The 62-year-old Frenchman is accused of assaulting a maid at the Manhattan hotel where he was staying on 14 May.
The complainant's lawyer said outside court she "just wants justice".
Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyer said there had been "no element of compulsion" in the incident between the two parties.
His next court date is set for 18 July.
The former finance chief - who faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty - arrived at New York Supreme Court on Monday with his wife, the French television journalist Anne Sinclair.
'Shame on you!'
A group of hotel workers shouted, "Shame on you!", in a show of solidarity with the maid who accuses him of attacking her.
Several dozen hotel workers were taken by a union-organised bus to protest outside the court
She has not been idenitifed, but is known to be a 32-year-old single mother and immigrant worker from the West African country of Guinea.
The accused spoke in a firm voice only twice: to enter his plea, and to confirm his next appearance.
Defence lawyer Ben Brafman said outside court after the brief hearing: "It will be clear that there was no element of forcible compulsion in this case whatsoever.
"Any suggestion to the contrary is simply not credible."
Mr Brafman has defended a string of high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson.
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