Cauliflower 'Potato Salad' Packs All The Flavor Of The Classic Dish

If, for whatever reason, you're trying to cut back on starchy foods, cravings for potatoes might still linger at every turn. For some dishes, like soft and fluffy baked potatoes, spuds are irreplaceable. For others, they can be swapped out for something else. 

In the case of potato salad, that something is steamed cauliflower. Recipes for the healthy dupe abound, and it's easy to see why. It includes all the flavors of a classic, creamy potato salad — pickles, scallions, hard-boiled eggs, paprika, and all — without the potato. 

While Mr. Potato Head and other, er, potato heads might be able to spot the difference, the texture of cauliflower is actually surprisingly similar to its tuber counterpart. It also travels and keeps in the fridge just as well, making it a perfect picnic side or leftover snack. Best of all, it's super adaptable and easy to personalize. Here are some ideas to consider when throwing a batch together at home. 

The first step in making cauliflower "potato" salad is to bust out the steamer. Doing so not only mimics the texture of a potato but also helps the cauliflower absorb all the delicious stuff you're going to add to it. Let the florets hang out in your steamer basket for 10 minutes or so or until they reach your desired tenderness. 

Meanwhile, start prepping the ingredients you look for in a potato salad. This might vary from person to person, but a classic version might call for a mayonnaise-and-mustard sauce with add-ins like hard-boiled eggs, chives or scallions, red onions, celery, pickles, and paprika (plus salt and pepper). You can choose to chop everything into equally small pieces, or you can go with a variety of sizes. Pro tip: add a splash of pickle juice to your sauce to thin it out a bit and add some extra zing.

If you're looking to branch out from the aforementioned picnic-style potato salad, go forth and experiment. Cauliflower "potato" salad is an excellent opportunity to play around with your favorite flavors, traditional or otherwise. 

For a version that's spicy, tangy, and creamy, you could try making a potato-free version of kimchi potato salad. This Korean-inspired side keeps the mayonnaise but swaps out pickles and all the rest for chopped kimchi and hot sauce (or better yet, try gochugaru, a Korean chili powder). You might also consider adding grated garlic to the sauce and tossing in some sliced scallions. 

For a slightly more involved take that nods to Germany's preferred version of potato salad, skip the mayonnaise. Instead, dress the cauliflower with white vinegar, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Top the whole thing with bacon, chopped onions (cooked in the bacon fat, of course), and parsley. When you swap potatoes with cauliflower, the options are virtually limitless.