Swiss-Style Potato Salad — with Stock, No Mayonnaise
Yvonne Ammann VeganBoil waxy potatoes in their skins, peel while still warm and slice. Immediately pour over hot stock, vinegar, mustard and chopped onion and let stand 20 minutes — warm potatoes soak up the dressing. Finish with oil and chives. That is the whole trick.
The potato salad served in Switzerland with bratwurst, cordon bleu and at every barbecue has no mayonnaise. It is creamy because warm potatoes soak up hot stock. Cold-sliced potatoes do not — which is why yesterday's salad often tastes flat. Slice warm, dress at once, and it comes out right every time.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Potatoes (waxy)
- 1 piece Onion
- 2 dl Stock (hot)
- 3 tbsp White wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Mustard
- 4 tbsp Rapeseed oil
- ½ tsp Salt
- Pepper
- 1 bunch Chives
- 4 pieces Gherkins (optional)
Method
- 1
Boil the potatoes
Boil the potatoes unpeeled in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes until a knife slides in easily. Drain and let steam for 5 minutes — just long enough to handle them.
- 2
Prepare the dressing
Chop the onion very finely. Whisk the hot stock with the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and add the onion. No oil yet.
- 3
Slice warm
Peel the potatoes while warm — the skin almost comes off by itself — and slice 5 mm thick into a bowl. Pour the hot dressing over at once and fold gently.
- 4
Let it stand
Let stand 20 minutes, turning once. The potatoes soak up the stock and the potato starch thickens the dressing.
- 5
Finish
Fold in the oil and chopped chives, taste — it usually needs a little more vinegar or salt. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature, not straight from the fridge.
Tips
- The salad tastes best two hours after dressing. From the day before: take it out of the fridge an hour ahead and refresh with 2 tbsp hot stock.
- For the mayonnaise version: after standing, fold in 3 tbsp mayonnaise and 2 tbsp yoghurt instead of the oil, plus chopped gherkins and a hard-boiled egg. Most children prefer it this way.
- Potato salad is a base: with Cervelat and cheese it becomes supper, with bacon and lamb's lettuce an autumn salad, with cucumber and dill a summer one.
What can I substitute?
The cooking water already carries starch and makes the dressing even creamier. A stock cube works just as well.
Cider vinegar is milder and suits children. White balsamic adds a touch of sweetness — use less.
Milder. Add spring onion rings only with the oil, or they go soft in the hot stock.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Which potatoes for potato salad?
Waxy ones: Charlotte, Amandine, Nicola or Annabelle. They hold their shape when sliced and do not turn floury. At Migros and Coop they carry a green label.
Why is my potato salad dry or bland?
Because the potatoes were sliced cold. Cold potatoes stop absorbing dressing, however much you pour on. Slice warm, hot stock, 20 minutes standing — then it is juicy without dressing pooling at the bottom.
Can I make potato salad the day before?
Yes, it keeps two days in the fridge. Add the oil and chives on the day of eating and take the salad out an hour beforehand — every dressing tastes of less when cold.
What goes with potato salad?
Bratwurst, grilled Cervelat, cordon bleu, Fleischkäse, fish goujons — anything fried and without a sauce. Vegetarian: a fried egg on top.
How much potato salad per person?
200 to 250 g raw potatoes per person as a side, 300 g as a main with sausage. For a barbecue of 10, that is 2.5 kg potatoes.
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