Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad Recipe

June 27, 2021
Looking for a lower-carb option for your beloved potato salad?  This Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad recipe is for you!
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Bowl of Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Image

Raise your hand if you love potato salad!  Mmmmm, hmmmmm ... I'm right there with all of you who shot your hand straight up as fast as it would possibly move.

Now -- Raise your hand if sometimes you just don't want all the carbs that come along with  that scrumptious potato salad!  Yes, my hand is right up there, too.

Fortunately, if you'd like a lower-carb option for your beloved potato salad, this Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad recipe works as a great alternative.

I have a tendency to totally crash if I eat a lot of carbs early in and throughout the day.  My energy gets low, my get-up-and-go is gone, and I just feel all-around lethargic.  So I do truly try to be mindful of my carbs, relegating the majority of my carb eating to dinner time.

I just feel a whole lot better when I eat that way.

If you'd like a lower-carb option for your beloved potato salad, this Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad recipe works as a great alternative.

And that's why I love this Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad recipe.  With the use of cauliflower instead of potatoes as the base, it's a much lower-carb option I feel better about enjoying any time of the day.

So if I happen to have a hankering for some potato salad at lunch time, this no-potato cauliflower version lets me satisfy that craving without going for those higher-carb potatoes.  I can hold onto my get-up-and-go all throughout the afternoon!

Serving Spoon of Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Image

Now, I know some of you are probably thinking "No way ~ there's no way a mock potato salad made with cauliflower can possibly be good."

Oh, rest assured ~ it is  good!

In terms of flavor, the Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad recipe is pretty dead-on for a match with classic egg-and-mustard potato salad.  As a side alongside that perfectly grilled hot dog?  Perfect.

And the look?

Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad sure doesn't look mock.  It looks like actual-potato potato salad for sure.

The one place this recipe isn't quite as close to regular potato salad is in texture.

Truth be told, the only way to truly get that soft-and-creamy-potato texture when you bite into potato salad is to ... well ... use potatoes.  I do very much enjoy this salad's texture, though. The cauliflower is indeed soft, but it's just not as tender-creamy as potatoes, to be 100% honest.

Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Ingredients Image

Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Ingredients:

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad ingredients are pretty straightforward. To whip up a batch, you'll need: 

  • Cauliflower - One large head of cauliflower makes a nice-sized bowlful.

  • Hard-boiled eggs - Chopped hard-boiled eggs add the flavor and "feel" of classic potato salad.

  • Mayonnaise - Serves as the base of the salad's dressing.

  • Sour cream - Combines with the salad's mayonnaise to bring nice creaminess to the dressing.

  • Sweet pickle relish - A bit of sweet pickle relish brings great flavor and a bit of textural crunch to the salad.

  • Onion - A bit of finely chopped onion amps up the salad's flavor. Use sweet Vidalia onion, if it's available.

  • Mustard - Add in a bit of basic prepared yellow mustard, a classic potato salad ingredient, for flavor.

  • Salt & pepper - Season the salad, to taste.

Chopped Cauliflower for Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Image

How to Make Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad:

The first step in making Cauliflower "Potato" Salad is to prepare the cauliflower. Start by chopping a head of cauliflower into small florets.

Then bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the chopped cauliflower florets, cover the pot, and cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a large colander and rinse it under cold water to cool and stop the cooking process.

Chop the cooked, cooled cauliflower florets into small bite-sized pieces.

How to Make Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Image

Combine the cauliflower with all remaining ingredients, and stir together until everything's well mixed. 

Making Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Image

Then chill the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Then you're good to go with enjoying the deliciousness.

Fork Bite of Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad Image

So if you'd like to enjoy a lower-carb version of potato salad, or are a lover of cauliflower (like me), this Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad recipe is for you.

It's the perfect not-potato potato salad to go along with that perfectly grilled summer burger or dog.

Check out these other tasty vegetable salads:
Bowl of Potato Salad Made with Cauliflower Image
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

cauliflower salad, cauliflower potato salad recipe, mock potato salad recipe, low carb recipe, cauliflower recipes
Salads
American
Yield: about 10-12 servings
How to Make Cauliflower Mock Potato Saladhttps://youtu.be/iodZWsRvjJQDemonstration of how to make mock potato salad with cauliflower
Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad

Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad

Looking for a lower-carb option for your beloved potato salad? This Cauliflower Mock 'Potato' Salad recipe is for you!
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 3 T. mayonnaise
  • 3 T. sour cream
  • 1/4 c. sweet pickle relish
  • 1 T. finely chopped onion (Vidalia onion, if available)
  • 1 T. mustard
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add chopped cauliflower; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Drain in a large colander and rinse under cold water to cool and stop the cooking process.
  2. Chop the cooked, cooled cauliflower florets into small bite-sized pieces.
  3. Combine cauliflower and all remaining ingredients. Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
  4. When ready to serve, taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.
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Cauliflower Mock "Potato" Salad ~ A tasty, full-of-flavor lower-carb version of our beloved potato salad! As an alternative to regular potato salad, this cauliflower version's flavor is spot-on.  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


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43 comments

  1. Wow cauliflower has recently become my favorite veggie- there's so many thing you can do with it!!! I'm vegan, so I would pass on the eggs, but I think otherwise this could be made dairy-free. I can see my mom really enjoying this. Thanks for the inspiration!

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    Replies
    1. Cauliflower certainly is a very versatile vegetable! I love it, too. And love using it in different ways. Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy.

