German Potato Salad (Kartoffelsalat)
Germany argues about potato salad along a north-south line: the north binds it with mayonnaise, the south dresses it warm with broth and vinegar. The southern, Swabian style is the one that needs no oil at all. Its dressing is little more than hot no-salt stock sharpened with white wine vinegar and mustard, and the technique is everything. Boil the potatoes whole so they stay waxy, then slice and dress them while they are still warm, when they soak the tangy liquid deep into the flesh instead of just wearing it. As it rests, the potatoes give up a little starch that thickens the dressing to a gloss. Chives and parsley go in at the end. Serve it warm, the way it is meant to be eaten.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Potatoes, waxy, scrubbed
- 1 whole Yellow onions, finely diced
- 2 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 3 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Yellow mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 3 tbsp Chives, snipped
- 2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
- Boil the whole unpeeled potatoes in unsalted water until a knife slides in cleanly, about 20 minutes. Cook them whole and in their skins so they stay waxy and intact; cut potatoes waterlog and fall apart, and the skins slip off easily once they are just cool enough to handle.
- While the potatoes cook, warm the bouillon in 0.75 cup (180 ml) water until dissolved, then stir in the diced onion, vinegar, mustard, mustard seed, and black pepper. Softening the onion in the warm broth takes off its raw bite and turns the dressing into the thin, tangy liquid that defines a southern German salad, where the northern one leans on mayonnaise.
- Peel the still-warm potatoes and slice them into thick coins directly into a bowl. Pour the warm dressing over them at once. Warm potatoes are porous and drink the dressing straight into the flesh, which is the whole secret: dress them cold and the flavor only sits on the surface.
- Fold gently and let the salad sit at least 20 minutes, turning once or twice. The potatoes soak up nearly all the liquid and release some starch, which lightly thickens what is left into a glossy coating. The mustard and vinegar carry it with no need for salt.
- Stir in the chives and parsley just before serving. This salad is meant to be eaten warm or at room temperature, never fridge-cold, so the potatoes stay tender rather than turning firm and dry.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 160 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 85 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
