Grill/Barbecue

Austrian Potato Salad

August 15, 2024
4.5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 6 (side dish)
Author Notes

This is an old family recipe, passed down through generations. In fact, there is no BBQ in my family without this treat, so let me pass this on to you, to spread a little Austrian vibe to your picnic or BBQ ;-)
The dressing, containing hot broth, makes it special. The only ingredient I altered in this recipe, compared to my ancestors, is the vinegar. The original recipe calls for apple vinegar. My family always uses homemade apple vinegar which may sometimes tastes quite sharp. So I switched this ingredient to white wine vinegar instead.
As for the potatoes, don’t use too big ones as they will break when scliced. —Ursula - Lil Vienna

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds (900 g) waxy potatoes, all about the same size, rather small to medium ones
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced finely (3.5 oz / 100g)
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) white wine vinegar or mellow apple vinegar
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (200 ml) vegetable broth
  • 3/4 tablespoon tarragon mustard (substitute with savory-hot mustard like spicy brown if you can not find)
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) sunflower oil (or any other neutral-tasting oil)
  • 1 teaspoon (8 g) fine sea salt or table salt
  • Chopped, flat parsley for garnish
Directions
  1. Simmer the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool slightly.
  2. When potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel and cut them into thin slices (not thicker than 1/8 inch). Set aside in a big bowl.
  3. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat, add diced onion and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
  4. Deglaze onion with vinegar, add soup and salt.
  5. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it cook over low medium heat for 2 minutes.
  6. Toss the potatoes with vinegar-broth, add mustard, give it a stir, then add oil and mix carefully.
  7. Cover bowl with a lid and let rest for at least 30 minutes so the potatoes are able to absorb some of the dressing.
  8. Potato salad is consumed either warm (after 30 of resting) or chilled (when resting longer).
  9. Before serving, give the salad a stir, taste it, add little salt if necessary and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
  10. NOTE: This salad can easily be prepared in advance. The dressing is good for a ½ hour to 3 hour resting time. If you let the salad rest longer – over night for example – prepare slightly more dressing, because the potatoes will continue absorbing it. Otherwise, the salad might turn out too dry.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Ursula - Lil Vienna
    Ursula - Lil Vienna
  • Ingrid
    Ingrid
  • Saffron3
    Saffron3
Austrian, Cookbook author, Journalist, Food blogger, Globetrotter, (Bread)Baking enthusiast, Recipe-tweaker, Chocolate-lover.

4 Reviews

Ingrid March 18, 2017
I was trying to explain to a friend the potato salad I imagined having as a kid with my Wiener schnitzel...this is it! Thanks so much for posting.
 
Ursula -. March 20, 2017
Yes, it's often served along with Wiener Schnitzel! I love it ;-)
 
Saffron3 June 25, 2015
This salad looks wonderful! I'm going to make it and enjoy much - I can tell-.
I enjoy the generational recipes; I also have a few and there is something about them. Is it because of simpler ingredients or more basic tastes then, that can carry to now in the same form, leaping over time? Thanks for this Ursula. Very nice thoughts going on.!
 
Ursula -. June 26, 2015
Thanks for the kind words ;-) Simple food is often the best...