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Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat is an authentic German Potato Salad from the Swabia region of Germany. It’s made with creamy gold potatoes, diced onions and a tangy oil and vinegar dressing.
Try some of our other German recipes, like German Fried Potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) or Creamy German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat).
This simple German Potato Salad is a vinegar and oil based potato salad that’s delicious with fish, brats, Chicken Schnitzel, pork tenderloin, or just about anything you could think of! It’s tangy and refreshing and perfect for picnics and BBQs.
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Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat – a simple German Potato Salad
There are lots of different versions of German Potato Salad. Some are made hot with a bacon dressing, some are steeped in chicken or beef broth for flavor.
The difference between German potato salad recipes and American potato salad is that they are vinegar-based and don’t use mayonnaise like traditional American recipes.
In the Swabia region of Southern Germany, where my family is from, we make it with oil, vinegar, potatoes, and onions. Our version skips broth for seasoning, keeping it simple with just salt and pepper. It’s tangy with a hint of spice from the onions, making it a favorite over mayo-based potato salads.
If it’s a creamy potato salad you crave, try my Southern Potato Salad recipe.
Ingredients
- White Potatoes – New potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes work the best.
- Onion – White onion, peeled and diced. Red onions or green onions can also be used.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – White vinegar or champagne vinegar can be used as a substitution but will alter the intended flavor. We use Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar and find that it works the best; I have tried the raw and unfiltered kind and it just had a little different taste.
- Vegetable Oil – A neutral oil like canola oil will also work.
- Salt and Pepper
- Optional Garnish – Parsley or chives
How To Make Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Boil Potatoes. Boil a pot of salted water and cook the whole, unpeeled potatoes until they can be easily pierced but aren’t too soft or mushy. Set them aside until they are cool enough to handle.
Peel and Slice Potatoes. Once cooked and cool enough to handle, gently peel the potatoes with a thin paring knife and then thinly slice them. Sometimes they break apart a bit as you slice them and that’s totally fine. They don’t need to be perfectly round discs but often have a more rustic look.
Add Dressing and Seasonings. Stir in diced onions, salt, and pepper, then vinegar, then oil – in that order! If you do the oil first it will interfere with the potatoes soaking up the vinegar flavor.
Serve – Transfer to a large server bowl and garnish with fresh minced chives if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Celebrate Oktoberfest with an authentic German meal! Here are some of our favorite German dinners to serve with Bavarian potato salad.
Of course, you can serve it with any dinner recipe that you love, like Chicken Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken Drumsticks, or Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs.
Storage
Leftovers should be stored in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad will remain fresh and can be enjoyed for up to 3-4 days.
The potatoes will continue to soak up the oil and vinegar as they sit, so if it seems a little dry just add a splash of oil to moisten before eating.
Freezing – As it’s made with an oil and vinegar dressing instead of mayo-based, this German Potato Salad will actually hold up in the freezer. Place leftovers in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that the texture of the potatoes may change as they thaw.
More Side Dish Recipes
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Authentic Mexican Rice
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Red Potato Salad
- Oven Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Potatoes
Easy German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds White (New) or Yukon gold potatoes
- 1/2 cup White onion finely diced (green onions could also be used)
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Minced chives optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil potatoes whole and unpeeled for about 25 minutes, or until soft (they can easily be pierced with a fork or knife). Depending on the size of the potatoes, this could take a little more or less time. Drain and lay in a single layer on a flat surface to cool slightly.
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, gently peel the skin off with a thin knife (works best) or a potato peeler. You can also leave the potatoes in the fridge overnight and peel them the next day.
- Slice potatoes into very thin discs and place directly into a medium-sized bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper, stirring gently to coat the potatoes. Stir in onions and pour in vinegar and stir. Repeat with the oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Garnish with minced chives if desired.
I’m going to make this. It took me awhile to find the recipe I’m familiar with. I don’t remember garlic nor mustard and bacon so I’m really glad I found your recipe. Thanks for posting this recipe.
You are so welcome Sarah! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Thank you for the recipe. Easy to make and my family loved it!
You are so welcome Mickey! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Thank you for sharing this, I have made this many times and it is always a hit!
You are so welcome Jason! Thanks for stopping by.
I made this and it was really, really good. If I wanted to try making it with the broth do you know when abs how much to add in?
Hi Christina, I’ve never made it that way personally, but it’s my understanding that you would boil the potatoes in broth instead of water.
