Creamy, tangy Whole30 cauliflower potato salad is the perfect side dish for your summer cookout or weeknight dinner! Vegan, gluten free, paleo and super simple! Plus it’s dairy and mayo free and will hold up in the heat of the summer BBQ.
Eating Whole30 has been a fun adventure for me so far. I’m on day 15 and so far haven’t had any trouble making my meals Whole30 compliant. Not relying on bottled dressings or sauces makes it a no-brainer for me. So when I was craving potato salad over 4th of July, I came up with this yummy recipe based on a suggestion from one of my clients. She said, have you ever tried potato salad but use cauliflower instead. And I love mashed cauliflower, roasted cauliflower and riced cauliflower, so I knew I had to try this!
Growing up my mom made my Grandpop’s potato salad for all of our holiday meals and at least 2-3 times each summer. It is nothing short of addicting and I go a little out of control everytime she makes it. I love using the cauliflower in this potato salad because it helps full me up without that carb spike to follow. Plus it’s made with super healthy fats and even some protein from the tahini dressing.
How to make Potato Salad without Mayo
Even though the classic recipe I love is a mayo based recipe, I have to be honest, I don’t love mayo. Usually I would try to substitute something like greek yogurt but you cannot have dairy on Whole30 (and greek yogurt really upsets my stomach recently – BOO!) making a creamy dressing with tahini was the perfect compromise.
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds, just like peanut butter or almond butter. It’s usually found in the same area as the other nut butters but often may be found in other sections of the grocery stores as well (Ethnic cooking section). hen I first tried tahini I thought it was so nasty, but now I eat it on everything and it’s my favorite base for dressing, even cauliflower potato salad.
What ingredients do you need to make Cauliflower Potato Salad:
- Cauliflower
- Coconut oil or avocado oil
- Chopped celery
- Tahini
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Dried dill
You can also use celery seeds in this recipe as well!
How to make Cauliflower Potato Salad:
- First you need to cook the cauliflower florets. If you are grilling out, you can make this dish right on the grill with a cast iron skillet. Otherwise you can saute it up on the stove before it gets too hot outside.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, make the dressing with the tahini, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder and dried dill.
- Once the cauliflower is cooked, add the celery and the dressing. Toss well!
Meal prep tips:
This recipe is great to make ahead whether it’s for a cook out or just for your normal meal prep! Since the cauliflower doesn’t get soggy, you can make this cauliflower potato salad up to 2 days before an event! Be sure to double or triple the recipe and enjoy it all week!
If you love this low carb potato salad recipe you should try:
- Homemade Whole30 BBQ Sauce
- Dairy free paleo coleslaw
- Broccoli Slaw Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Chopped Greek Salad
Whole30 Cauliflower Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower trimmed from stalk, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tbs. avocado oil
- 2 celery ribs chiopped
- 1 tsp. salt divided
- 3 tbs. tahini
- 3 tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tbs. water
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried dill
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium high heat.
- Add the chopped cauliflower stalks and cook until lightly browned (about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally). Add 1/2 tsp. of salt.
- Add 2-3 tbs. of water and cover. Cook additional 5 minutes until softened slghtly (don't allow cauliflower to get too soft)
- Remove cauliflower from heat and make the dressing in a small bowl.
- Combine the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, tahini, apple cider vinegar, 2 tbs. water, garlic powder and dried dill. If too thick, add another tablespoon of water.
- Chop celery and add to the cauliflower. Pour dressing over cauliflower and celery. Mix well to coat.
- You can refridgerate until needed, can be made up to 2 days before
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner
I love tahini on roasted cauliflower in a big bowl Yum! Your new site looks fantastic look forward to seeing more
Shaina Wizov
Omg. This sounds SO amazing. I have to make it ASAP!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Cindy @CindysRecipesAndWritings
This dressing sounds really good for cauliflower!
Liz
This is a yummy alternative to potato salad!
Laura Dembowski
I loved my Whole30 and it’s how I eat the vast majority of the time now. Potatoes are Whole30 approved, which is nice, but cauliflower is one of my favorite go-to vegetables.