This cauliflower potato salad is ready in about 20 minutes, including prepping the ingredients. It tastes almost like the real thing, and you can hardly taste the cauliflower. It amazes me every time!
Cauliflower makes a wonderful substitute for starchy side dishes. Mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, and cauliflower tots are great examples. 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.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Fresh cauliflower: I don't recommend using frozen cauliflower.
- Celery: Adds wonderful crunch and also 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.
- Mustard: I use Dijon mustard, which is creamier, thicker, and less vinegary than yellow mustard.
- Hard-boiled eggs: I prefer them fully cooked, so when using this guide for cooking hard-boiled eggs, I leave them in 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
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
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.
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 them 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.
Judy
Read more comments
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 them 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.Recipe 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. Give it another gentle stir before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can replace the mayonnaise with sour cream. Please 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.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give them a gentle stir before serving them. I don't recommend freezing this 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:
Recipe Card
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Video
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, including Morton kosher 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.
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 so. Make sure to give it another stir before serving.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give them a gentle stir before serving them. I don't recommend freezing this salad.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Jenna says
This salad was so good. Even my picky eater who said he didn't like it upon first bite ended up having a full serving and admitted he really liked it. I didn't add the egg. I think what really set this apart and made the flavor that much better was the addition of the garlic. Definitely going to add this to my side dish rotation.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad this was a success, Jenna! I 100% agree that the fresh garlic enhances the dish.
Judy says
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 says
I'm glad you like this recipe, Judy! Thank you for sharing your delicious tweaks.