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Vegan German Potato Salad with Bacon

March 13, 2019 By Sarah 3 Comments

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Vegan German Potato Salad, just like my mom used to make—such a delicious upgrade from classic mashed potatoes!

overhead view of plate of Vegan German Potato Salad with vegan sausage and green beans and text overlay
This recipe was originally posted in March 2014.

Comfort Food Favorites

There are certain foods, tastes, and smells that instantly transport you back to a certain time and place.  Apple Pie takes me back to my Aunt Betty’s kitchen in Boston.  Sugar and Spice Cookies take me back to my college dorm room in Indiana.  Pastelitos de Guayaba bring me back to a park bench with Irving in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.  And my mom’s German Potato Salad brings me back to the dining room of my childhood home in Pennsylvania.  It was one of my favorite dishes growing up, always served with kielbasa and sauerkraut.  I’m not sure if it’s normal for a kid to like sauerkraut, but I really did…and still do!  It’s a perfect cold weather meal—a total stick to your ribs dinner.  And it’s a family favorite!

close up of skillet of Vegan German Potato Salad

What is German Potato Salad?

German Potato Salad is a popular dish with its roots in southern German cuisine.  It’s quite different from the common American style of potato salad, that’s made with a mayonnaise based sauce and served cold.  In a German Potato Salad, potatoes are mixed with bacon, onions, and a vinegar sauce, and the dish is served warm.  This potato salad is more along the lines of a mashed potato dish.  The vinegar adds an unexpected tang—I can’t say enough how good this is!

close up of plate of Vegan German Potato Salad with vegan sausage and green beans in the background

Vegan German Potato Salad

By swapping in vegan bacon—my favorite is Upton’s Naturals—I’ve been able to recreate my mom’s dish and still keep it completely vegan.  It tastes EXACTLY like I remembered it!  So good.  Don’t you love when you can do that?  This vegan German Potato Salad is rich and filling—total “meat and potatoes” food.  Not at all the stereotypical “vegans only eat salad” kind of salad.

overhead view of plate of Vegan German Potato Salad with vegan sausage, green beans, bowl of green beans, skillet of potatoes, with black silverware, plates

Family Favorite

The first time I made this vegan German Potato Salad Irving requested that I make it again right away.  The boys love it too, and we fight over the few leftovers that there are—it should make 8+ servings, but we usually eek out just 5 or 6!  Seriously, it’s that good.  I mean—what’s not to love?  Potatoes?  Good.  Onions?  Good.  Vegan bacon?  Good.

overhead of plate of Vegan German Potato Salad with vegan sausage, green beans, wooden spoon, black plates

I hope you love this vegan German potato salad as much as we all do!  It would make a fantastic meal with my Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick’s Day!  Or pair it with your favorite veggie sausage (Field Roast Apple Sage sausages are in the pictures), and some sauerkraut for a true meat and potatoes dinner!  Either way, I think you’re going to be very happy!

fried dandelions

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

German Potato Salad

Vegan German Potato Salad, just like my mom used to make—such a delicious upgrade from classic mashed potatoes!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Keyword: potatoes, St. Patrick's Day
Servings: 8
Author: Sarah De la Cruz

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs red or Yukon gold potatoes cut in 1 inch pieces
  • 1 package vegan bacon diced (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour (use corn starch if you need a gluten free option)
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • parsley to garnish

Instructions

  • Add chopped potatoes to a large pot of cold water.  Heat over high heat until boiling.  Allow potatoes to boil until fork tender, but not mushy, about 25 minutes.
  • While potatoes are boiling, cut bacon into a small dice. 
  • Heat oil in a deep cast iron skillet or a heavy bottom pot (like a Le Creuset) and add bacon.  Allow bacon to crisp up a bit and cook all the way through.   Remove bacon from pan. 
  • Add onion (and a little more oil if needed) and cook until translucent. 
  • Add flour, sugar and salt to the pan and stir. 
  • Add water and vinegar, and stir until bubbling and slightly thickened. 
  • Add all of the potatoes and bacon back into the pot.
  • Stir well, breaking up the potatoes a bit, and allow to heat through for a few minutes. 
  • Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Notes

I like using Upton's Naturals vegan bacon.  You can also make your own coconut bacon, especially if you are looking for a gluten free option!

 

Blog Memories

While my blog has moved a bit away from the “dear diary” style of early blogging, I still love looking back on what I was up to.  This came from my original March 2014 post, just weeks before baby Jonny was born!

My mom asked me last night if I was still doing my blog.  I’ll take that as a real subtle hint that it’s been too long since my last post!  And I’ve been promising you the recipe for my German Potato Salad for about 2 weeks now, so its long overdue!  While I’ve been not-posting I’ve been sewing up a storm and am almost done with my quilt for baby boy, who should make his appearance in just 8 more weeks—yikes!

quilt

Filed Under: Recipe, Side Dish Tagged With: dinner, potato, side dish, vegan

Previous Post: « Instant Pot Quinoa with (optional) Coconut, Lime, and Cilantro
Next Post: My 50 Shades of Grey Kitchen Renovation »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Becky Striepe says

    March 21, 2019 at 8:44 am

    Oh, I love German potato salad and never thought to veganize it. I am all over this recipe! I also love how you cut the sausages on an angle in your photos – so much more crunchy goodness that way!

    Reply
  2. Cadry says

    March 21, 2019 at 7:08 am

    Wow, this sounds like EVERYTHING I love. Warm potatoes with vegan bacon & onions, sauerkraut, and seitan sausage? SIGN ME UP.

    Reply
  3. Dianne says

    March 20, 2019 at 5:16 pm

    German potato salad is so good! I’d be fighting for the leftovers, too! This is a must for spring picnics!

    Reply

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