Loaded Cauliflower Salad

This loaded cauliflower salad is a delicious low-carb side dish! Crispy bacon, tangy sour cream, and sharp cheddar cheese make this recipe super flavorful and satisfying. Serve this loaded cauliflower salad alongside a protein of your choice for an easy keto meal.

What Makes This Loaded Cauliflower Salad So Good

• It’s naturally keto! I didn’t totally intend on making a keto recipe, but after developing this loaded cauliflower salad, I was pleasantly surprised by how keto-friendly it turned out to be. Sour cream and cheddar cheese are tossed with low-carb cauliflower for the perfect keto side dish.
• It’s perfect for a summer barbecue or potluck! Chances are, most people have had loaded potato salad, but not loaded cauliflower salad. Impress your friends and family with how truly delicious cauliflower can be with this recipe!
• It’s super simple to make. Simply cook the bacon, then the cauliflower, and toss all ingredients together in a big bowl – that’s it!

Key Ingredients for Loaded Cauliflower Salad

Cauliflower – This versatile vegetable is the star of this dish. You can pretty much find giant heads of cauliflower at your grocery store year-round. To prepare an entire head of cauliflower for this recipe, you’ll first want to remove any green leaves before chopping it into florets. Give your cauliflower florets a quick rinse and then use them in this loaded cauliflower salad!

Bacon – Either thin or thick-cut bacon will work in this recipe. I prefer thin for how crispy it gets when cooked. When the bacon is done cooking, you can chop it however small or large you’d like. Coming across little savory, crunchy bits of bacon in this loaded cauliflower salad is what make it so good.

Cheddar Cheese – Either mild or sharp cheddar cheese will work, so use whichever you prefer! I’d recommend letting your cauliflower cool for just a few minutes before adding in the shredded cheese, otherwise your cheese might melt. 

Chef’s Tips

• Be careful not to overcook your cauliflower for this recipe! Check on the cauliflower after 5 minutes of steaming by poking it with a fork. If the fork easily pierces the cauliflower, then it’s done cooking and you can remove it from the heat.
• Season this loaded cauliflower salad to your preference. Feel free to start light on the salt and pepper, give things a taste, and then work up from there!
• You can serve this dish warm or cold. I love leaving it to chill in the fridge for an hour or two before enjoying on a hot summer day!

More Low-Carb Side Dishes You’ll Love

• Perfect Deviled Eggs with Bacon
• Bacon Chips
• Taco Dip
• Keto Coleslaw
• Keto Green Beans

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Loaded Cauliflower Salad

This loaded cauliflower salad is a delicious low-card side dish! Crispy bacon, tangy sour cream, and sharp cheddar cheese make this recipe super flavorful and satisfying. Serve this loaded cauliflower salad alongside a protein of your choice for an easy keto meal.

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 513 kcal

Equipment

• Large pot
• Large skillet
• Large bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 large cauliflower head cut into florets
• 12 ounces bacon see Notes
• ½ cup mayonnaise see Notes
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup chives chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Bring ½-inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Add in cauliflower, cover with lid and steam for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
  
• Add bacon to a large skillet over medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, let cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
  
• Add the steamed cauliflower, bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chives, and cheese to a large bowl and mix until combined.
  

Notes

• Bacon: Either thin or thick-cut bacon will work in this recipe.
• Mayonnaise: Feel free to use low-fat mayonnaise in this recipe, if you’d like!

 

Recipe yields approximately 6 servings. Nutritional values shown reflect information for one serving. Macros may vary slightly based on specific brands of ingredients used.

To determine the size of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed, then weigh the entire recipe when finished. Divide the total weight (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by 6. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 513kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 15gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 1056mgPotassium: 592mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 415IUVitamin C: 71mgCalcium: 195mgIron: 1mgNet Carbs: 6g

Keyword keto, low carb, potluck

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Sam Guarnieri

Hi! I’m Sam, a travel, food and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area. I love creating new and inventive recipes, and my favorite part is sharing them with others. My love of food goes all the way back to my early childhood, I grew up cooking alongside my mom and Nonna – the two best cooks I know! When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m either planning my next vacation, spending time outdoors (preferably on a beach), or bingeing Netflix’s latest docu-series. My passion for eating and living well led me to create the blog and Instagram account, Sam Does Her Best, where I health-ify my favorite comfort foods. I’m a big believer that good-for-you food can still be exploding with flavor and (most importantly) easy to make. I’m thrilled to be here at 40 Aprons doing what I do best – creating, photographing, and sharing delicious recipes with you all!