Cauliflower does it again with this no potato, no egg Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad! It’s creamy, full of all the goods you’d normally find in a classic potato salad, and makes a great side dish to any meal! All of the flavour of the original recipe but without the high carb count!
If you’re following a low carb diet or keto diet and you miss a good ol’ potato salad, ya gal has got you covered. Or should I say cauliflower has got you covered. Because, YET AGAIN, it steps up to the plate and turns a delicious classic into something low carb and wonderful.
And, if you couldn’t already tell by my cauliflower “mac” and cheese recipe or my cauliflower hummus recipe, I just LOVE when that happens. So, cauliflower ‘potato’ salad, we welcome you to the club! And it’s no doubt that it surely stepped up to the plate on this one.
If you’re not new here, then you already know how much I just love cauliflower in its purest form. It doesn’t have to turn into pizza or wings in order for me to love it but I can’t deny that I do when it does. It’s versatility is always noted because I can confidently say that I’ve never turned cauliflower into something I didn’t like.
It’s always delicious. Always a win. And definitely always a crowd pleaser. And sometimes even a crowd fooler, if you know what I’m saying. If you’re not paying attention, you might never even notice that this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad really isn’t potato salad at all.
And believe you me, the husband or the kids will NOT notice. I mean, do they ever notice ANYTHING?! This cauliflower ‘potato’ salad is SO close to the real thing, I don’t even think they’ll care if they do! đŸ˜‰
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER ‘POTATO’ SALAD
Although I have nothing against them, this version of cauliflower ‘potato’ salad has no hard boiled eggs. Feel free to add them in, though for extra flavour and texture and to keep things a little more similar to the “real” thing. Here’s what you’ll need in a little bit more detail:
- Cauliflower: Well, duh! Cauliflower takes the place of the potatoes in this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad. It has the perfect texture and steps in so nicely for potatoes that some people might not even notice the swap! Go for the biggest head in the bunch.
- Bacon: Adds flavour, texture, saltiness, and deliciousness to the salad. Cause I meeeean…bacon just makes everything better. Am I right?! Try making your own bacon from scratch to use in this recipe!
- Celery: For crunch and texture. Also adds a bit of brightness and freshness to the dish. If you’re not a fan of celery, chopped pickles would be an awesome substitution.
- Onion: Adds flavour and crunch to this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad. I used white onion but red, yellow, or green would work just as well.
- Parsley: Adds a herby freshness and a pop of colour to this dish. Fresh parsley works best in this recipe. However, if you wish, you can use other fresh herbs in its place. Dill, rosemary, or thyme all make great options.
- Mayonnaise: The base of the dressing for this no potato potato salad. It’s creamy, light, and pairs perfectly well with the cauliflower and other ingredients. I love using either a homemade or an avocado or olive oil based mayonnaise for this recipe to keep things light and healthy. Feeling adventurous? Check out my easy 1 minute homemade mayonnaise recipe!
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bit of acidity, freshness, and tang to the dressing. Also helps to thin it out a bit. Fresh lemon juice works best in this recipe.
- Sriracha: Adds a little kick and colour to the dressing. Add more for extra spicy and omit for none at all.
- Dijon Mustard: Rounds out the dressing giving it a smooth and creamy texture and well balanced flavour. Don’t substitute stone ground mustard or yellow mustard in this recipe as they won’t provide the same flavour.
- Salt/Pepper: Why, of course! I always love me some salt and pepper. Keeps the dish flavourful and balances out the overall taste from the rest of the ingredients.
HOW TO MAKE CAULIFLOWER ‘POTATO’ SALAD (KEY TIPS)
You can find full instructions for how to make this keto friendly potato salad in the recipe card down below, but here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
- The texture of this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad highly depends on how big or small you cut your florets. If you want more of a traditional potato salad feel (and if you want to fool more people ;)), then I’d recommend cutting the cauliflower into smaller pieces. It’ll blend right in with the rest of the ingredients to the point where you really won’t be able to tell the difference. However, if you want bigger and fuller bites, cut the cauliflower into bigger sized florets (like you see in the photos). Either way, rest assured, this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad will be delicious no matter how big or small you decide to go with the florets. Just try and aim for the same size florets, no matter what size you choose, to ensure even cooking.
EXTRA TIP: If you’ve already boiled your florets and realize you want them smaller, use your hands to pull and break them apart into smaller pieces. However, work gently as they’re soft and could easily fall apart. - Chop the onion, parsley, and celery into a really fine dice (almost a mince). This will ensure the most probability of ending up with the perfect bite every time! You don’t want any of the ingredients to be overpowering against the others, so having them all the same size will help prevent this from happening.
