Cauliflower Salad With Bacon

When I’m looking for a hearty salad with bold flavors, I whip up a bowl of avocado tuna salad, seafood salad, or this cauliflower salad loaded with bacon, cheese and herbs.

Potato salad is delicious and all, but sometimes I’m trying to keep my carbs in check. This cauliflower salad has all the same great flavors of potato salad, but with a fraction of the carbs.

How do you make cauliflower salad?

This salad starts with cooked cauliflower florets, which go in a large bowl along with cheddar cheese cubes, crumbled bacon and green onions. A creamy mayonnaise based dressing is poured over the top, and everything gets tossed together. Garnish with additional bacon and green onions, then serve and enjoy.

How to cook cauliflower

You’ll need to cook your cauliflower for this salad, and there are a few different techniques you can use. I typically just blanch my cauliflower, but any of these methods will work just fine.

Blanch: Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain the cauliflower and place it in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry, then proceed with the recipe. Steam: Heat 1 inch of water to boiling salted water in a shallow pan. Add the cauliflower in a single layer. Cover the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until cauliflower is tender. Remove the cauliflower from the pan. Let it cool, then prepare your salad. Roast: Heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Coat the cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a greased sheet pan in a single layer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Cool, then use it in the recipe.

Tips for the perfect salad

Take care to not overcook your cauliflower. It should be crisp-tender. If the cauliflower is overly soft it will turn mushy as you toss the salad. I like to include the cubes of the cheese in this salad because I think it imparts a lot of flavor, but you can use shredded cheese if you prefer. This salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the bacon will soften as it sits in the dressing. If you’re looking to prepare this salad in advance, stir in the bacon right before serving.

Cauliflower salad variations

You can add different ingredients to this salad to customize it to your tastes.

Protein: Add some protein to the mix such as cubed chicken, hard boiled eggs or shrimp. Vegetables: Feel free to add more vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots or red onion. Herbs: No green onions on hand? Try using fresh chives, basil, dill or parsley.

No matter how you serve this cauliflower salad, it’s sure to be a huge hit!