The Best Fauxtato Salad AKA Low-Carb Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
Potato Salad made out of cauliflower? I hear that skepticism in your thought bubble. Cauliflower's thought bubble is saying "hold my beer"! When you taste this Cauliflower "Potato" Salad, you will be a believer. It's so good, we've been known to make this Fauxtato Salad a meal by itself.
Ingredients in Traditional Potato Salad
Traditional American-style potato salad starts with boiled or steamed potatoes. The dressing contains mustard, mayo, pickles, boiled eggs and some version of crunchy veggies - onions, celery, shallots, etc. As with any recipe, variations abound, but this is the basic, basic version. To make this paleo and Whole30 friendly, make sure you find mayo, pickles and mustard that have no added sweeteners. Believe it or not, dill pickles many times contain high fructose corn syrup or even plain sugar. My favorite brand for condiments that are easily indentifiable as Whole30 friendly and that contain clean ingredients is Primal Kitchen. You can find a large jar of Primal Kitchen lain avocado oil mayo at Costco at a steep discount. If you don't have a Costco nearby, ThriveMarket has Primal Kitchen a pretty great discount as well.
Cauliflower "Potato" Salad vs Traditional Potato Salad
If you love the traditional flavors of the traditional American-style mustardy, mayo-y potato salad, this recipe is for you. The only ingredient that is different is lightly roasted cauliflower subbing in for cooked potatoes. What I love about it, though is the fact that I can eat a ton of this "potato" salad without the heaviness of starchy carbs. Serve it with your favorite BBQ foods and you and your guests will notice the same thing.
My Fauxtato Salad Secret Ingredients
Calling this Cauliflower Potato Salad seems a little confusing, but until "Fauxtato" Salad catches on, we will keep this name for simplicity's sake. So whether I'm making traditional or cauliflower version, I start with the basic ingredients mentioned above, but I also add a few extras:
Salt and pepper are a must, but I also add a little dried dill and paprika.
Use Dijon or brown mustard instead of yellow mustard. Dijon gives a little extra zip and the brown mustard has a little less turmeric taste with a little "je nous sais quois" to the flavor. Either way, using something other than basic yellow mustard amps up the flavor.
Not really an ingredient as much as a tip, soak the red onion in a little salted warm water. This removes the harsh flavor and makes it a little more digestible.
How to Serve Cauliflower Potato Salad
Cauliflower potato salad is the perfect low-carb stand-in for traditional potato salad.
Take it to the next BBQ you attend, or pack it up for a picnic or beach day. It does contain mayo, so you will want to make sure it is packed on ice packs.
We actually do eat the entire recipe as a simple lunch, so don't feel like you have to wait until going to a BBQ to make it.
Serve for a simple weeknight dinner with a rotisserie chicken from your favorite place or with burgers, hot dogs, sausages or any other grilled meats.
Other Cauliflower "Potato" Recipes
Cauliflower Potato Soup - You can use all potatoes or all cauliflower for make this recipe. Combining the two, you get the creaminess of potatoes in a much lower carb format. It is still delicious. Top with bacon, sour cream or ranch dressing and a little dairy-free cheese, you have an amazing dinner or portable lunch.
The Creamiest Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes - Like the soup, the combination of potatoes and cauliflower makes a super creamy mash while having a much better nutrient profile than traditional mashed potatoes
Ground Turkey "Shepherd's" Pie - With a super savory turkey filling and the cauliflower mashed potatoes from above, you can't beat this for comfort food.
The Best Fauxtato Salad AKA Low-Carb Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 4 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon or brown mustard (yellow is fine if you don't have these)
- 1/2 cup chopped pickles or dill pickle relish (check for added sugar)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion or shallot soaked in warm water with salt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery, optional
- 2 tbsp pickle juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dill weed
- 1 tsp paprika
- Thinly sliced green onions and finely diced red pepper for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Separate the cauliflower into florets. Add to basket of air fryer and spray well with avocado or olive oil. (If you don't have spray oil, just toss the cauliflower with oil.)
- Set Air Fryer to 10 minutes at 400 degrees. It should be tender and just beginning to brown. Spread roasted cauliflower out on a cookie sheet and set in the fridge to cool quickly.
- While cauliflower is cooking, chop eggs, pickles and celery.
- Mix mayo, mustard, chopped veggies, pickle juice and spices in a large bowl.
- Add roasted cauliflower and eggs. Stir well to combine. Let rest in fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to one day before serving. Store for up to 5 days.
- Sprinkle with thinly sliced green onions and finely chopped red pepper to garnish.