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    Home » Side Dishes » Creamy Cauliflower Salad

    Published: Jun 22, 2019 · Modified: May 6, 2022 by Carolyn

    Creamy Cauliflower Salad

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    42.7K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This cauliflower salad recipe goes with all your grilling favorites. It’s creamy, flavorful, and packed with classic potato salad ingredients. You won’t miss the spuds with this perfect keto side dish. And it’s dairy-free and paleo!

    A bowl filled with keto cauliflower salad, with a serving spoon sticking out of it.

    Grilling season is here and everyone is getting together for easy backyard parties and barbecues. And they’re bringing popular summer sides like potato salad. But you don’t eat potatoes, so what do you do?

    You bring this keto cauliflower salad, of course! What a silly question.

    This cauliflower salad recipe features all the great flavors and mix-ins of the potato salads you used to love as a kid, with a fraction of the carbs.

    And because it’s so light and fresh, you can indulge in even more of it. SCORE!

    Top down image of cauliflower salad in a serving bowl, with sliced hard boiled eggs on top.

    Classic cauliflower salad for summer

    Cauliflower salad has any number of possible twists and variations. It can be roasted, marinated, or lightly steamed. And you can play with the dressings and flavors to suit your tastes.

    But this recipe takes its cues from the classic potato salad served frequently in the summer. It’s packed with hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and some crispy bacon for good measure.

    All tossed together in a large bowl for creamy summer salad perfection.

    Top down image of the ingredients for keto cauliflower potato salad.

    Ingredients

    This delicious keto side dish is made with fresh ingredients available everywhere. You will need:

    • Cauliflower florets
    • Hard-boiled eggs
    • Celery
    • Bacon
    • Green onion
    • Mayonnaise
    • Dijon mustard
    • Lemon juice
    • Paprika
    • Salt and pepper
    A large serving bowl with cauliflower salad, and a serving spoon to the side.

    How to make creamy cauliflower salad

    1. Hard-boil the eggs

    Bring the water to a full boil before adding the eggs, the lower them in carefully with a slotted spoon. Set the timer for 12 minutes.

    While the eggs are cooking, set up a bowl with water and ice. Once the eggs are done, transfer them straight to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Give them 10 minutes to cool and they should peel quite easily. 

    Chop 2 of the eggs for the salad dressing, and slice the third egg for garnish.

    2. Cook the cauliflower

    Cauliflower cooks much faster than potatoes, so you want a light touch here. Don’t even leave the kitchen, it will be done in a flash!

    Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and place in a large saucepan filled about halfway with water.

    Bring to a boil and and cook only about 2 to 3 minutes before checking with a fork. You don’t be only just fork tender because it will keep cooking a bit once it’s off the stove.

    Immediately drain in a colander and let it cool completely.

    Close up shot of a serving bowl filled with classic cauliflower salad.

    3. Put it all together

    Place the cauliflower, chopped egg, bacon, celery, and green onion in a large bowl and toss to combine.

    Add the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and paprika and stir until everything is nicely coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and then garnish with the sliced egg and some additional paprika. 

    Place the salad in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or so before serving.

    A black bowl of cauliflower salad sits in front of the serving dish.

    Storage information

    Keto cauliflower salad is always best fresh, but the leftovers are good for several days. Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Want more keto summer salad ideas?

    • Keto 7 Layer Salad
    • Chopped Greek Chicken Salad
    • Salmon Avocado Salad
    • Easy Green Bean Salad
    • Sriracha Broccoli Coleslaw
    • Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad
    Top down image of cauliflower salad in a serving bowl, with sliced hard boiled eggs on top.

    Creamy Cauliflower Salad Recipe

    A perfect cauliflower salad recipe, just in time for summer. Creamy, flavorful, and packed with all your favorite potato salad add-ins. You won't miss the spuds with this perfect keto side dish.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cauliflower salad
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 238kcal

    Ingredients

    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 large head cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 2 ribs celery sliced
    • 6 slices cooked bacon chopped
    • 2 medium green onions white and light green parts only, chopped
    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • In a large pot over medium high heat, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the water and boil about 12 minutes.
    • While the eggs are cooking, fill a medium bowl with ice and water. Once the eggs are done, quickly transfer the eggs to the ice bath. Let sit 10 minutes before peeling. Chop 2 of the eggs and slice the third.
    • In another large pot, place the cauliflower florets and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the cauliflower is just fork tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool.
    • In a large bowl, combine the chopped eggs, cauliflower, celery, bacon, and green onions, and toss to combine. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, and paprika. Stir until well mixed and the cauliflower is well coated.
    • Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the sliced egg.
    Nutrition Facts
    Creamy Cauliflower Salad Recipe
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about ¾ cup)
    Calories 238 Calories from Fat 180
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 20g31%
    Carbohydrates 6.5g2%
    Fiber 2.5g10%
    Protein 7.5g15%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    42.7K shares

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. LuciR says

      January 08, 2023 at 11:06 pm

      I’m curious.. in the first paragraph, it says this cauliflower salad recipe is dairy free. Yet it has eggs and mayonnaise in the list of ingredients. 🤷🏻‍♀️

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 09, 2023 at 2:31 pm

        Neither eggs nor mayonnaise are dairy. Eggs come from chickens, not cows. Mayo is made with eggs and oil. No dairy.

        Reply
    2. Carol says

      June 18, 2022 at 10:17 am

      I find the smell of cooked cauliflower very off-putting… like sulphur. How do you manage that and what causes it?

      Reply
    3. Pam B says

      June 16, 2022 at 6:10 pm

      Thank you for your tips. I tried to make something like this last year and it was a watery mess. This time I cut florets small, put in a colander after cooking . Let it drain until cool. Then I made it using my usual ingredients except potato. It tasted very close to usual. I made it the day before use to allow the flavors to meld.

      Reply
    4. Charlie says

      June 02, 2022 at 2:45 am

      5 stars
      I made this. My wife makes a great potato salad and I was looking for something low carb that I could replace potato salad with, and this is it. I made it pretty much as written except I added a handful of chopped onion, 2 Tbs pickle relish, and a Tbs of cider vinegar. I cooked the cauliflower in my instant pot on high pressure for 0 minutes. I really liked this cauliflower salad.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 02, 2022 at 8:19 am

        I am so glad to hear it!

        Reply
    5. Laura Pizziketti says

      May 30, 2022 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this and it will be my go to summer grilling side dish….the hardest part of these recipes is that dang cooling time!!

      Reply
    6. Lynne says

      May 29, 2022 at 11:20 am

      5 stars
      So good!

      Reply
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