German Salad Dressing With Evaporated Milk Recipe

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 02/28/22
Oma's Salatsauce
ivanmateev/E+/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Refrigerate: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 1/2 cup
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
84 Calories
3g Fat
12g Carbs
3g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 84
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 308mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 106mg 8%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 130mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Try this easy German Grandma's salad dressing (Oma's salatsauce) recipe. After World Wars I and II, fresh dairy was hard to come by, so instead of half-and-half or heavy cream, Oma (German for "grandma") used evaporated milk. This history of evaporated and sweetened condensed milk will give you the backstory on canned milk. 

Since the ingredients are simple and the recipe is so easy to prepare, taking all of about 10 minutes, it might surprise you that this can be such a tasty way to dress a salad.

My Oma also passed down to me a recipe for Flädlesuppe or broth with pancakes.

This recipe fall into the category of German comfort foods. Comfort foods are those that may not always be trendy but, you have to admit, they are the ones that evoke deep, heartfelt memories, and the foods you turn to on a cold winter's night when you're snuggled before a fire with fuzzy house slippers on your feet.

Ingredients

  • 1 (5-ounce can) evaporated milk

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons minced onion, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Pour the 5-ounce can of evaporated milk into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute of your choice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and stir until sugar dissolves.

  2. Stir in white-balsamic vinegar or white-wine vinegar and 1 to 2 tablespoons of minced onions, if using. Chill. When ready to serve, toss the dressing with torn mixed lettuce greens.

Recipe Variation

  • White wine vinegar is a good substitute for the recipe's white balsamic vinegar.