the BEST Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe (Mock Potato Salad)

A delicious version of the classic potato salad featuring cauliflower instead of potatoes. Delicious, much healthier, and easy to make!

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 Why not a potato salad made with cauliflower instead of potatoes? It takes absolutely no more time than potatoes, is healthier for you, and just as tasty. A traditional potato salad recipe made healthier, this is the best Cauliflower Potato Salad  no-wait- the best potato salad… period.

This Cauliflower potato salad is delicious! I was prepared to not like it. Or, simply tolerate it. But…I think it’s wonderful! Not as wonderful as chocolate cake. But, come on….that’s not even a fair comparison.  We can’t eat chocolate cake all the time.

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Growing up we weren’t exposed to a lot of veggies. My parents tried, to be fair, but when there were as many kids (10!) as us, it can get expensive to have fresh veggies! We had a lot of canned, soggy veggies. But all that means is that we now adore eating fresh veggies. And cauliflower is one that scores high points in our books!

I am in love with how easy it is to swap out cauliflower for potatoes in so many recipes. I do it often in macaroni and cheese and ABSOLUTELY use cauliflower for mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes.

This recipe is meant to be shared at a picnic or potluck. Don’t keep it all to yourself…get friends and family over!

You won’t even know it’s cauliflower instead of potato!

My family asks for this cauliflower potato salad recipe all the time in the picnic season and I am always happy to oblige!  I’ll admit that each time I make it I change up the recipe a bit, omitting the bacon, adding peppers or scapes, trading out yellow mustard for dijon, etc. These sort of recipes are perfect for playing and adjusting to what you have on hand.

I’m looking forward to spending the summer outdoors with my family, sitting around a picnic table, playing cards, and eating all the things. There is something so special about those summer hours that involve eating hotdogs, potato salad, and watermelon..isn’t there?

Tip: A food processor is a great way to get veggies chopped up quick and easy! Use it to chop the celery and onions for this recipe.

Best Cauliflower Potato Salad

A delicious version of the classic potato salad featuring cauliflower instead of potatoes. Delicious, much healthier, and easy to make!

4.22 from 56 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

• a head of cauliflower
• 6 hard-boiled eggs-chopped
• 3 stalks of celery-chopped
• 1 small onion-chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas-thawed
• 1/2 pkg bacon--cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup mayo (I use 1/2 cup greek yogurt 1/2 cup mayo)
• 1 tab mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Boil the cauliflower until fork tender (about 10 min)--do NOT cook longer than fork tender. (you could also steam the cauliflower for great results!)
• Mix ingredients together.
• Put in fridge for at least 3 hours.
• This tastes much better after sitting in the fridge for a day or more! NO SERIOUSLY, IT DOES!

Other Picnic Salads:

Buffalo Chicken Salad // I had this once from a grocery deli and had to figure out how to recreate it for football season (SKOL Vikings!). It is a perfect mix of buffalo spicy and cool dressing. Fab for parties and entertaining!

 Watermelon Red Onion Salad // If you have never tried mixing watermelon and onion together…try it! Guaranteed you’ll be hooked. If not, don’t even come back here to tell me about it :). Jk. You can. Quietly.

Picnic Cocktails:

Lemon Drop Cocktail // The magic of this little cocktail is how easy it is to make. No, that’s a lie. Truly, it’s serving it in the tiny lemon shot glasses. Do NOT skip that. Just don’t.

Rhubarb Margarita// Just say Margarita with me. —Marg- a- LOVE- rit- LOVE- a . Did you catch that? Totally love this drink. It’s sweet and tart and oh so lush. I’m making myself thirty.