- Don’t over boil the cauliflower. You want it to be tender, yes, but if you over boil it, it’ll become too soft and fall apart. You want the cauliflower to have the same texture as boiled potatoes. 5-7 minutes of boiling, depending on how big your florets are, should do the trick just fine. EXTRA TIP: Use a fork to check for tenderness. It should easily pierce through with some give. Start checking at the 5 minute mark to prevent overboiling. EXTRA EXTRA TIP: Salt the cauliflower water. Since the cauliflower will absorb some of it’s flavour as it boils, adding salt will ensure maximum flavour straight from the get-go.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl before adding them to the salad to toss. This ensures even distribution of maximum flavour. EXTRA TIP: To save on time and for convenience, you can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and just keep it in an airtight container or jar until ready to use.
- Allow the cauliflower to cool or come to room temperature before mixing in the dressing. You don’t want the steam or heat from the cauliflower to spoil the cold dressing.
- Toss the salad and ingredients well to ensure you combine everything nicely before digging in. This salad is best when you manage to get all (or most of) the ingredients in one bite. So toss, toss, toss the salad up and when you think it’s tossed enough, toss it even more!
- Chill this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad before serving! Just like a classic potato salad, this bad boy is best served cold and straight outta the fridge! The flavours will have more of a chance to develop the longer it sits in the fridge so the resemblance to real potato salad just gets stronger over time. However, if you really can’t wait, this salad is also good served at room temperature.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This cauliflower potato salad is in fact healthy, especially for those following a low carb or keto diet. Besides being low in carbs, it’s low in sugar and sodium as well. Cauliflower, which is naturally high in fibre and B-vitamins, takes the place of potatoes in this recipe making it a deliciously healthy choice. Then you’ve got some extra veggies and herbs thrown into the mix along with some good fats provided by the good quality mayonnaise in the dressing and boom… no complaints here when it comes to this healthy cauliflower ‘potato’ salad.
To make this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad even healthier, try using homemade mayo made with olive oil or avocado oil.
Serving this salad cold is best IMHO but ain’t nobody going to complain about reheating the leftovers. đŸ˜‰ Though not as good, It’s also pretttttty decent at room temperature if you don’t have the will to wait to chill it. RECIPE NOTE: The longer this keto potato salad sits in the fridge, the more the flavours will develop and the more tastier it’ll become!
Anywhere you’d serve a good ol’ potato salad, this deliciously creamy cauliflower ‘potato’ salad can fit right in! It’ll surely be welcomed at your next BBQ or cookout, on the side of a good burger, a nice chicken dinner, or a hearty soup.
You can most certainly do a few things in advance to save on time! However, since this recipe for cauliflower potato salad is truly SO easy, I recommend boiling the cauliflower and cutting the veggies up on the same day you’re planning on serving it for maximum freshness.
However, you can certainly make the bacon and dressing in advance and keep them in separate containers in the fridge until ready to use. They’ll both be good, hanging out in sealed airtight containers, for up to 3 days before use.
With all that being said, though, the overall taste of this cauliflower ‘potato’ salad does get better over time. So, making the entire thing up to 24 hours in advance is definitely an option.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. Considering the dressing is already tossed up in there, the leftovers will be good for 2-3 days.
If carbs don’t phase you and you’re in for the real deal, be sure to try my Greek yogurt potato salad recipe next!
MORE GREAT CAULIFLOWER RECIPES FOR YOU TO MAKE ASAP
MEXICAN STYLE CAULIFLOWER ‘RICE’
SIMPLE OVEN ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
CILANTRO LIME CAULIFLOWER ‘RICE’
MAMA’S FAMOUS PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER & BACON
LOADED VEGGIE CAULIFLOWER FRIED ‘RICE’
LOVE THIS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
CAULIFLOWER ‘POTATO’ SALAD WITH BACON
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 large head Cauliflower*
- 6 slices Bacon cooked and chopped
- ½ cup Celery finely chopped
- â…“ cup White Onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley minced
For the Dressing
- ½ cup Mayonnaise homemade or store bought*
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into bite sized florets. Smaller for more of a potato salad like texture and bigger for fuller bites.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook until fork tender, 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the cauliflower.
- Add it to a large bowl and let it come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sriracha, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk until well combined and creamy.
- Add the bacon, celery, onions, and parsley to the bowl with the cauliflower.
- Top with the dressing and mix until well combined. Serve chilled for best results*
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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