Mixing Bowls. Use a mixing bowl to mix the potatoes with the apple cider vinegar and the bacon vinaigrette dressing.
- Salad Bowl. A salad bowl and tongs are a must for serving potato salad at a party.
- Garlic Press. A garlic press makes it easy to mince fresh garlic cloves to season potato salad and other foods.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Use apple cider vinegar to add tangy flavor to boiled potatoes and to make bacon vinaigrette for German style potato salad.
- Dijon Mustard. Dijon mustard is a must have ingredient for making homemade salad dressing for your favorite salads.
German Style Potato Salad
German Style Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs red or gold potatoes scrubbed clean, rinsed, and sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 slices bacon
- ½ large red onion peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ tsp celery seed
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or minced chives (optional)
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat. Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Carefully drain the potatoes, and then transfer them to a non reactive, heat resistant bowl. Pour the apple cider vinegar evenly over the cooked potatoes.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon to the skillet, and cook it for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bacon is fully cooked. Carefully the bacon from the skillet, and place it on a bed of paper towels to drain and cool.
- Add the sliced onion to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and celery seed to the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Remove the skillet from heat, and then add ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, ground black pepper, and salt to the skillet. Whisk to combine the ingredients until they are well blended.
- Add the crispy bacon, onion, garlic, celery seed, and vinaigrette mixture to the bowl with the potatoes. Toss to combine the ingredients. Garnish the salad with chopped fresh parsley or minced chives, if desired. Serve the potato salad warm or chilled.
This post was all about how to make German style potato salad.
Credits
- Featured photos via Canva.com
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