This cauliflower potato salad is ready in about 20 minutes, including prepping the ingredients.
It tastes so much like the real thing, and you can hardly taste the cauliflower. It amazes me every single time I make it!
Cauliflower makes a wonderful substitute for starchy side dishes. Mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, and cauliflower tots are great examples. It can even replace meat in this recipe for cauliflower steak.
You might think that a mock potato salad made with cauliflower sounds suspicious, but give this recipe a try, and you'll be amazed. The flavor and texture are so similar to the real thing. It's true comfort food and just as satisfying as the original.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to make this tasty side dish. Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements.
- Fresh cauliflower: I don't recommend using frozen cauliflower in this recipe.
- Celery: Adds wonderful crunch and also some color to the salad.
- Red onions: Make sure to dice them - no one wants to bite into big chunks of raw onions.
- Dill pickles: Sour pickles are an acceptable alternative.
- Mayonnaise: I prefer avocado oil-based mayo, but any mayonnaise will work.
- Mustard: I use Dijon mustard, which is creamier, thicker, and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
- Minced garlic: Mince it yourself, or use the stuff that comes in a jar. Both work, although freshly minced tastes better.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Hard-boiled eggs: I prefer them fully cooked, so when using this guide for cooking hard-boiled eggs, I leave them in the hot water for 14 minutes.
Variations
- Use equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise in the dressing.
- Scallions or chives are a good alternative to red onions.
- Add ¼ cup of bacon bits.
- Make it spicy by adding ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the dressing.
- Add a smoky flavor and additional color with ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Top the finished salad with chopped parsley or cilantro.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this salad:
Your first step is to cook the cauliflower pieces in the microwave until tender-crisp and drain them. Transfer the cooked cauliflower to a large serving bowl. Stir in the celery, pickles, and onions.
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the creamy dressing to the cauliflower and mix to combine.
Gently stir in the eggs. Serve immediately, or chill before serving.
Expert Tip
This salad tastes great right after you've mixed it, so it's fine to serve it immediately. But it tastes even better after the flavors have had a chance to meld.
So if you can, cover it and refrigerate it for an hour or so. Make sure to give it another stir before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can replace the mayonnaise with sour cream. Make sure to use full-fat sour cream and pour out any liquids from the top of the container before adding the sour cream to the dressing.
I don't recommend that. I tried, and it's a bit too tangy. I also missed the fat from the mayonnaise and/or sour cream, even when I used full-fat yogurt.
Hardly. It's truly amazing - much like potatoes, the cauliflower is relatively bland. So with the other strong flavors going on in this dish (mayo, onions, pickles), what you end up tasting is VERY close to regular potato salad.
Serving Suggestions
Cauliflower potato salad can be served with any dish that would go well with regular potato salad. A few of my favorites are:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Give them a gentle stir before serving them. I don't recommend freezing this salad.
More Cauliflower Recipes
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Recipe Card
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound cauliflower - cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup celery - chopped
- 1 red onion - small, diced
- ½ cup dill pickles - diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablepsoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 hard-boiled eggs - cut into chunks
Instructions
- Place the cauliflower pieces in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover with a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on high until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Stir in the celery, onions, and pickles.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add to the cauliflower mixture and mix gently with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Gently stir in the eggs.
- Serve immediately, or cover and chill for an hour or so to allow the flavors to meld.
Video
Notes
- This salad tastes great right after you've mixed it, so it's fine to serve it immediately. But it tastes even better after the flavors have had a chance to meld. So if you can, cover it and refrigerate it for an hour or. Make sure to give it another stir before serving.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. Give them a gentle stir before serving them. I don't recommend freezing this salad.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Judy
I make this at least 2x/month. I take it to potlucks. Everyone loves it. I never say it is not Potato salad & wait for those to figure it out. I change it up by adding pickle juice to the mayo. I may add radishes & any other veggie that I have on hand.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you like this recipe, Judy! Thank you for the review and for sharing your delicious tweaks.