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I can’t think of a better side dish for summer grill-outs and BBQs than this Cauliflower Potato Salad. To create the perfect summer side dish, I combine tender chunks of cauliflower and creamy bites of potato then douse it in a delicious Caesar dressing. It’s lighter than most potato salads, but still has that savory, craveable quality to it. This is a always a hit!
Something I learned during my time as an Assistant Food Editor at Cuisine at Home Magazine is that home cooks are always on the lookout for new side dish recipes. As a result, I’ve developed hundreds of side dish recipes for any season and any occasion.
And this Caesar Potato Salad Recipe is one of my must-try sides. This salad is nuanced and more textured than traditional potato salads and requires no additional work.
All you have to do is add cauliflower florets to the potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking and that short stint in hot water softens them just enough.
Plus, I use a Caesar Dressing for this instead of a mayo-mustard situation which makes it that much more interesting.
Cauliflower Potato Salad Ingredients
- Potatoes: I prefer baby gold potatoes for Caesar potato salad because they’re creamier, cook faster, and have a thin skin. Cook them whole then drain and let cool before tearing them into chunks. I like to tear them instead of slice or dice because the craggy edges do a good job of holding onto the dressing.
- Cauliflower: I recommend keeping the florets fairly large for this potato cauliflower salad. Aim for florets that are about 1-inch in size. A good rule of thumb is to break the florets off the head of cauliflower and use the tip of a knife to separate any overly large florets in half.
- Caesar Dressing: use a semi-homemade Caesar Dressing made with mayo. It’s super easy to make and always packs a flavor punch. If you’re looking for a shortcut, use a high-quality prepared Caesar dressing, such as Briannas.
- Herbs: chives add an herby onion flavor but feel free to also use fresh parsley, scallions, basil and/or tarragon.
- Celery: adds some much needed crunch to the mix.
- Lemon: lightens and brightens everything up.
How to Make Cauliflower Potato Salad
- Add potatoes to a large sauté pan and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then season with salt and simmer until potatoes are nearly fork-tender, this will take about 15 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower florets and cook, covered, until fork tender, this will take about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the Caesar dressing in a large bowl (or add ¾ cup prepared Caesar dressing to a bowl).
- Tear the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and add to the bowl with the dressing along with the cauliflower, celery, chives, lemon zest and vinegar. Toss to combine then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Caesar Potato Salad Tips
- Know the difference between a sauté pan and a skillet. A sauté pan has a wide, flat bottom with vertical 90º sides. Skillets, on the other hand, slides that flare up and outward at an angle.
- If you opt to use store-bought dressing instead of making our semi-homemade recipe, be sure to seek out a high-quality dressing that’s fairly thick and creamy. We like Brianna’s, but there are a lot of great options on the market.
- Cooking the baby gold potatoes whole (not cubed) keeps them creamy, not water-logged.
How to Serve Cauliflower Potato Salad
This is a great side salad for grill outs. I like to pair it with my brined pork chops and some cast-iron skillet cornbread.
Storing Cauliflower Potato Salad
Store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Do not freeze the salad.
Cauliflower Potato Salad FAQs
Yes, the entire salad can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead of time.
Sure, you can make this with all cauliflower and no potatoes. Potatoes soak up a lot of liquid, for that reason we recommend starting with less dressing—about half a cup—and add more as needed.
We do not recommend using frozen cauliflower florets as they tend to have a much soften texture than fresh florets cooked briefly in boiling water. If you’re in a pinch and need to use frozen, simply thaw the frozen steamed cauliflower and give it a quick zap in the microwave before tossing it with the other salad ingredients.
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Cauliflower and Potato Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby gold potatoes
- 1 (1–1½ pound) head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- 1 recipe Easy Caesar Dressing * or ¾ cup bottled creamy caesar dressing
- 6 large stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch chives, chopped (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon vinegar*
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a very large sauté pan and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Place pan over high heat and bring to a boil; season with 1 teaspoon salt, reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are nearly fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add cauliflower florets and cook, covered, until fork tender, 5–7 minutes. Drain potatoes and cauliflower; let cool.
- Meanwhile, prepare dressing in a large bowl.
- Once cool enough to handle, tear potatoes into bite-sized chunks and add to dressing. Add drained cauliflower, celery, chives, lemon zest and vinegar. Toss to combine then season with salt and pepper to taste.
