Name: German Roasted Potato Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs new yellow baby potatoes, ( sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp cracked black pepper; 1 medium white or Spanish onion, ( sliced very thinly, about 1/2 heaping cup ); 6 strips bacon, ( chopped into small lardons); 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, (chopped); 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill; 3 tbsp bacon drippings, (if not enough bacon drippings happen, supplement with olive oil); 3 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3-4 tsp dijon mustard; 2 tsp granulated sugar; 3/4 tsp salt; 3/4 tsp pepper

I have a confession to make. As a kid I didn’t really like my mom’s potato salad.

It was a classic German potato salad. The potatoes were boiled and then sliced. A warm broth was poured over them to flavour them. There were onions, vinegar, parsley and some mustard involved. It was the the Schwäbisher Kartoffelsalat.

A Love Hate Relationship with Boiled Potatoes

But I didn’t like it. ‘Cuz it was warm. And maybe also because as a kid, I hated boiled potatoes. My mom’s favourite way of preparing them. But I really didn’t have much say at 10 years old, so I ate what was put in front of me. Or I didn’t get to leave the table.

Fast forward several decades. Now I get it. It is a lovely, simple way to prepare a potato salad. Not overdressed, or goopy with too much mayo. The potatoes aren’t competing with all sorts of cut up and crunchy veggies etc. This salad is truly a Northern European way of eating, where there aren’t too many confusing things happening in one dish. Simple rules the day.

But I still don’t LOVE boiled potatoes. So I didn’t really make this salad often once I got married. Of course, if it was on a picnic buffet table, I would gladly take a scoopful. But I wouldn’t make it on purpose in my own kitchen. This would have to change somehow. Jim loves potatoes. Pretty well any way imaginable.

Forget Boiled, Let’s Roast the Potatoes!

That’s when this salad happened. I adore roasted potatoes. So, could I somehow marry the two preparations, and still achieve a German style potato salad? At first I would roast the potato slices, and then create the same sort of beef broth/vinegar/mustard marinade for the roasted potatoes. Some onions and parsley, and all was done. It was good. But not good enough.

Potatoes, onion, mustard. What else could work here to make me happy? Finally the cast iron pan hit me in the head! Bacon!! Yes, bacon would be perfect with these other ingredients. So I would fry off bacon lardons, and add them to the salad.

Bacon vs Broth

But I was still using the Schwäbischer method of dousing the potatoes in warm broth. Maybe this could be played with. And that’s what finally led me to making a bacon vinaigrette instead of preparing the broth. It seemed like less work to use some of the bacon fat to mix with the vinegar and mustard etc, than to have to fry up bacon AND heat up broth.

Using small new yellow potatoes instead of larger older ones also eliminates the peeling. My mother would boil her potatoes, and then using a knife would gently and elegantly peel away the skins, softened in the boiling water. I can still see her doing this in my head. But these days we have access to lovely new potatoes. My mother would cringe if you handed her a dish of unpeeled potatoes. Then again, she also thought we don’t cook our vegetables long enough these days! Old school approach to cooking is what my mom had, for sure.

How to Serve and Store

The classic way to serve this salad: grilled or fried wurst on the side! I’m a sucker for Weißwurst, a mild veal sausage that is the perfect vehicle for spicy mustard; but Bratwurst is also the alternative sausage side. Add some sauerkraut on the plate, and you’ve just entered German paradise! Okay, the clincher is a cold ceramic stein of Weißbier to wash it all down with.

Having said that, another great option is a good Schnitzel! You’ll love my Jägerschnitzel recipe.

Any leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for another day or two easily. When you go to eat it, it may be dry, the dressing has been absorbed and the chill of the fridge. Simply whisk a little oil and vinegar together and pour over the leftover potatoes to loosen them up.

Leftovers will also taste amazing warmed up in a skillet. In fact, I will make extra just so I can reheat this potato salad, adding cut up sausage, cracked eggs on top, and even some cheese! We call this Bauernfrühstück, or Farmer’s Breakfast. But we will eat it for dinner 😀

So, roasted potatoes, bacon fat, apple cider vinegar and mustard dressing, sliced onions, bacon pieces and parsley. The best of all worlds! It may not exactly be my mother’s potato salad, but at least I’ll eat it warm.

Here is another German potato salad version you may fancy! Grilled Sausage and Potato Salad with Sauerkraut

Love Jen

5 from 1 vote

German Roasted Potato Salad

A classic German Potato Salad, with the slight adjustment of roasting instead of boiling the potatoes. Perfect with grilled sausages, or fried chicken for your next picnic!

Course Salad

Cuisine German

Keyword bacon, mustard, onion, potatoes, salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 lbs new yellow baby potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 medium white or Spanish onion, sliced very thinly, about 1/2 heaping cup
6 strips bacon, chopped into small lardons
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Bacon Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp bacon drippings, if not enough bacon drippings happen, supplement with olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the sliced potatoes along with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Toss well and lay out on the baking sheet in one layer. If you can't fit in one layer, use a second sheet. Roast between 18-20 minutes until golden brown and edges are getting crisp. They should be just tender enough to eat but not falling apart. Your oven and how thick you sliced them will affect time. They will soften in the warm dressing.
Remove the potatoes and any collected oils to the bowl with the bacon and onions. See end of next step.
While the potatoes are roasting work on the bacon and dressing.
Heat a medium skillet or pan over medium heat and then add the bacon.
Stir regularly until they are cooked through, but not overly crisp and blackened. Turn off the heat. Add the sliced onions and stir through the hot bacon and fat to soften the onions.
Remove the bacon and onions with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. When the potatoes are ready, add them to this same bowl.
Reserve 2-3 tbsp of the bacon fat from the skillet to a small bowl. If you only get 2 tbsp of bacon fat, use olive oil to supplement.
Bacon Vinaigrette
In a small bowl, whisk all the Vinaigrette ingredients together until a smooth dressing is achieved. Taste and re-season as desired.
Pour 1/2 of the dressing over everything. Since the potatoes are warm they will soak in the dressing. Just before serving add the remaining dressing. Then add the fresh parsley and dill. Serve.

Recipe Notes

I err on the side of caution when it comes to the salt. The type of bacon you use will affect the amount needed. Feel free to finish with more salt after tasting a couple of potato slices.

This salad is classically served warm. But it is just fine cold as well. If you let it sit in the fridge overnight though, you may find it has 'stiffened' up a bit, or dried out. Just add some olive oil to loosen it up again. You can also re-warm in a skillet and add a splash of olive oil.

If you have leftover potato salad, as well as any grilled sausages, these will work fabulously as a traditional German breakfast. Stay tuned for that recipe!!

I say it serves four. It may serve more depending on how much is served as a side.

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