Waxy potatoes in the Varoma, dressing made directly in the mixing bowl: classic potato salad with the Thermomix® is ready faster than most people expect. 45 minutes, one machine, no pot on the hob.
We make this salad for barbecues, to go with sausages and sometimes just as a simple lunch on its own. The recipe has not changed in years, because it works: northern German style, no mayo dressing, stock with vinegar and mustard. The potatoes go into the Varoma while the dressing comes together in the mixing bowl at the same time. When both are ready, the warm dressing goes straight over the still-warm potato slices.
Classic Potato Salad with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 13 ✓
- 800 g water
- 1 tsp salt
- 750 g waxy potatoes medium size
- 1/2 onion
- 35 g rapeseed oil
- 150 g vegetable stock or 2 tsp vegetable paste + 150 g water
- 25 g vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp hot mustard
- 1/2 bunch chives
- 2 eggs hard-boiled
- 2 pickled gherkins
- 4 radishes
Instructions 0 / 8
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1
Mix the salted water.
Add water and salt to the mixing bowl.
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2
Cook the potatoes.
Wash the potatoes, arrange them in the Varoma and cook for 35 min / Varoma / speed 1.
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3
Leave the potatoes to cool.
Remove the Varoma and leave the potatoes to cool slightly.
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4
Chop the onion.
Peel the onion, add to the mixing bowl, chop for 5 sec / speed 5 and scrape down with the spatula.
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5
Sweat the onion.
Add the oil and steam for 3 min / Varoma / speed 1.
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6
Mix the dressing.
Add the remaining dressing ingredients except the chives and warm for 2 min / 60°C / speed 1.
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7
Cut the chives.
Wash the chives, shake dry and cut into rings.
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8
Serve.
Peel the eggs and slice. Slice the pickled gherkins. Wash the radishes and slice. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix and serve scattered with chives.
Tip: If you are short on time, the potato salad tastes great even without the toppings.
Nutrition per serving
Why waxy potatoes are essential
The most important decision with potato salad is the variety. Floury potatoes turn mushy when steamed. The potatoes cook gently and evenly in the Varoma at 35 min / Varoma / speed 1, but without the structure that waxy varieties provide, the slices fall apart the moment you mix them.
We use medium-sized waxy potatoes (such as Charlotte, Nicola or Jersey Royals), about 750 g. Very small potatoes cook through too quickly and go soft. Very large ones need more than 35 minutes. Medium-sized potatoes are ideal because they are still slightly warm when the dressing goes on, which helps it soak in properly.
The dressing: stock instead of mayo
This is the difference between northern and southern German-style potato salad. If you want a mayo-based version, we have one as a Swabian potato salad on the site. This recipe takes the other approach: vegetable stock (150 g), vinegar (25 g), rapeseed oil (35 g) and 1 tsp hot mustard. No mayo, no cream.
The Thermomix® makes a real difference here: the onion is chopped for 5 sec / speed 5 and then sweated in the oil for 3 min / Varoma / speed 1, before the stock, vinegar, salt and mustard are warmed for 2 min / 60°C / speed 1. The dressing goes on warm. A warm dressing soaks into the potatoes far better than a cold one.
What goes wrong with potato salad
Dressing the potatoes when they are too hot or too cold
Too hot: the slices break apart when you mix them. Too cold: the dressing sits on the surface and does not soak in. Our solution: remove the Varoma after 35 minutes and leave the potatoes to cool for 5 to 8 minutes. Then peel and slice them. Pour the warm dressing over them straight away.
Peeling the potatoes before cooking
Many people peel the potatoes before cooking. In the Varoma this is not necessary and it actually makes the salad drier, because the skin holds in the moisture. Our solution: place the potatoes unpeeled in the Varoma. Once cooked, the skin slips off easily with your fingers when the potatoes have cooled slightly.
Not leaving it long enough to rest
If you eat the salad straight after dressing it, you get a good salad. If you leave it to rest for 2 to 3 hours, you get a noticeably better one. Our solution: add the dressing, cover the bowl and leave it at room temperature. Do not put it in the fridge during the resting time. Only refrigerate it afterwards, if you are not serving it straight away.
The toppings make the difference
The basic recipe is simple. The toppings lift it: 2 hard-boiled eggs sliced, 2 pickled gherkins sliced, 4 radishes sliced, 1/2 bunch of chives cut into rings. If you want to boil the eggs directly in the Thermomix®, we have a guide for that on the site.
The tip in the recipe holds true: without the toppings the salad still tastes good when time is short. But with the toppings it is in a different league altogether. The gherkins bring acidity, the radishes bring heat and bite, and the eggs make it more filling.
Keeps for 2 days in the fridge, best stirred at room temperature
The potato salad keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Store covered so it does not dry out. Before serving, leave it at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes so the dressing becomes more fluid again and the flavours develop. We do not freeze it: the potatoes become watery and fall apart when thawed.
Sausages, burgers or fish fillet
Classic alongside bratwurst or grilled meat. If you fancy a change from this salad, we also have a pasta salad made with the Thermomix® and a colourful potato salad with the Thermomix® as a variation with more vegetables.
How other recipes approach this
Goes well with: schnitzel and meatballs.
Other Thermomix® blogs mostly use 400 g of mayonnaise with gherkin brine and put the salad straight into the fridge overnight after mixing. We take the northern German approach: 150 g warm vegetable stock, 25 g vinegar, 35 g rapeseed oil, 1 tsp mustard. No mayo, no cream. Cookidoo® cooks the potatoes for 23 minutes in the steamer basket, cut into cubes; we cook them whole and unpeeled in the Varoma for 35 minutes, which keeps the skin intact and the slices firm. Swabian versions pour cold stock and oil into a cold bowl; we warm the dressing to 60°C and pour it hot over the still-warm slices. Resting time: 2 to 3 hours at room temperature, not overnight in the fridge.
