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25-Minute Cauliflower Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes and Basil

Here's a little something for your next picnic or family dinner: our Ridiculously Good Cauliflower Salad. This dish is everything you love about hearty, flavorful salads and will make you fall in love with cauliflower all over again. Packed with fresh herbs, crunchy veggies, and a tangy dressing, this salad comes together in no time and is what I make when I want serious flavors and don't have much time.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Healthy
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Keyword cauliflower salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 217kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
  • ½ cup mayonnaise or Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream or quinoa cream
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 chipotle chile pepper finely diced (from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce)
  • 6 ounces grape tomatoes halved
  • 8 ounces smoked gouda cheese cubed
  • ½ cup basil sliced thin
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Steam cauliflower for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to a large bowl.
  • Combine mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt, cream, broth and chipotle chile pepper in a small food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
  • Add tomatoes, cheese and basil to the cauliflower and toss with dressing. Garnish with additional basil if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

 

Variations for Cauliflower Salad

  • Add bacon and in place of the gouda cheese use blue cheese.
  • Omit the chipotle chili pepper and instead use 1 tablespoon of prepared horseradish and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
  • Add ½ small red onion and use ½ cup fresh parsley in place of the basil.
  • Use red wine vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
  • For an extra kick, add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to the dressing.
  • Try roasting the cauliflower for a fun twist!  Roasting cauliflower brings out its natural sweetness.  To roast, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet for 25 minutes.

Tips for Making Cauliflower Potato Salad

  • Make this at least a few hours before you plan on serving it to allow the flavors to combine. (Hold off on adding the cheese and the basil.)
  • Opt for a smaller head of cauliflower if you can find it. They tend to be sweeter!
  • Save the cauliflower stems and julienne them for salads. (Or add them to this salad.) . Believe it or not, you can even add them to a smoothie. For real! It is a great way to boost nutrition without added sugar. Check out this recipe for a little inspiration.  Disclosure:  I haven't tried adding cauliflower to my smoothies but I have friends that swear by it.  I plan on trying it soon!

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 345mg | Potassium: 129mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 0.3mg