You can find two types of German potato salad; a creamy mayo based version and a vinegar based version. This is the creamy mayonnaise version known as Kartoffelsalat in Germany. It is very similar to American style potato salad and is prepared almost the same. The biggest differences between this German potato salad and the American potato salad are:
. How the potatoes are cooked and prepared.
. The addition of hard boiled eggs
. The use of dill pickle vs. sweet pickle
. The addition of pickle juice to the dressing
. Using a good, German stone ground mustard
This is an easy salad to pull together and is best made several hours to one day ahead of serving.
HOW TO MAKE GERMAN POTATO SALAD
Let’s start with the preparation and cooking of the potatoes. This is very different than how I had made potato salad in the past. I always peeled my potatoes and cut them into chunks before cooking them in boiling water. In this preparation, you are cooking the potato whole with the skin on. I had read somewhere that this was the authentic way to prepare the potatoes but I’m not sure why. My best guess is that it protects the potato from becoming water-logged. The potato definitely tastes better some how. Who knew? Just let the potato cool so you can handle it and the peels come right off.
That probably is another reason to keep the peels on – ease of removal. You can use a vegetable peeler, although I found the skins got caught in the blade and I had to stop and clean the peeler several times. I used a paring knife and found that to be better if I used the knife to scrape off the skins.
Once you have peeled the potatoes (BTW, wait for them to cool off a bit so they are easy to handle.), cut them into 1/2 inch chunks and place in a bowl.
Pickles. I’ve always used sweet gherkin pickles in my potato salads so using dill was new and the addition of that pickle juice is really the key. It changes the whole profile from sweet to slightly tart and I love it as a side dish to sandwiches and my Classic German Pork Schnitzel.
Simply chop up your dill pickles and add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Also finely chop the onion and add that to the bowl too. Be sure to taste the potato salad once it is prepared. If it needs a bigger punch, feel free to add additional chopped pickles or juice. Sometimes, more can be better.
This salad calls for chopped hard boiled eggs.
HOW TO COOK HARD BOILED EGGS
- Place eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a pot
- Cover with cold water by about 1 inch above the eggs
- Bring water to a full rolling boil
- Turn off heat, cover the pot, and let eggs sit for:
- 10-12 minutes for hard-boiled
- Prepare an ice bath while eggs are cooking
- Transfer eggs to ice bath immediately after cooking time is up
- Let cool for about 5 minutes
- Peel under cool running water for easiest peeling
Tips:
- Older eggs peel more easily than very fresh ones
- Adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the water can help prevent cracking
- Don’t overcook or you’ll get a greenish ring around the yolk
- Store peeled eggs in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
Once you cooked, cooled and peeled your eggs, chop them and add to the bowl with the potatoes and pickles. I love the addition of the hard boiled eggs. You are adding some protein and the egg yolk kind of blends in with the mayo to make it creamier. I left some bigger pieces in the salad so you could see what you were eating. Really tasty.
While the potatoes are boiling, you can make your dressing in a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, mayo, pickle juice, mustard and salt and pepper. Whisk everything together, taste and adjust seasoning.
The final addition to the dressing is mustard. I’m sure Dijon or even a yellow mustard would work but since I was working on an entire German Oktoberfest menu, I had this great Inglehoff Stone Ground Mustard. I’ve got to say, that mustard is amazing. It has whole mustard seeds in it, and a real nice wine/vinegar taste. I think it really elevated the dish. I find this at my grocery store but you can buy it online in the link above.
Add the dressing to the potato mixture while the potatoes are still warm. Gently combine everything together and taste. Adjust seasoning now and if you want more pickles, chop and add some more.
I recommend that you chill the salad for at least an hour and up to overnight before serving. The longer the salad sits, the more flavorful it becomes.
If you are looking for a great side dish, give this version of potato salad a try. Better yet, try my Oktoberfest Menu which highlights Homemade Pretzels with Beer Cheese, German Pork Schnitzel, Knockwurst with Sauerkraut, and Homemade Apple Sauce.
Did you like this recipe? If so, please leave a rating below and let me know if you changed anything. I love to hear how my readers get creative.
German Potato Salad
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs. Russet potatoes (about 3 medium); boiled whole with peel on
- 1/4 Small Onion, chopped fine
- 3 Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
- 3 Baby dill pickles, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise, more to taste
- 2 Tbsp. Fat free Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. Pickle juice, from dill pickles
- 1 Tbsp. German stone ground mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 Tsp. Paprika
- 2 Tbsp. Flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Scrub your potatoes and place them in a large pot of cool water with a pinch of salt. You are going to bring the water to a boil and cook for 25 – 30 minutes until you can pierce them with a knife tip easily. Let the potatoes cool until you can easily handle. NOTE: you are boiling these potatoes whole and with the skin on.
- Using a vegetable peeler or small paring knife, peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into chunks. Add the potatoes to a large bowl.
- Finely chop the onion and the baby dill pickles and add them to the bowl. Gently mix.
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cut them into small slices and add them to the potatoes in the bowl. Gently fold into the potato mix.
- While the potatoes are cooking, in a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the mayo, yogurt, pickle juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and stir well. Taste the potato salad and add more salt and pepper if needed. If the potatoes seem to dry, add a little more mayo or yogurt one tablespoon at a time. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Dust the salad with paprika and sprinkle the salad with the parsley and serve.
