Making Homemade Potato Salad 2 Ways » Southern Style and German

Potato salad is a delicious side dish consisting of cooked potatoes, vegetables, and a dressing. No matter where you are in the world, every country has its own version of potato salad and even then, there are several variations of that specific rendition. Potato salad in America is most associated with the South which is mayonnaise and mustard-based.

Southern-Style potato salad has some discrepancies as well. To add sugar or not, to use relish or not, what potato should be used. My professional recommendation is to make and eat it the way you and your family enjoy it the most. With that being said, if you want the real deal, then this is it.

German potato salad, better known as Schwabischer Kartoffelsalat in Germany, is a vinegar-based salad consisting of cooked potatoes, onions, and crisp bacon. This tasty side dish can be served hot or cold, and both ways are delicious.

Classically German speck, which is their version of cured bacon, would be used but thick-cut bacon is most commonly used here in the United States. In addition, there are several traditional recipes that do not use any meat at all, instead, they would serve this up alongside a schnitzel.

Southern Potato Salad Recipe:

• 3 pounds peeled and thinly sliced russet potatoes
• ½ peeled small diced red onion
• 2 medium diced celery stalks
• ½ cup finely minced bread and butter pickles
• 6 small diced hard-boiled eggs
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Serves 12

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 6 minutes

Procedures:

1. Add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 6 minutes or just until tender.
2. Immediately remove them from the boiling water and transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to chill them quickly.
3. Once cool, strain them and set them aside.
4. Take about 1/3 to ½ of the potatoes, add them to a large bowl, and roughly mash them using a hand masher.
5. Add the remaining potatoes along with the rest of the ingredients and using a rubber spatula fold everything together until it is very well combined.
6. Garnish with optional extra paprika and thinly sliced green onions and serve.

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 1 day ahead of time. In addition, it would be best not to dress the potato salad until ready to serve.

How to Store: Cover and keep cool in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This recipe will not freeze well.

The potatoes should be peeled and cut before boiling them.

Feel free to add or subtract the amount of mustard or mayonnaise to your liking.

Yukon gold, red bliss, or russet potatoes will work great for this recipe.

You can absolutely make this without celery.

If you do not have a red onion, a yellow, sweet, or white onion will do.

Use my hard-boiled egg recipe for perfect results.

My bread and butter pickle recipe makes for an excellent relish

The boiling water should be as salty as the ocean.

German Potato Salad Recipe:

• 3 pounds of sliced Yukon gold potatoes, about ¾” thick
• 1 peeled and medium diced yellow onion
• 6 thinly sliced strips thick-cut bacon
• ¾ cup beef stock
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Serves 12

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Procedures:

1. Add the potatoes to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes or just until tender.
2. Remove them from the water and strain them in a colander and hold them there until ready to use.
3. Next, add the bacon to a large frying pan or shallow rondeau pot over medium-high heat and cook for 4-6 minutes or until crisp and browned. Set the bacon aside.
4. Turn the heat to high and add in the strained potatoes and onions and cook for 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir every minute using a spoon or spatula.
5. Pour in the beef stock, vinegar, ¾ crisp bacon, salt, pepper, and parsley and mix until combined.
6. Serve with remaining ¼ of the crisp cooked bacon and additional chopped parsley.

Chef Notes:

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 day ahead of time.

How to Reheat: Place the desired amount in a small pan or pot and heat over low heat until warm. You can also heat in the microwave until warm.

How to Store: Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this recipe, although you will lose moisture and flavor, for up to 3 months, covered.

This potato salad will actually taste better the next day after to infuse the flavors while in the refrigerator.

German potato salad can be served hot or cold.

This dish will go well with Pork, Sausage, Schnitzels, or at your next backyard BBQ get-together.

You can substitute the Yukon potatoes for russet or red bliss potatoes.

Feel free to substitute the beef stock for vegetable stock.

Make sure the strained potatoes have little to no water on them before frying in the bacon fat.