German Potato Salad

Recipe from "The Joy of Cooking"

Adapted by Suzanne Hamlin

Updated July 1, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(2,328)
Comments
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The reassurance of potato salad, its portability, conviviality and – depending on the cook – blank slate for creativity have been appealing to Americans since the last half of the 19th century. Immigrants and travelers to America introduced many styles, including variations of salade Nicoise (the French salad of potatoes, olives, green beans and tuna, dressed with vinaigrette), and salade Russe (cubed potatoes, peas and carrots bound with mayonnaise). German settlers brought hot potato salad, and that savory combination of warm potatoes lightly dressed with hot bacon fat and vinegar became entrenched in Pennsylvania and throughout the Midwest. This is an adaptation of a classic version that was first published in the 1931 edition of “The Joy of Cooking.” —Suzanne Hamlin

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2 pounds boiling potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled

  • 4 strips bacon

  • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into thin slices, including some of the green

  • ½ cup minced celery, including some leaves

  • ½ cup cider vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ⅛ teaspoon paprika

  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

29 grams carbs; 13 milligrams cholesterol; 206 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 7 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 359 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut the potatoes in half if they are large, put them in a pot and add enough lightly salted water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and boil gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until just tender. Drain.

  2. Step 2

    While the potatoes are still warm, peel and slice, or cube them, into a large serving bowl.

  3. Step 3

    In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add scallions and celery, and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Mix with potato pieces.

  4. Step 4

    In the same skillet, mix ¼ cup of water with cider vinegar, sugar, salt, paprika and dry mustard. Stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil and pour over salad. Crumble bacon over the top, and serve warm.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,328 user ratings
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Comments

Helga

Rich,we have various ways of making potato salad here in Germany. Eggs can often be found in "our" potato salad.
Oh, my mother used to make potato salad with eggs, herring, carrots etc. - a BIG bowl of this herring salad on Christmas evening with breaded fish or sausages was something to look foward to. A great tradition.. that I keep alive.
Rich, just as there are various ways of making apple cake - there are many recipes for potato salad in Germany. Greetings from Bavaria - Helga

Aleks Hunter

When making potato salad, try cooking the potatoes for about two minutes less, they will continue to cook through after draining, and put the dressing on while the potatoes are warm, they will absorb more of the flavor of the dressing. It is tricky, but practice makes perfect, and potato salad is never really unwelcome.

Sally

My Swiss mother-in-law made a fantastic potato salad. Her trick: boil and peel the potatoes and then pour some very strong veggie bullion over them. They soak up the bullion, so that you can use considerably less oil and vinegar on them. Serve slightly warm, it is great. I still call it "Irma's potato salad".

Diann

Made this last night and my husband loved it. Can't find new potatoes right now, so I used sliced canned new potatoes - sacrilege, I'm sure - and it had the texture of the salad my German MIL made. Used garlic scallions from our CSA box. Quite easy, very good, and husband wants it again tomorrow.

Lisa Breneman

Made the recipe exactly as instructed, except used only a splash of cider vinegar. I might try a little more next time as I struggle with over powering vinegar and I felt it might benefit from a bit more. Small steps! Delicious, like Oma made! Delicious!

Mary Young

I strictly followed the recipe and also read comments. The texture of this salad did absolutely nothing for me—it was dry and gummy. A German potato salad should have some silkiness to it and this was really lacking.

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Credits

Adapted from "The Joy of Cooking"

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