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What is German Sausage Salad Wurstsalat?
Bayerischer Wurstsalat translates to Bavarian sausage salad. At its core it is a type of meat salad (the broader category of Fleischsalat is a popular preparation across all of Germany), but in the south the Bavarians, especially in Swabia, use local Lyoner sausage (a German bologna) to make it and prefer to dress it in a very simple vinaigrette - no mustard or mayonnaise are required.
The salad is a staple on beer garden menus (perfect for Brotzeit or as a topping on Butterbrot) and is also one of the dishes offered on the Wiesn during Oktoberfest. It is incredibly simple to put together - all you have to do is secure a good quality pork deli sausage and have German beer to enjoy with it.
Ingredients
Deli pork sausage. The classic version of the salad is made with a boiled, smoked sausage known as Regensburger Wurst which is not easy to find in the US. Alternatives for the pork sausage include bologna, kielbasa, mortadella or cooked beerwurst or bratwurst. We love to make it with the bratwurst you see above sold at Trader Joe's - it is delicious and has a great consistency.
Onion, dill pickles and herbs. Red onion is traditionally used for its milder flavor and also for the visual contrast. You can use dill pickles or gurken (gherkins) and as far as herbs are concerned parsley, chives and occasionally dill are added.
Dressing ingredients. A mild vinegar such as sherry, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar; a neutral cooking oil (ex. vegetable oil or sunflower oil); a bit of pickle juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Method of Preparation
Prep. Remove the casings from the sausage links and slice them thinly into circles, semi-circles or lengthwise into thin strips (julienne). Thinly slice the onion and dill pickles. Finely chop the parsley/chives.
Mix. Add the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Place the sausage, onions and pickles in a deep bowl and drizzle the dressing over them. Sprinkle with chopped herbs, reserve a small amount of the herbs for garnish.
Marinate. Combine everything and let marinate for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate/bowl and sprinkle with the reserved chopped herbs.
Serving Tips
- Serve Wurstsalat with fresh German bread/bread rolls or soft Bavarian pretzels. It also goes great with pan-fried potatoes or basic Bavarian potato salad.
- Being on the menu of beer gardens this hearty sausage delicacy definitely has a strong affinity for most German beers. Pair it with those traditional to Bavaria - hefeweizen, Munich helles, Munich dunkel, pilsner, bock and in Fall with Marzen or Festbier.
- Even though best eaten shortly after prepared Bavarian sausage salad will keep well for a day or two, stored refrigerated in an airtight container. The red onions acquire a pickled taste and give up some of their crispness, but overall the salad retains enough crunch to be enjoyable.
Variations of Sausage Salad
You can play around with the ingredient line up and customize Wurstsalat to your liking.
Try adding cherry tomatoes or thinly sliced radishes
Or add cheese sliced in thin strips. Suitable options are Emmentaler (emmental cheese), regular Swiss cheese, or Gouda.
Make a mayo based vinaigrette to pour over the salad. Simply fold in two or three tablespoons of mayo into the prescribed recipe below.
Add hard-boiled eggs for extra protein.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Bavarian Potato Salad | Bratwurst, Peppers and Onions in Oven | German Food Ideas for Oktoberfest
Bratkartoffeln German Fries
German Onion Pie
Recipe
Wurstsalat - Bavarian Sausage Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz deli pork sausage*
- 3-4 medium dill pickles
- 1 small to medium red onion
- fresh parsley chopped, to taste
- chives chopped, to taste
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar**
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- salt a pinch
- pepper a pinch
Instructions
- 1. Remove the casings from the sausage links then slice them into thin circles or semi-circles (alternatively you can julienne them i.e slice them into thin strips). Thinly cut the onion into circles or semi-circles. Slice or julienne the dill pickles. Finely chop the parsley and chives.
- 2. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, pickle juice, vegetable oil and salt and pepper.
- 3. In a deep bowl place all the ingredients from step 1 (reserve a bit of parsley and chives for garnish). Add the dressing from step 2 and gently mix everything together. Let marinate for 10-15 minutes.
- 4. Transfer the sausage salad to a serving plate/bowl and garnish with the reserved chives and parsley. Enjoy with soft pretzels or fresh bread rolls.
Colleen
I look forward to giving this one a taste!!!
karrie
I agree about eating German food whenever the time of year! I don't think there's one German recipe I don't absolutely love 🙂 I've had this salad out at restaurants but never made it at home so I'll have to make your recipe soon!
CraftBeering
Thank you Karrie!I am with you, not sure why people say German food isn't tasty:)
Jess
Great recipe!
Amber Harrop
So tasty!
CraftBeering
Oh, no! I guess you can always leave it out from the dressing:)
LIanne
CraftBeering
Thank you Lianne!
Leslie
Yum! Looks so good right now. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
CraftBeering
Thank you Leslie!
Kelsie
I loved the apple touch.
CraftBeering
You are too funny Kelsie! The pretzel is so perfect as a backdrop for this meat salad:)
Dawn
I would TOTALLY eat this salad for breakfast!! It was that good.
CraftBeering
I guess that life would be very boring without other people's quirks:) The kuftes we ate (my grandma's) were soo good...I will definitely try to make them soon! Thank you Dawn!
Leanna
My goodness this looks delicious. Hubs will go wild for this stuff. Pinning.
CraftBeering
Thank you Leanna! I thought of making it after I saw your Oktoberfest dishes. So you have some credit due:) Often I add julienned cheese and do a vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing for Fleishsalat/Wurstsalat, this time changed it up!
Mary
I’ve never heard of this salad but any salad with german sausage makes my little heart smile. Any excuse to eat sausage I’m taking it. This dish is screaming for a good beer lol.
CraftBeering
Ain't it? But seriously, this so called salad makes a great breakfast number! Of course, some eat their breakfast with beer, lol. Thank you Mary!
Jennifer
Absolutely perfect sandwich filling, from the sausage, to the dressing to a beautiful pretzel bun! Loved it 🙂
CraftBeering
Thank you Jennifer! It is a bit different, but so flavorful! And messy to eat:)