Bavarian Potato Salad with Broth Recipe
Bavarian potato salad is a warm, hearty salad without mayonnaise, with a delicate dressing based on stock, vinegar and mustard. In Bavaria it’s often served with sausages or roast pork, especially at family gatherings and beer festivals. In flavour it’s a bit like Polish potato salad, but lighter and more tangy.
In Bavaria this kind of salad often replaces the classic “side salad” and is served alongside roasts and sausages in beer gardens. Unlike many Polish versions it doesn’t contain mayonnaise, which means it tolerates warmth and sitting out on the table much better.
Bavarian potato salad with broth is a warm, tangy alternative to heavy mayonnaise-based salads, known from beer gardens in Munich. The potatoes soak up the hot dressing of stock, vinegar and mustard, so every piece is well seasoned while the salad still feels light. The addition of pickled cucumbers and chives brings familiar homely flavours that recall classic comfort food.
Why this version works
- Pouring hot dressing over warm potatoes allows the flavour to penetrate right into the centre.
- Stock, vinegar and mustard create an intense yet light dressing without mayonnaise.
- Pickled cucumbers and chives add acidity and freshness in a distinctly Polish style.
- Letting the salad rest at room temperature gives the dressing time to soak into the slices.
Chef's tips
The key is to slice the potatoes while they’re still warm and pour the hot dressing over them straight away – that’s when they absorb the flavour best. Be careful not to overcook them: the fork should go in with slight resistance, otherwise the salad will turn into a mash. Adjust the acidity at the end – if you know you’ll serve it with fatty sausage, you can afford a little more vinegar.
How to serve
Serve slightly warm alongside white sausage, roast neck of pork or simply with a big bowl of green salad for dinner. It goes perfectly with a mug of pale beer or homemade apple compote, especially during a summer barbecue in the garden. At my place this salad is a must at autumn bonfire gatherings – I make a double batch in a big metal bowl.
Watch out for
- Don’t overcook the potatoes – once the edges start to crumble, it’s a sign you should shorten the cooking time.
- Don’t mix too vigorously; crushed slices will quickly turn the salad into mush.
- Don’t pour cold dressing over the potatoes – hot dressing absorbs better and emulsifies.
Substitutions
- You can replace vegetable stock with chicken stock for a meatier flavour.
- Swap wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar if you prefer milder acidity.
- Replace part of the vegetable oil with cold-pressed rapeseed oil for a deeper aroma.
- Instead of raw onion use onion scalded with boiling water if you want a milder taste.
Ingredients
- potatoes preferably waxy salad potatoes - 800 g
- onion - 1 piece
- vegetable stock hot - 200 ml
- wine vinegar light - 3 tablespoon
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed oil - 3 tablespoon
- mustard mild, e.g. Bavarian or table mustard - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- chives chopped - 3 tablespoon
- pickled cucumber medium, finely chopped - 2 piece
Preparation
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly, place them unpeeled in a pot, cover with cold water and lightly salt. Cook for 20–25 minutes, until a fork goes in with slight resistance – the skins may crack a little, but the potatoes should not fall apart.
- Drain the potatoes and set aside for 5–10 minutes, until they are no longer too hot to handle. Peel them while still warm, slice into rounds or thick half-moons and transfer to a wide bowl that will make gentle mixing easy.
- Peel the onion and chop it very finely so it doesn’t dominate the flavour once served. Dice the pickled cucumbers finely; if they are very juicy, gently squeeze out the excess liquid so it doesn’t water down the dressing.
- Pour the stock into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the vinegar, mustard, sugar, a pinch of salt and pepper, then whisk thoroughly until the dressing is smooth with no mustard lumps.
- Taste the dressing: it should be distinctly tangy but not harsh in the throat. If you taste mostly vinegar, add a little more sugar; if it’s too mild, add a teaspoon of vinegar. The dressing needs to be hot when you pour it over the potatoes.
- Add the finely chopped onion and pickled cucumbers to the warm potatoes. Pour over the hot stock dressing and gently mix with a wide spoon, lifting the slices from the bottom so they don’t break but are evenly coated.
- Add the oil and again mix very gently, until all the slices are lightly glossy with no puddle of dressing at the bottom of the bowl. Taste the salad and season with salt and pepper – the flavour should be slightly tangy, with a hint of sweetness and mustard heat.
- Finally, sprinkle in the chopped chives and mix only enough to distribute them evenly. Leave the salad to rest for at least 20–30 minutes at room temperature, until the potatoes have absorbed most of the dressing and the salad has slightly “set”.
- Before serving, check the texture: if the salad seems dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of warm stock or a little more oil and stir gently. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, not straight from the fridge.
Storage
Store leftover salad covered in the fridge and eat within 2 days. Before serving again, let it come to room temperature and stir gently, adding a little extra oil or vinegar if it seems dry.
I usually prepare it in the morning on the day of a family barbecue so it has time to “come together” at room temperature before it hits the table. I also sometimes take the leftovers in a lunch box to work – cold, it tastes almost as good as freshly made.
