Erdäpfelsalad - Potato Salad

Ingredients

500 g of potatoes
50 g of onion, finely chopped
350 mL of soup
3 tablespoon of vinegar
6 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of mustard with tarragon
salt, pepper (the usual suspects)

What Austrian Potato Salad is

Erdäpfelsalad is the heavy emperor of Austrian dishes - eaten at almost any occasion with sausages, meat, fish and pretty much anything else. Something that many Austrians find very surprising: Potatoes were only very reluctantly accepted by the Viennese and well into the 19th century, the vegetable was more expensive than the finest meat. Potatoes were first documented in Vienna in 1588, but even by 1745, a pound of potatoes cost as much as 82 pounds of beef.

It was not until around 1850 that the domestic production of potatoes had grown significantly and the vegetable became an integral part of Austrian cuisine in the years that followed. Today, Austrians will find it hard to believe that only some 200 years ago, potatoes were virtually unheard of in Vienna - not even to mention the rest of the country. Note what a great ice-breaker this makes for parties and drink receptions in Austria ("I happened to notice that you are having potato salad - did you know…") .

How to Make Austrian Potato Salad

Boil the potatoes with the peel until they are done. Peel them as long as they are still warm and cut them into slices. Put the slices in a bowl and warm the soup. Add it with all the other ingredients and mix gently. My mother often uses mayonnaise instead of the oil.

If you stick with the oil-version, you might want to try Styrian Pumpkin Seed oil, the delicacy from Austria′s south: A dark-green oil with a distinct, nut-like flavour that will make your Erdäpfelsalad a whole different experience. In that case, you can also add some roasted pumpkin seeds to the salad.

More Austrian Recipes

Starters: Knoblauchcreme Soup - Wiener Suppentopf - Kürbiscreme Soup - Tomato Soup

Main Courses: Beuschl - Wiener Schnitzel - Kaspressknödel - Hasenpfeffer Venison - Goulash - Tiroler Knödel - Erdäpfellaibchen - Schwammerlgoulash

Desserts & Sweet Meals: Kaiserschmarrn - Topfenpalatschinken pancakes - Topfengrießknödel - Potato dough for Mohn- and Nussnudeln - Pofesen - Apple Strudel - Topfenschmarrn - Topfenstrudel - Wuchteln - Germknödel - Reisauflauf

Bread & Snacks: Bread base - Liptauer cheese - Erdäpfelkas - Obatzter

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