What is cauliflower potato salad, you may ask? It's a potato salad made with cauliflower instead of potatoes. This vegan cauliflower potato salad recipe is a spin on traditional vegan potato salad made with roasted cauliflower!
Although I love vegan potato salad, I decided to switch it up and make a vegan cauliflower potato salad recipe instead. Why call it potato salad? Because it has all the delicious ingredients in a classic vegan potato salad but with roasted cauliflower.
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It's surprising how similar vegan cauliflower potato salad tastes to vegan potato salad. Even the texture is similar to potato salad; at first glance, it even looks like potato salad. As you now, I LOVE potatoes, but I also adore cauliflower, so why not make a creamy cauliflower salad for a new twist on a classic favorite?
Cauliflower Potato Salad Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower is high in vitamins C and K and is also a good source of folate, supporting cell growth and essential during pregnancy. Cauliflower is fat-free and cholesterol-free. And it's low in sodium. A one-cup serving contains only 25 calories, 5 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of dietary fiber.
- Green Onions: Regarding flavor, scallions have the sharp, somewhat-spicy, peppery flavor that white and yellow onions produce. This makes them an excellent substitute for small amounts of chopped onions in a pinch.
- Lemon Juice: I prefer using fresh lemon juice for this cauliflower salad recipe.
- Celery: Celery adds a fresh crunchiness to the salad.
- Dill Pickles: Chopped dill pickles give the salad a bit of tanginess.
- Salt/Pepper: A pinch of salt and pepper enhance the flavors in the salad.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is used to season the cauliflower before roasting.
- Yellow Mustard: The bright yellow mustard comes from turmeric, combined with yellow mustard seeds, vinegar, and water (and maybe some additional spices) to make a viscous, squeezable sauce. Yellow mustard has a crisp, tart-and-tangy flavor.
- Cashew Mayo: I make homemade cashew mayo; the recipe also has nut-free options.
- Dill Weed: Dill has a deliciously fresh, citrus-like taste with a slightly grassy undertone. The trademark subtle sweetness means it works particularly well with garlic and mint, and it's sometimes used as a substitute for parsley.
Cauliflower Potato Salad Ingredient Substitutions
- Broccoli is an excellent substitute for cauliflower.
- Spring onions are similar to green onions or try yellow or white chopped onions.
- If fresh lemon juice isn't available, choose bottled lemon juice.
- Fennel is often used as a substitute for celery; however, fennel has a slight licorice flavor.
- Sweet pickles are an option instead of dill pickles, or if you don't like pickles, try green olives or capers. Or, skip the pickles altogether.
- Onion powder is similar to garlic powder.
- Dijon mustard gives the cauliflower potato salad a richer flavor.
- Choose any vegan mayonnaise you prefer.
- Dry dill is more robust, so use half the fresh dill in the recipe.
How to Make Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe
Cooking
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove the stem and leaves from the base of the cauliflower.
- Cut the cauliflower into equal-sized florets.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Lay the florets on the baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder on top of the florets.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch.
- Roughly chop the cooled cauliflower florets.
Preparing the Salad
- Place the cool, chopped roasted cauliflower in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine the vegan mayo, yellow mustard, salt and pepper.
- Whisk together.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the cauliflower.
- Pour in the vegan mayo/mustard mixture.
- Stir the ingredients together.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Cauliflower is all the rage. People are making cauliflower rice, gnocchi, and cauliflower mash! So, yes, it is the perfect potato substitute.
Although both vegetables tout their nutritional benefits, cauliflower is lower in calories and carbs and more nutrient-dense than potatoes.
Bioactive compounds in cauliflower are known to reduce inflammation. The vegetable is also rich in antioxidants.
Tips
- If you steam or boil the cauliflower, it tends to be on the watery side.
- Instead, roast or air fry the cauliflower to remove some of the vegetable's moisture before making the potato salad recipe.
- When you use dry herbs, please use half the amount in the recipe for fresh herbs. Dry herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs.
- Make sure the cauliflower is cool to the touch before chopping t into smaller pieces.
- Mixing the cashew mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper helps spread evenly throughout the salad.
- Try dill or parsley instead of dill.
- The salad lasts up to 5 days covered and stored correctly in the refrigerator.
Try this cauliflower potato salad recipe for a twist on traditional vegan potato salad!
Suggested Salad Recipes to Enjoy!
If you love this vegan cauliflower potato salad recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower Cut into florets
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic powder
- 1 bunch Green onions Sliced thin
- 3 stalks Celery Diced
- ¼ cup Dill pickles Diced
- ¼ cup Fresh Dill, chopped Use half the amount. if using dry dill
- ½ cup Cashew Mayo
- 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard If you like it less tangy, use 1 Tablespoons
- ½ Lemon Squeezed
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Remove the core and leaves from the base of the head of the cauliflower.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets that are similar in size.
- Place the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the cauliflower florets with 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder.
- Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven and allow to cool to the touch.
- Transfer the cooked and cooled cauliflower to a cutting board and roughly chop.
- Transfer the cut cauliflower to a large bowl.
- Add the chopped celery, green onions, dill pickles, and dill.
- Combine the cashew mayo, yellow mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Whisk together.
- Pour the mayo/mustard dressing into the bowl with the vegetables.
- Stir to combine the ingredients with the dressing.
- Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- If you steam or boil the cauliflower, it tends to be on the watery side.
- Instead, roast or air fry the cauliflower to remove some of the vegetable's moisture before making the potato salad recipe.
- When you use dry herbs, please use half the amount in the recipe for fresh herbs. Dry herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs.
- Make sure the cauliflower is cool to the touch before chopping t into smaller pieces.
- Mixing the cashew mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper helps spread evenly throughout the salad.
- If you don't care for dill, try basil or parsley.
- The salad lasts up to 5 days, covered and stored correctly in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Lyn
I love this recipe and will be making it again. The flavor is great.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lyn, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for your feedback.
Anne-Marie Desjardins
This was easy and super delicious!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Anne-Marie, I am so glad you enjoyed it. I agree; it is super easy. Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it. Let me know if you try any other recipes.
Marlene Howell
I have steamed the cauliflower in the instant pot on a rack but WITHOUT the pressure (it is just my go to pot for everything) till the fork just barely goes through and it is perfectly white. But I am going to add garlic next time, never thought to do that! Thanks so much for all your recipes, I use so many of them!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marlene, thanks for the Instant Pot tip! I will try it. I'm so glad you are enjoying the recipes. Which ones are your favorite?
d4l3d
Dill (weed,seed?) is mentioned in the instructions but not in the ingredients list. I'd like my first try to be your suggested amount before I decide if I need to "play" with the results. This looks perfect for my current needs.
Kathy Carmichael
Sorry about that. It is 1/4 cup fresh dill. If using dry dill, use half the amount. Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate it. The recipe has been revised.
d4l3d
Thanks for being so fast. I can see having a ton of this on hand and going thru it quickly, grabbing a spoon each time I pass the fridge or as a side with BBQ tempeh.
Kathy Carmichael
I appreciate you letting me know. I hope you enjoy the salad!