Thank you, I’ll give it a try!
Thank you so much! My grandmother made this potato salad she learned from her German grandmother and I just made it for a family reunion tomorrow. When I left my home state of Connecticut and moved to Texas, German potato was warm and had bacon in it. I was disappointed and confused as were my children who were used to cold German potato salad!
I know what you mean! When I first saw warm potato salad I was very confused as well! I hope everyone enjoys it.
Looks so lovely
This is exactly what I remember having growing up
Thank you !
You are so welcome A Anderson! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Could the green specs in the salad have been diced pickles? That’s what my mom used and also some pickle juice instead of some of the vinegar.
My mom swears they weren’t onions but I know they weren’t pickles. Great thought though! I think I might just remember it being served next to a green salad, but I prefer the green onions anyway!
My Mother in Law taught me to make this & I love it. She always put minced green peppers ( not a lot ) in to give it color. We only use white onion. She was Croatian & loved to cook & bake. Now I’m teaching the granddaughters how to make it. We miss her.
Thank you for sharing your story, Josie.
Can this be made the day before serving?
Yes – it’s even better the next day!
Hello!! My oma and my mom make this potatoe salad. You are right– green onions are used. Love your recipies!!!!
Hi Marion, thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing your feedback.
Easy and delicious!
Thank you Esther!
I made this for company and it was really good. It was fairly easy to make. I used new potatoes and left the skins on. Very tasty. The ingredients stated were the right amount.
That’s awesome Lisa! Thanks for the positive feedback.
Hi Kristin…it was fun to stumble upon your blog and this recipe! This Swabisch style potato salad has also been a favorite in our family. We learned how to make it from my Grandma who came to America from Germany when my Father was able to send for her and his younger sisters in the 1950’s. None of us can make it quite like she used to, but it is still one of our best “throw-back” recipes. The chives are a fundamental part for our family, and I also like to sprinkle on some ground mustard powder for an extra kick. I love that you mentioned the addition of broth because I’m convinced that was the step which took Grandma’s salad to the next level! Thanks for sharing your traditions…we have a unique connection with this recipe!! Be well
Hi Sue, Thank you for your sweet comment! Yes it’s tru no one can make potato salad quite like my Oma could!My grandparents also came to America in 1955 when my mom was 3 years old. Thanks for sharing a bit of your story!
My grandmother used to make this, it was the only thing we asked for when we went to her house. She always added yellow food coloring to make it a bright yellow… Keeping traditions alive. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome Nina, thank you so much for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.
I’m looking at the nutrition values for this German Potato salad and wondering what the serving size is that the nutrition numbers represent.
We had a sweet German lady at church that introduced us to this recipe over 50 years ago only she added in torn iceberg lettuce right before serving and a little sugar to the vinegar. This was by far my favorite salad if all time when growing up. My brother just asked me to make it this week for our 4th celebration. I had completely forgotten how to make it, it’s unfortunately been so long. Thanks for the reminder!!
I’m so glad you found us, Betsy! This was my German grandma’s recipe so I’m happy to be able to pass it along!
This is very close to my grandmother’s recipe. One difference is she grated the onion… and another is she added a pinch or two of sugar to the dressing… i make it for parties or family dinners… everyone loves it!!!
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your experience!
I tasted this recipe earlier this year because a German exchange student living in my home was looking for a recipe for potato salad that was like what he would have at home and he made this one! We loved it. My question is: why do you peel the potatoes after cooking them? My instinct would be to peel them before they’re cooked, when it would be less messy and easy to use a vegetable peeler. Thanks for the info!!
I’m so glad you all loved it!! The reason we peel the potatoes after is because they will hold their shape better. When potatoes are peeled first, the potatoes tend to get mushy and fall apart.
Thanks! That makes sense. I made the potato salad again this week and took your suggestion of boiling the potatoes in advance and then keeping them in the refrigerator, unpeeled, overnight. When they were cold, I was still able to use a vegetable peeler on them. Great tip!
The Easy German potato salad lists onions in the ingredients but doesn’t mention them in the instructions.
You add those just before the vinegar. The recipe has been updated – thanks!
hi my name is ms, lynette a miller and i was just wonding if you could give me the ingredients for if you where going to make it for one person i would like to make it for me but i don,t know what i need for the ingredients for one person could you please help me ok thankm,s for your time ms, lynette a, miller.