Pickled Potato and Cauliflower Salads

4 colorS

THE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE

This recipe was originally featured in a 2024 Holiday Menu collaboration with my dear friend and professional retreat chef Ali Rose. The full PDF Holiday menu can be found here.

Another holiday staple is, of course, potatoes. Inspired by a summertime favorite, we reimagined a simple potato salad by adding pickles, capers, and fresh chopped herbs to make it fun and festive. The salad can be prepped a day in advance, and just like I mentioned in my Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower recipe; chilling your potatoes enhances the resistant starches, meaning you can enjoy this delicious holiday side without spiking your glucose. The vinegar and mustard base dressing not only taste amazing but also hold up beautifully on your table for hours, ensuring your salad remains gorgeous and tasty for those late-night stragglers!

Yields: 8 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED

TOOLS

• Large sheet pan (stainless steel or non-toxic non-stick)

• Large serving bowl (I love my Made In serving bowl)

• Cutting board

• Measuring cups/spoons

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb baby dutch or red or yellow potatoes, sliced into halves or quarters (your preference)

• 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets

• ½ cup cornichons, sliced thin

• ¼ cup capers

• ¼ cup chopped fine herbs such as dill, parsley, chives, or tarragon

• ¼ cup brine from cornichons

• 1 tbsp mustard, preferably stone ground

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt to taste

HOW TO DO IT

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice potatoes into halves, or quarters. Toss with oil and salt and spread onto half of your baking sheet.

2. Chop your head of cauliflower, stem included into florets or chunks similar size to your potatoes. Toss with oil and salt, and spread on the other half of your baking sheet.

3. Roast until brown and just barely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. We don’t want to get our vegetables too soft because we still want a little bit of bite to the salad.

4. While your vegetables are roasting, you can thinly slice your cornichons (I like to slice them on a bit of a diagonal to make them look a little prettier), and mix the sliced cornichons with your capers and chopped herbs.

5. Once your potatoes and cauliflower are cooked, let them cool just enough so that you can handle them. I like to mix the salad together while the vegetables are still warm because the heat allows the vegetables to absorb more of the dressing, giving them more flavor. Add the cornichon brine, mustard, and olive oil. Mix until everything is evenly coded, taste and add salt if needed.

6. Mix in your cornichons, capers, and herbs. You can serve immediately as a warm salad or refrigerate overnight and serve as a chilled salad.

SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS

• Types of potatoes: You can use pretty much any type of potato in the salad. I prefer using Baby Dutch, gold, or red potatoes because I like the way they look, and they have a softer creamy texture that I prefer for salads. 

• Adding more color: You could also add some red or purple potatoes to give this recipe even more color.

• Cornichons: If you don’t have cornichons, you can use your favorite chopped up pickle or even a prepared pickle relish in their place.

• Creamy vs. vinegar preference: If you prefer a more traditional creamy potato salad, you can add a tablespoon of mayonnaise or greek yogurt to your dressing.

Nutritional Info

Per serving makes 8 servings

Calories: 76
Carbohydrates: 9g
Fiber: 2g
Net carbs: 7g
Protein: 2g
Fat: 3g
Sodium: 1170mg
Sugar: 1g