This Cauliflower Potato Salad is a flavor loaded low carb salad. With all the traditional taste of the real deal it will blow your mind with its great taste. ‘Mock Potato Salad’ is just brilliant! A true healthy summertime must have for pool parties, picnic, BBQs and anytime there is a heatwave.
Cauliflower really is a magically vegetable. It takes well to any flavor you pair it with but has less carbs, plus more nutrients. Along with cauliflower pizza, Thai cauliflower rice and cauliflower risotto it is our favorite way to enjoy this versatile vegetable.
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Why This Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe Works?
This cauliflower potato salad will blow your mind with flavor and lightness. It has the creaminess and tang of classic potato salad and egg salad, yet you can tell you are not sinking your teeth into heavy starchy potato. Just like with avocado egg salad – you know you are eating a healthier version and still enjoying it.
This recipe for cauliflower salad (like potato salad) is completely low carb because it has no potatoes. It’s the best of both worlds and in moderation even can be ate as a keto cauliflower potato salad. No matter what type of healthy eating plan you are following – you will be obsessed with this summer staple!
This cauliflower salad recipe turned out way better than I ever expected! Cauliflower really does steal the show and the same story goes for cauliflower mashed potatoes and cauliflower fried rice. Cauliflower is a very mysterious lady and I am totally fine with that.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Cauliflower potato salad recipe contains all your favourite potato salad ingredients so you get that authentic taste, but much healthier.
- Eggs: Give the salad texture as well as that classic potato salad taste, plus you can’t go wrong with the additional protein they add!
- Pickles: Add a salty, sour taste, you can substitute sauerkraut if you don’t have pickles as both are fermented using the same process and brine.
- Mayonnaise: I used avocado oil mayo, but feel free to substitute what you have on hand.
- Yogurt: Plain yogurt with at least 2% milk fat (no flavored or non fat yogurt here!) is key. This is a healthier cauli potato salad and reducing the amount of mayo by using yogurt helps it stay that way.
- Vinegar and Mustard: Both add tang and mustard adds some color.
- Dill: Provides the perfect flavor builder, fresh is best (dried just won’t make the cut).
- Red or White Onion: For sweetness and crunch! I used red onion, but if what is all you have, go for it.
- Cauliflower: It is cauliflower potato salad after, the star of the show!
How to Cook Cauliflower for ‘Mock Potato’ Salad
Al Dente
Want to make the best cauliflower substitute potato salad? Here are two main tips for cooking your cauliflower for the best potato salad that uses cauliflower.
Cut cauliflower florets into bite size pieces. Chopping cauliflower into small pieces before adding it to a pot of boiling water makes all the difference. It will kind of mean whether you like cauliflower mock potato salad or not. Not too small, and not too big. About 1/2 inch.
Cook al dente. Do not overcook cauliflower until it’s mushy. Perfect mock cauliflower salad has to have a bite to it. Al dente cauliflower takes about 5 minutes in boiling water on low heat. I once cooked cauliflower in Instant Pot which was as soft as a paste. Was not good experience but still everyone loved the salad at a hockey get-together. Go figure.
We also boil eggs at same time we cook cauliflower. Saves a lot of time and no extra pot to wash.
Using Frozen Cauliflower
You can use frozen cauliflower florets. It saves time.
No need to thaw them. Add directly to boiling water and wait for water to start boiling again before reducing the heat. Frozen cauliflower reduces water temperature in a pot unlike fresh because essentially you add “ice”.
Then check for readiness with a fork after 3 minutes. It does cook faster than fresh.
Using Roasted Cauliflower
Some of you might want to roast cauliflower. You definitely can. Cauliflower mock potato salad will have roasted cauliflower taste. Obviously.
You can use roasted cauliflower recipe (skip parmesan and garlic) as a guideline how to do that.
Add-ins & Variations
Oh man, the fun part is to now make this low carb potato salad your own. Are you ready?
- Fried bacon bits make everything taste better.
- Chopped celery is a must for some people in creamy salads. And I can see how it can be. Chicken salad is not a chicken salad without it.
- Add capers in addition or as a substitute for pickles.
- No pickles? You can use any pickled vegetable like sauerkraut, asparagus, green beans or artichokes instead.
Making Cauliflower Potato Salad in Advance
No secret that cauliflower potato salad tastes best cold. Gently stir the salad and if you have time refrigerate for 1 hour. Cauliflower “potato” salad keeps really well in a fridge without becoming soggy or watery for up to 3 days. I took this particular batch camping and it withstood “the life test”.
To make ahead: Refrigerate salad assembled but not stirred for up to 48 hours. Stir a few hours before serving as potato salad benefits from flavors “marrying” each other.
Serving Recommendations
Summer is not summer without baked beans, potato salad or pasta salad. I brought cauliflower faux potato salad to many gatherings like summer BBQ, camping and hockey team parties. Everyone loved it, of course, could tell it’s not a potato salad but still loved it, and asked for a recipe.
The day I made the salad, I also grilled shrimp skewers. So naturally that’s what it went with. Also, smoky bacon wrapped asparagus would make a great pairing.
Make this a low carb or keto dinner by serving with grilled chicken breast, Greek chicken kabobs or cedar plank salmon.
FAQs
Yes! Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, some even say it is a superfood. This salad is both low carb and low calorie when compared to the version made with potatoes.
While this recipe contains many of the same ingredients you find in traditional potato salad, it is made with cauliflower and does not contain any potatoes. The taste is similar but cauliflower is cauliflower. Try this healthy potato salad if you are craving a lightened up version of the original.
You can find all the nutritional information for this low carb cauliflower salad in the recipe card below.
More Healthy Potluck Salad Recipes
Alternately, browse our collection of 40 best potluck recipes!
Cauliflower Potato Salad {Low Carb}
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 lbs cauliflower head chopped into 1/2″ pieces
- 4 eggs large
- 3/4 cup pickles or sauerkraut finely chopped
- 3 tbsp red onion finely chopped
- 3 tbsp dill finely chopped
- 2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp any light colour vinegar
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2%+ fat
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayo
- 1 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, add eggs, cauliflower and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook covered on low for 5 minutes.
- While cauliflower is cooking, chop pickles, red onion and dill. Add to a large bowl along with mustard, vinegar, yogurt, mayo, salt and pepper. You can now stir everything together for easy salad mixing later. If in a rush to eat, refrigerate the bowl to help potato salad cool down faster. It tastes best cold!
- After 5 minutes of cooking, remove the eggs with a spoon and place in a bowl with ice + cold water. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Drain cauliflower in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Peel and dice the eggs. Then add to the bowl along with cooled and drained cauliflower.
- Gently stir cauliflower potato salad. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. It tastes best cold!
Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days.
To make ahead: Refrigerate salad assembled but not stirred for up to 48 hours. Stir a few hours before serving as potato salad benefits from flavors "marrying" each other.
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Nutrition
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My name is Olena Osipov. I'm a mom to 2 boys, a wife to Alex and we reside on magical Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. This is our healthy family recipes blog. Originally from Ukraine, I grew up on real food. As an adult, I struggled with diets for years because none worked long-term. Now for over 10 years, I cook easy healthy meals for my family. I can help you with “What’s for dinner?” too.