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bowl of german potato salad
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German Potato Salad

I love a good tangy German potato salad, but don't always love the traditional method of using bacon drippings for the dressing. This version has a twist, it uses two types of vinegar  instead -- the hot potatoes are first tossed with rice vinegar, and then dressed in a white wine vinaigrette. And finely chopped scallions, dill pickles, and crumbed bacon add more flavor and texture. It's so tangy and so good!  Just like this recipe, I believe the secret to any good potato salad lies in tossing the warm potatoes with vinegar or a vinaigrette before proceeding with the rest of the recipe—it's what gives the potatoes so much flavor!
See how to make this German Potato Salad, with step-by-step photos and instructions, here.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salads, Sides
Cuisine: German-American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 509kcal

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons grainy mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad

  • ¼ cup plain rice vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 ½ pound small red skin potatoes scrubbed clean
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • ¾ cup finely chopped dill pickles
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or a mix of parsley and dill
  • ¾ pound bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions

  • Make the dressing: In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the  vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until blended. Set aside.
  • Make the salad: Combine the rice vinegar and 2 tsp. salt in a large bowl.  Put the potatoes and 2 Tbs. salt in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the potatoes until barely tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. If the potatoes aren’t all the same size, remove them as they are cooked. Gently drain the potatoes and spread them on a paper-towel line baking sheet to drain more and cool slightly.  Cut the potatoes into 1-½ inch chunks. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the rice vinegar and gently stir with a spatula to coat.
  • Gently fold the scallions, pickles, and parsley into the potatoes. Whisk the vinaigrette and fold enough of it into the potatoes to generously coat them (you may not need all of the dressing). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve while still slightly warm, topped with the crumbled bacon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.4g | Protein: 12.3g | Fat: 31.8g | Cholesterol: 36.5mg | Sodium: 866.2mg | Sugar: 4.6g