We 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, we 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 not so much so that it isn’t craveable and satisfying.
Why This Recipe Works
By swapping half of the potatoes for tender bites of cauliflower you create a more nuanced and textured version of a traditional potato salad. What’s so great about this recipe is that all you have to do is add cauliflower florets to the potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. That short stint in hot water softens them just enough.
Plus, we use a Caesar Dressing for this instead of a mayo-mustard situation which makes it that much more interesting.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes
I prefer baby gold potatoes for potato salad because they’re creamier, cook faster, and have a lovely 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
We recommend keeping the florets fairly large for this 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
For this cauliflower potato salad, we prefer to use our semi-homemade Caesar Dressing. It’s super easy to make and always packs a flavor punch. If you’re looking for a shortcut, use a high-quality Caesar dressing, such as Briannas.
Chives
We like some herbature in our salads, and chives fit in really well here. Feel free to use fresh parsley, scallions, basil and/or tarragon.
Tips
- It’s important to know the difference between a saute pan and a skillet. A saute pan has a wide, flat bottom with vertical 90º sides. Skillets, on the other hand, slides that flare up and outward at an angle.
- For this recipe you will need a very large sauté pan. If for some reason you do not have one, use a large pot.
- 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.
More Side Dish Recipes to Try
- If you like this Cauliflower Potato Salad Recipe,then you’ll love our Herby Sour Cream Potato Salad! It’s more in line with a regular potato salad.
- Our Turkish Shepherd’s Salad is another great option for summer.
- Look to our summery Peach & Sweet Corn Salad for a side dish that feeds everyone their fruit and vegetables.
- Try our Greek Orzo Pasta Salad for a filling and healthy side.
- Our Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a fan-favorite. Definitely worthy of a backyard BBQ.
- We love this Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad from Jess over at Plays Well with Butter—so summery!
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.
Caesar Cauliflower Potato Salad
Description
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.