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  2. So I made this this morning with a couple of changes. I don't care for sweet relish, but had no dill relish, so I chopped up about 10 dill pickle slices. I added about 1 teaspoon of capers, grated (instead of chopping) a little onion and 2 slices of cooked bacon crumbles. I lightly seasoned and roasted the chopped cauliflower for about 20-30 minutes. I added a little cajun seasoning, dill and parsley to the dressing mixture. I have already ate quite a bit at room temperature. I'm trying to wait and try it out once chilled. YUMMY!!! Thanks!

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  3. I love cauliflower!!! This looks super yum!

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  4. Am I missing it? I cannot find the nutritional info for this recipe. How "low-carb" is it? What is the carb count per serving size?

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    Replies
    1. I am not a nutritionist, and therefore do not publish nutritional info on my site.

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  5. YUMMY! Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  6. YUMMY! Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  7. Congratulations!
    Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday. Hope you enjoy your new Red Plate and have a great week!
    Miz Helen

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  8. Replies
    1. Hellmans now makes an eggless mayo.

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    2. You can make mayo with aquafaba, the brine from a tin of chickpeas. Just search on google or pintrest, lots of recipes :)

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  9. It really is good this has been added to my Cauli recipes YUM. I added a bit of Garlic POWDER, Onion POWDER (not granulated&labeled as powder) to it and added black olives (bcuz I don't like relish) to the mayo.

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  10. I love cauliflower and use it everywhere in place of potatoes. Now I have one more dish. I am on a low carb diet so this will work great.
    Hugs,
    Bev

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  11. I love a good potato salad, but using cauliflower is genius! The dressing looks spot on as well, yum! Pinned for later!

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  12. It really does look authentic and without all the potato carbs! Perfect..

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  13. I make a similar mock potato salad using cauliflower the one thing I noticed is that it doesn't soak up the liquid like potatoes do. So I actually cook two heads of cauliflower and most of one of them I blend so it is like pptatoes that have broken down in cooking. This helps soak up the liquid and I have fooled many who have tried it. They can't believe it's not potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I make a similar mock potato salad using cauliflower the one thing I noticed is that it doesn't soak up the liquid like potatoes do. So I actually cook two heads of cauliflower and most of one of them I blend so it is like pptatoes that have broken down in cooking. This helps soak up the liquid and I have fooled many who have tried it. They can't believe it's not potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I make a similar mock potato salad using cauliflower the one thing I noticed is that it doesn't soak up the liquid like potatoes do. So I actually cook two heads of cauliflower and most of one of them I blend so it is like pptatoes that have broken down in cooking. This helps soak up the liquid and I have fooled many who have tried it. They can't believe it's not potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I followed the recipe and tasted the dressing before adding the eggs and didn't care so much for the sour cream taste. So I remade the dressing using 6TBSP of mayo instead. I liked it so much better. Well this taste just like potato salad no but a great substitute if you been doing low carb for awhile you will understand that statement. To me it the eggs that helps fool the mind��

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  17. Cauliflower is a great substitution for the high carb potato. I've made just about anything and everything you can make with cauliflower. I make mine with mayo no sour cream. Your recipe and presentation sound wonderful

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  18. YUM! I love cauliflower everything and this looks amazing!

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  19. Oh wow does that look wonderful! Thanks for joining the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party. I hope you made some new friends and had fun!

    ReplyDelete
  20. For some reason, I always liked the taste of potato salad, but not the texture.
    I much prefer the texture of the cauliflower version! And it is absolutely delicious.
    Perfect for lunch boxes and picnics too.
    Thanks for the recipe!

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  21. Made this for dinner last night. Yum! Its definitely a keeper!

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  22. Just tried this, and it's delicious! Sometimes cauliflower substitute recipes are kind of strong on the cauliflower, but this one is not. Yay!

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  23. One of my favorite salads! Made this for a dinner party the other day and everyone was asking for the recipe!

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  24. I would like nutrition facts. I’m tracking carbs and sugar.

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  25. I fix this salad at least twice a month, but I use roasted cauliflower from the air fryer I also add frozen peas, other than that the rest of the recipe is perfect

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  26. Looks delicious...Just in time for summer. Thank you for sharing! :)

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  27. What a great idea! This sounds really good - pinned! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Have a great week.

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  28. We all just love your Cauliflower Mock Potato Salad, it is featured on Full Plate Thursday 544 this week. I just pinned your post to our special features board and thanks so much for sharing it with us. Hope to see you again real soon!
    Miz Helen

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  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  30. We had real potato salad on the 4th of July last week and I made too much dressing, so I put the extra in a jar in the fridge. I’ve always wanted to try the cauli potato salad. So last night, after reading your recipe and comments about it, I steamed some cauliflower, chopped some boiled eggs, chopped some pickle and celery and poured on the sauce. So easy! So easy in fact I’ve decided that a jar of potato salad dressing is going to be a staple in our fridge just like a bottle of catsup! Makes for a quick, easy, healthy, delicious low carb side dish! Thanks for posting it!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment, we love to hear that are readers enjoy the recipes!

      Delete
  31. This looks so good. I’m wondering if I could use frozen, cooked cauliflower to make this…

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    Replies
    1. Hi Teena, our recipes only tested fresh cauliflower; unfortunately, we cannot vouch for frozen cauliflower.

      Delete
  32. I love this recipe! I steam the cauliflower a bit longer and add about 2T sliced olives and diced celery.

    ReplyDelete

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