Vegan Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad (Low Carb, Paleo)
Recipe Key
A delicious low carb cauliflower salad with a creamy tahini dressing that tastes similar to potato salad but without any potatoes. Simple to make and incredibly satisfying with scallions, fresh herbs and arugula. Amazing for any BBQ or picnic. Paleo, vegan, keto, Whole30.
I served this Vegan Cauliflower ‘Potato’ Salad at a dinner party, my guests loved it and said it tasted like potato salad. The creamy dressing, fresh dill, scallions and roasted cauliflower give it a similar look and taste to potato salad. Adding arugula and cilantro adds a bright fresh taste.
You’ll love the flavors of this low carb vegan cauliflower salad whether you think it tastes like potato salad or not.
This salad can be dressed in advance, which makes it perfect for entertaining. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day!
How To Make Vegan Cauliflower Potato Salad
Cutting the Cauliflower
Cut the cauliflower in half. Then use your knife to cut around the stem to remove as much of it as possible. As you do this the cauliflower florets will naturally start to fall off. Discard all the leaves. Use your knife to cut any big pieces into bite size pieces.
Cut the cauliflower pieces into relatively equal sizes. This allows them to cook in the same amount of time so they’re all fork-tender without some being raw and others turning mushy.
Roasting the Cauliflower
Preheat your oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lay out the cauliflower florets on one of the baking sheets. Drizzle the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle all over with sea salt and pepper, then toss to coat.
Put into the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown and tender but firm. Tossing about halfway through to brown evenly.
Preparing the Scallions
We are going to roast the white parts of scallions to make them nice and sweet.
Cut off the white and light green part of the scallions and leave whole. Save the dark green parts for later.
Place them on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, mix to coat. Roast for 15 minutes until soft and lightly brown, tossing occasionally.
Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Coarsely chop and set aside.
Thinly slice the dark green parts of the scallions and set aside. You should have about 1/2 cup if you have more save for another use.
Making the Tahini Sauce
In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic and cumin with a large pinch of salt. Let sit for 1 minute to mellow the garlic.
Whisk in tahini, then gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time (about 3 to 6 tablespoons total), until the sauce thickens and is smooth enough to drizzle. The amount of water needed will depend on the thickness of your tahini. You want it to be slightly thick but pourable.
Assemble the Salad
Now that the cauliflower is cooked and you’ve made the dressing, you can assemble the vegan cauliflower ‘potato salad’.
Add fresh dill, cilantro and arugula. Dill gives it an authentic potato salad taste. Cilantro and arugula make it even healthier and give it a bright fresh taste.
Give everything a toss and enjoy the cauliflower potato salad at room temperature or chilled for a couple of hours. If you’re not eating it until the next day add arugula just before serving.
This robustly seasoned Vegan Cauliflower ‘Potato Salad’ has a lively and earthy taste from the roasted cauliflower and scallions. The cumin scented tahini dressing gives it a rich and creamy texture.
I know you’ll love this low carb cauliflower “potato” salad as much as we did.
This is a good one to make early in the day which is great for entertaining. Add arugula right before serving.
Be sure to let it come to room temperature so everything is at its brightest and most creamy.
If you like this recipe, try these other delicious low carb summer salads:
Baba Ganoush
Paleo Falafel (Bean Free, Keto)
Cauliflower Tabbouleh (Grain Free, Low Carb, Paleo)
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PrintVegan Cauliflower “Potato” Salad
This robustly seasoned Vegan Cauliflower ‘Potato Salad’ has a lively and earthy taste from the roasted cauliflower and scallions. The cumin scented tahini dressing gives it a rich and creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: Vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Keto, Whole30
Ingredients
- 6 cups cauliflower florets ( 1 large head)
- Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separate (5-6)
- 2–3 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely grated on a microplate
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup tahini
- Ice water, as needed
- ½ cup dill and cilantro (use a combination or just one)
- 1/2 cup baby arugula (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lay out the cauliflower florets on one of the baking sheets. Drizzle the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle all over with sea salt and pepper, then toss to coat.
- Put into the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown and tender but firm. Tossing about halfway through to brown evenly.
- Cut off the white and light green part of the scallions and leave whole. Save the dark green parts for later.
- Place them on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, mix to coat. Roast for 15 minutes until soft and lightly brown, tossing occasionally.
- Transfer to a cutting board to cool. Coarsely chop and set aside.
- Thinly slice the dark green parts and set aside. You should have about 1/2 cup if you have more save for another use.
- In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, cumin and a large pinch of salt about ¼ teaspoon. Let sit for 1 minute to mellow the garlic.
- Whisk in tahini, then gradually add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time (about 3 to 6 tablespoons total*), until the sauce thickens and is smooth enough to drizzle. Keep whisking the sauce for 30 seconds to get it smooth and creamy. If it gets too thick, thin it down with a little more water. You want it to be slightly thick but pourable. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed.
- Once the cauliflower is cooked let cool to room temperature.
- Add the cooled cauliflower and charred scallions to bowl with tahini and toss until cauliflower well coated.
- Toss with the thinly sliced green scallions, herbs and arugula. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.*
- You can serve the salad right away at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or so before serving to allow the flavors to meld.*
- Store left over cauliflower in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Return to room temperature before serving.
Notes
The amount of water will depend on how thick your tahini is.
If you’re not eating it until the next day add arugula just before serving.