Looking for a new salad recipe? Then try this Austrian Erdäpfel Vogerlsalat, a potato field salad that combines a tangy dressing poured over potatoes and the freshness of field salad, with the smoky richness of speck, and a generous drizzle of exquisite Styrian pumpkin seed oil.

I tasted this salad a few years ago during a trip to Austria and totally fell head over heals with the taste. I took this long to post it because I wanted to grow one of the main ingredients myself. Read on to find out what came out of my garden and to find out all the wonderful special flavors found in this delicious Potato Field Salad … called Erdäpfel Vogerlsalat.

Styrian Potato Field Salad pumpkin seed oil

My Austrian ‘DUH’ moment

Oh, how I wish I was in Austria again this summer. I have so many fond memories of that trip. And I ate so well. Since my trips, I have posted several Austrian recipes but I had to wait for this one. On my last trip, my cousins picked me up in Vienna and we stopped for lunch in a Gasthaus on our way to their place in Styria.

One of my cousins got excited because he saw the Styrian Potato Field Salad on the menu. Too curious I had to order one myself. I could not get enough of it. Not only do I love that kind of potato salad, I devoured this odd green lettuce, and discovered pumpkin seed oil. I will tell you more about each part of the salad below.

But I was fascinated by this Vogerlsalat and my cousin offered to go to a garden store and buy a packet of seeds for me on our way to their place. He said this salad hates the heat so it was too late to plant it so far into the summer and I had to wait till the following spring.

When I got back home I did google the word on the seed packet and that is when I realized I totally knew what Vogerlsalat was: field salad, or in Quebec we know it s mâche. A real ‘DUH’ moment!

Erdapfel Vogerlsalat

Deconstructing the Styrian Potato Field Salad

Now I don’t want to create a stir with my next comment, but I might. As much as I like a mayonnaise-based potato salad, it does not hold a candle to an Austrian potato salad. The main difference is the warm vinegar and Dijon-based dressing. And the potatoes!

Stay away from high-starched spuds for this one, like the Russet potato. You need a potato that will hold its shape. Try white, yellow, or red-skinned potatoes. Once the potatoes are just tender you let them bathed in the dressing for at least 30 minutes. The potatoes suck in a bit of the dressing and the dressing thickens a little bit from the starch. YUMMY!

Next up for this particular recipe is the field salad, or Vogerlsalat. Have you heard of it?  It also goes by the name of corn salad, lamb’s lettuce, mâche, and nut lettuce. I planted my seeds in spring in a small box on my balcony and I was finally able to harvest the salad for my recipe.

The special bacon, called speck, is optional but gives a lot of flavors. Speck is a ham, cut to look like bacon, salt-cured, and smoked. It’s to die for.

Styrian Potato Field Salad

Styrian Gold: Kürbiskernöl, or Pumpkin Seed Oil 

And the crowning jewel is nicknamed Styrian Gold: Styrian pumpkin seed oil or Kürbiskernöl. This amazing lustrous dark green oil actually tastes like pumpkin seeds.

This nutty and smooth oil must be made from pumpkins seed from the Styrian pumpkin that grew in Styria which is in the south of Austria. And to be truly certified it must have a PGI seal (Protected Geographical Indication – think Champagne, Porto, or Stilton cheese).

It just so happens that some cousins live there and got me a bottle. You can find it imported now in specialty stores or online.

By the way, do you know what is another Gold moment here? The Styrian Alps are part of the Alps mountain range. Great place for winter sports like skiing. But the best places to ski in Austria are nearby, a mere 3 hours toward Salzburg.

Kürbiskernöl TIPS

  • Store the oil out of direct sunlight, that is why it is in a dark bottle.
  • If you are serving the salad outdoors, do not leave it in the sun or it will go bitter.
  • If you get a stain – and you will – on clothes or your tablecloth, do not wash it. Just place the item in the sun for a few hours and the stain will disappear. You can then launder the item as usual.

Styrian Potato Field Salad | Erdäpfel Vogerlsalat

An Austrian Erdäpfel Vogerlsalat is a potato field salad that combines a tangy dressing poured over potatoes and field salad, plus speck and pumpkin seed oil.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Wait time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine Austrian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 207 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pds waxy potatoes
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 ounces/150 gr bacon or speck optional
  • 3.5 ounces/100 gr field salad
  • 1 very liberal shot of Styrian pumpkin seed oil Kürbiskernöl

Instructions
 

  • Peel and dice the potatoes in 3/4 inch cubes. Place in a pan and cover with cold water and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender but still hold their shape. Strain.
  • In the mean time, mix the vinegar, oil, mustard, stock, sugar, salt and pepper well in a big bowl. Put the cooked potatoes in the bowl and stir gently but evenly. Set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.
  • Chop the speck into pieces.
  • Pour the potatoes and liquid into a serving dish, top with the field salad and sprinkle with the bacon. Drizzle the salad with the pumpkin seed oil before serving.
Styrian Potato Field Salad pin

Check out all the wonderful Austrian dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Find out how to join Eat the World here and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

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Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Viennese Kaiser Rolls
Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Wiener Beef Schnitzel
Pandemonium Noshery: Kaiserschmarrn – Austrian Torn Pancake
Cultureatz: Styrian Potato Field Salad