Alsatian Cervelas Salad - The Traditional Winstub Recipe

On the menu of every winstub, between sauerkraut and tarte flambée, you will almost always find cervelas salad. In dialect it is called Wurschtsalat. This simple dish of sliced cervelas sausage and a punchy vinaigrette proves that in Alsace, conviviality also comes through the humblest recipes.

Alsatian cervelas

Cervelas is a large cooked sausage made of pork, sometimes mixed with beef, with a fine, lightly smoked texture. It is eaten cold or hot, but it is most loved as a salad. The skin is removed before cutting, then it is sliced into thin strips or halved and scored in a criss-cross pattern, depending on each household's habits.

Plain or garnished?

The plain version is limited to cervelas, onions, gherkins and herbs. Garnished cervelas salad, very popular in winstubs, adds strips of Gruyère or Emmental, sometimes a hard-boiled egg and a few raw vegetables. It then becomes a complete meal, ideal for summer evenings.

The cervelas salad recipe

Ingredients for 4 people

• 4 cervelas sausages (about 600 g)
• 1 red onion or 2 shallots
• 6 gherkins
• 1 small bunch of chives and parsley
• 150 g Gruyère or Emmental (for the garnished version)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Remove the skin from the cervelas. Halve them lengthways, then slice into thin half-moons or strips.
2. Finely slice the onion or shallots and cut the gherkins into rounds.
3. Make the vinaigrette: mix the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil.
4. In a bowl, combine the sausage, onion and gherkins. For the garnished version, add the cheese cut into strips.
5. Pour over the vinaigrette, toss and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavours blend.
6. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs and add the quartered eggs if you like.

How to serve cervelas salad

Serve it well chilled with country bread, a warm potato salad or sautéed potatoes. To drink, a cold beer is the traditional winstub companion. If you prefer wine, a dry, lively Riesling balances the acidity of the vinaigrette, while a Pinot Gris brings more roundness to the garnished version. For more ideas, see our guide to Alsatian food and wine pairings.

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Our tips

Made a few hours ahead, cervelas salad is even better. It travels easily and is perfect for a picnic or buffet. Cut into small cubes, it can also be served in small glasses as an aperitif.

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