This Cauliflower Potato Salad recipe (aka mock potato salad) has a creamy mayo-based dressing with a touch of Dijon, dill, and a few spices. It’s every bit as delicious as regular potato salad, but with just 3g net carbs per serving!
The magical property of cauliflower is that you can transform it into almost anything else. Cauliflower lends itself well to low carb simulations of pizza crust, bread sticks, rice, mashed potato, macaroni and cheese, and yes, even potato salad!
I know what you’re thinking, and I was skeptical too, but let me explain.
If you think about what cauliflower is replacing (e.g., things like pizza crust, breadsticks, potato, rice, pasta, etc.), those are usually bland foods. For example, the flavor of macaroni and cheese doesn’t come from the pasta, it comes from the cheese sauce! The pasta is just there as a vehicle for that cheesy deliciousness.
Same thing with pizza! The crust is just a way to get in cheese and sauce and any toppings you like.
Which is why cauliflower works well as a stand-in without changing the flavor of these normally carb-heavy dishes too much.
Similarly, here cauliflower replaces potato, which isn’t really what brings most of the flavor. The creamy dressing, herbs, and spices pack a punch!
Pro Tip: This keto Cauliflower Potato Salad is a delicious low carb spin on a classic potato salad, and it has a similar flavor profile. It’ll satisfy keto and non-keto eaters alike!
Mock Potato Salad aka Keto Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe
Cauliflower works particularly well as the base for a low carb potato salad! Once cauliflower is chopped and cooked, it looks very similar to chopped cooked potato. Especially when it’s covered in creamy sauce!
Pro Tip: Let this salad chill for an hour before serving so the cauliflower can absorb the flavor of the dressing.
This recipe has a pretty classic potato salad flavor, with a base of mayo, mustard, and a few spices. I add red onion and dill to bump up the flavor, and hard-boiled eggs for protein and flavor.
Pro Tip: To brighten up the flavor, don’t skip the fresh dill! You can also use fresh parsley.
Ingredients for This Keto Potato Salad
To keep this recipe low carb, I use cauliflower instead of potato and I add hard-boiled egg for protein. Mayo adds fat, and I like to go for mayo that has a good-quality oil, such as olive oil or avocado oil. And if you can’t find a store-bought mayo you love, it’s easy enough to make your own!
- Fresh cauliflower
- Mayo
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Sweet paprika
- Black pepper
- Red onion
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Fresh dill
How to Make Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Steam the cauliflower, drain it, and let it cool.
- Mix up the creamy mayo-based dressing.
- Stir the cooled cauliflower into the dressing.
- Chill in the fridge or at least 1 hour or up to 5 days!
How to Store Cauliflower Potato Salad
Store Keto Potato Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips for Making Low Carb Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Let this salad chill for at least 1 hour before serving so the cauliflower can absorb the flavor of the dressing.
- Feel free to swap out the fresh dill for any fresh herbs you like! Parsley is also delicious, and I like scallion as well.
- If you really like hard-boiled eggs, add up to 4 of them in this recipe.
- To bump up the protein in this dish, add 1 or 2 cans of drained tuna in water. It will make this a full meal!
Cauliflower Potato Salad FAQs
Is Cauliflower Potato Salad Healthy?
Yes! This low carb Cauliflower Potato Salad is healthy and easy to fit into a ketogenic meal plan.
Each 1/2-cup serving of this has the following nutrition information:
- 136kcals
- 3g protein
- 12g fat
- 4g total carb0hydrates
- 1g fiber
- 3g net carbs
How Do You Steam Cauliflower for Potato Salad?
- Add fresh cauliflower florets to a medium saucepan and cover with cool water by 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil, and then turn heat down and simmer until fork-tender, about 5 minutes.
- Drain and cool completely.
What Do You Serve with Mock Potato Salad?
You can serve this with anything that you’d serve regular potato salad with! Here are a few ideas:
- Grilled hot dogs and hamburgers
- Grilled steak
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
More Delicious Low Carb Salad Recipes
- Spiralized Cucumber Salad with Peanuts, Basil, and Ginger Miso Dressing
- Green Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm, Olives, Red Pepper, and Feta
- Roasted Asparagus Antipasta Salad
- Coleslaw
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
- Spinach Strawberry Salad
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xoxo, Faith
Keto Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw chopped cauliflower florets
- 6 tablespoons mayo
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
Instructions
- Add the cauliflower to a medium saucepan and cover with cool water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat down and simmer until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and cool completely.
- Stir together the mayo, lemon juice, Dijon, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, black pepper, red onion, eggs, and dill in a large bowl. Fold in the cauliflower to coat.
- Chill 1 hour, or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Faith’s Tips
- Net Carbs: 3g per 1/2-cup serving
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 3 cups total, or 6 (1/2-cup) servings.
- Fresh Herbs Make it Special: Fresh herbs really brighten up this salad! In addition to dill, you can add fresh parsley if you like.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on June 24, 2019. I updated it with more information on June 18, 2021.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
What a great idea! I will be trying this.
That looks so good! Thanks for the shout-out for my salad.