Made with fresh cauliflower and crispy bacon tossed with a creamy and tangy dressing, this easy Cauliflower Salad is a wonderful side dish that goes with just about anything. Serve it for a family dinner or take it to a potluck and watch it disappear!
Looking for more cauliflower recipes? Don’t miss our roasted cauliflower, cauliflower rice, and mashed cauliflower casserole.
Easy Cauliflower Salad Recipe
This cauliflower salad is a tasty alternative to classic broccoli salad. It’s made with steamed cauliflower, cheddar cheese, and bacon, all tossed in a creamy dressing including mayo and sour cream.
My family loves this as a side dish year-round, but especially during summer, either for casual dinners at home or potlucks and picnics. It’s easy to make, flavorful, and goes with pretty much everything.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy. Steam the cauliflower, cook the bacon, and toss everything together…that’s truly all you need to do for this recipe.
- Great for potlucks. Cauliflower salad is one of my go-to recipes for potlucks. I find it’s always one of the first things to disappear.
- Accommodates many diets. This salad happens to be gluten free, low carb, and keto-friendly, so many people can enjoy it.
What You’ll Need
This cauliflower salad recipe is made with just a handful of basic ingredients.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Cauliflower – A head of fresh cauliflower, cut into small florets.
- Bacon – Adds a bit of savory and salty flavor as well as texture to the salad.
- Sour cream & Mayo – Using both in the dressing creates a creamy base with a touch of tang.
- Fresh lemon juice – Adds a burst of citrus to help lighten the sauce.
- Spices – Salt, pepper, and garlic powder season the salad.
- Cheddar cheese – Freshly shredded is optimal for best flavor.
- Fresh chives – Adds a pop of color and flavor. Finely diced scallions can be used instead, if preferred.
How To Make Cauliflower Salad
This recipe comes together in a few simple steps.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Steam the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower to boiling water then cover and steam until tender. Drain and let cool.
- Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon until crispy. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain then cool and chop into tiny pieces.
- Make the dressing. Combine the sour cream, mayo, and spices.
- Combine the ingredients. Fold together the cauliflower, bacon, cheese, and chives. Toss to coat. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- Let the ingredients cool. Before adding the cauliflower and bacon, make sure that they have cooled to room temperature.
- Use broccoli and cauliflower. For a twist on classic broccoli salad, feel free to sub half of the cauliflower for broccoli.
- Omit the bacon. I personally like the flavor and texture the bacon adds but you can easily omit it for a vegetarian dish.
- Chill before serving. You can serve this cauliflower salad immediately but I like to let it chill for at least an hour, giving the flavors a chance to meld.
Video: Cauliflower Salad
Serving Suggestions
Cauliflower salad makes a wonderful side dish to any protein, whether it’s steak, pork chops, or baked chicken breast. I also like it with anything on the grill, like chicken kabobs, pork kabobs, turkey burgers, and hot dogs. Take it to a potluck and be ready for everyone to ask for the recipe!
How To Store Leftovers
Leftover cauliflower salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3 days.
More Side Salads:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower , cut into small florets
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 & 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- In a large nonstick skillet, bring 1/4-1/3 water to boil. Add cauliflower, cover, and steam until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and let cool while you prep the other ingredients.
- In the same skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Once cool, chop up until tiny pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until smooth. Fold in the cauliflower, cooked chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives. Toss to coat.
- Serve right away or chill for at least an hour for best flavor and enjoy.
I served this at a potluck over the weekend and everyone LOVED it! It disappeared before any of the other sides.
This was very good! Thank you for sharing, Amy.