Knorr Salatkroenung 7 Kraeuter salad dressing sachet beside a bowl of fresh salad

Knorr Salatkronung: What the German Dressing Sachets Are

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Louis KappellerRuns the online shop at German Food

Related product

Knorr Salatkrönung Gartenkräuter Garden Herbs Salad Dressing | 5 x 8 g View product £1.59

What is Knorr Salatkrönung?

Salatkrönung is a dry herb and spice mix that you shake up with oil and water to make a salad dressing. One sachet makes one bowl's worth, and the whole point is that you keep a box of sachets in the cupboard rather than a bottle of dressing in the fridge.

It is one of those German staples that has no direct British equivalent on the shelf, which is why people who have lived in Germany come looking for it by name.

How the sachet system works

Each sachet is a single dressing. The standard method is on the packet and takes about a minute:

  • Tip the sachet into a small bowl.
  • Add oil and water in the proportions the packet gives (usually three tablespoons of each).
  • Whisk hard until it emulsifies and the herbs are through it.
  • Pour over the salad just before serving.

The reason it works better than it sounds is the formulation. The dry mix carries emulsifiers, so what comes out is a proper creamy dressing rather than oil and vinegar sitting in layers.

Why sachets rather than a bottle

Three practical reasons, and they are why German kitchens keep them.

A dry sachet does not need the fridge and does not go off in the way an opened bottle does, so a box lives in a cupboard for months. You make exactly as much as you need, so nothing is thrown away. And you control the oil, which means you decide whether it is olive, rapeseed or something neutral, rather than accepting whatever a manufacturer chose.

It leaves you more room to experiment too. I Personally use it with plain low-fat yoghurt (150g per sachet) to create a low-calorie, tasty yoghurt dressing.

Another way to use it is with balsamic / plain vinegar, honey or mustard. By only having the pre portioned herbs, you get to choose how to apply them.

The varieties we carry

Knorr makes a wide range, and the choice on our shelf is wider than the name suggests. The main ones and what they suit:

  • Gartenkräuter, garden herbs, the all-rounder and the one to start with.
  • 7 Kräuter, seven herbs, a fuller herb mix for leafy salads.
  • Paprika Kräuter, bell pepper and herbs, warmer and slightly sweet, good with tomato.
  • Italian Style, oregano-led, for anything with mozzarella or olives.
  • Griechische Art, Greek style, for cucumber, feta and red onion.
  • Balsamico, for a darker, sweeter dressing.
  • Honey Mustard, the sweetest of the range.
  • Dill, made for cucumber and for anything with fish.
  • Kitchen Herbs and Onion Herbs, everyday mixes for a plain green salad.
  • Garden Herbs with Garlic, the garlic version of the standard.

Getting the ratio right

The packet gives the proportions and they are worth following the first time, because the balance is what stops it tasting sharp. The common mistakes are easy to avoid.

Do not skip the water. It looks like the dispensable ingredient and it is not: it carries the emulsion, and leaving it out gives you something oily and harsh. Use a neutral oil unless you want the oil itself to be a flavour, since a strong extra virgin olive oil will dominate a delicate herb mix. And whisk it properly, for longer than feels necessary, because that is the difference between a dressing and a bowl of separated liquids.

Made up, it keeps a day or two in the fridge, though it will separate and want another whisk.

Which one to buy first

Gartenkräuter if you want the classic and the most useful single box. Paprika Kräuter if your salads usually involve tomato. Honey Mustard if you are feeding people who find vinaigrette sharp.

Most households end up with two or three, because the boxes last and the varieties genuinely taste different rather than being the same dressing in different colours.

Where to find them

They sit together in our German salad dressing section, so you can compare the range in one place.

There is more about the maker on our Knorr brand page.

The short answer

Salatkrönung is dressing in a sachet: add oil, vinegar and water, shake, pour. It keeps in the cupboard, you make only what you need, and Gartenkräuter is the one to start with.

What we stock

Louis Kappeller

About the author

Louis Kappeller

Louis looks after the online shop at German Food, from the product range to the listings and this blog. He writes the explainers so you know what you are ordering before it arrives.

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