Servings: 6 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 15 mins Total: 25 mins
This is a recipe that comes as a “Potato Salad” request from Facebook (great suggestion, Sharon!). I have a funny feeling she was suggesting the creamy, mayonnaisey variety of potato salad, but I decided to take it a slightly different direction. I’ve always liked the old school potato salad, but I’ve always been even MORE fond of a nice warm “German Potato Salad”.
I wish I could remember the first time I was introduced to this super food. It’s actually fairly simple, with just potatoes, bacon, green onions, vinegar and Dijon. I’ve had it with the potatoes boiled, fried and roasted. I’ve never met a German Potato Salad that I didn’t like! That said, the KEY to a good German Potato Salad, in my world view, is that it be WARM. Somehow, when it cools down, it loses its comfort factor. It loses the sumptuous warm yumminess that can only be found in the soft and slightly acidic nibble of the thing. MUST be served warm!
This salad is incredibly easy. Simply cook the cauliflower in a large pan, then throw it in the oven to roast. While it’s roasting, whip up your dressing. A few minutes later, remove the cauliflower from the oven, place it a bowl, toss with the dressing and … serve with a smile!
German Fauxtato Salad
Print RateIngredients
- 1 head large cauliflower stem/leaves removed and cut into small florets
- 2 tbsp light oil (olive ghee ... or especially bacon fat!)
- 1/2 cup real bacon bits
- 4 each garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 whole green onions (scallions) cut into thin rings
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard whole grain
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
- In a large sauté pan, add your oil and heat over medium heat.
- When the oil begins to ripple, add the cauliflower to the pan, then season with salt and pepper.
- Toss the cauliflower in the pan, to evenly coat with the oil.
- Place the pan in the oven to roast.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together your bacon, garlic, vinegar, scallions, Dijon and a bit of salt and pepper.
- While whisking your mustard mixture, slowly pour in your oil. The act of whisking, while slowly drizzling in the oil will emulsify the dressing, giving it a creamy consistency. Whisk your mustard, until all the oil has been added. Note: If you do this too quickly, the mixture will separate. The salad will still be tasty, but it won't be as creamy or well blended.
- When the cauliflower has become soft and browned, remove it from the oven and pour the contents into the mixing bowl with the Dijon dressing.
- Toss all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust flavors with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm!
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* Learn More: More about this recipe and nutrition …
Can’t wait to try this!! I love ALL potato salad. Thanks so much!!
Let me know how it turns out, Sharon!
I can see garlic in the ingredients but not in the instructions. having just made garlic cauli mash which was really unpleasant (I think I should not have used raw garlic) I would like to make sure what to do!!
Hi Ruth, it’s there. It’s the 6th step, reading "While the cauliflower is roasting, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together your bacon, garlic, vinegar, scallions, Dijon and a bit of salt and pepper." It’s purely optional. If you don’t like a little heat coming from a warm, but mostly raw garlic, then you might want to skip it. It DOES supply some of that garlic heat. In my mind, it’s quite pleasant and matched the acid and tang from the mustard and vinegar quite well, but that’s me. If you do use it, I suggest a fine mince, otherwise you’ll get big chunks of raw garlic, which can definitely be unpleasant. I hope this helps!
We enjoyed this. It does have a strong garlic taste, but we love garlic. So it was fine for us. If they don’t like garlic, they can just cut it in half. I bet it would still be good. Great job, DJ Foodie!!
Sharon, I’m also kind of a garlic nut. Even raw, I love the stuff! Thanks for checking in and setting a bit of a garlic foundation! 😉
Hi, DJ! I made this wonderful salad for our Easter lunch – it was a hit! I have just one question, how much oil do you recommend when whisking with the mustard and other ingredients for the dressing – the only oil mentioned was for coating the cauliflower for roasting. My daughter and I made an excutive decision and just drizzled and whisked until it looked right to us 🙂 I truly am hooked on your blog! Thank you for such great recipes!
Viki…. WHOOPS! Thank you for pointing that out! I just updated the recipe to include 1/2 cup of olive oil. I’d personally go a little less, with about 1/3 of a cup, but I tend to like stronger flavors than most. Anywhere between those two amounts will be just fine. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog! Please let me know if you’ve ever got requests! 🙂
Hi Dj, wondering if this can be made ahead and reheated, or should it be served immediately? Looks great, and I love your site and recipes! 🙂
—Reply posted by DJ on 5/20/2015
Hi Pam, it’s “better” fresh, but it can be cooled and re-heated. It would still be pretty tasty! That said, if you KNOW you’re planning to do this, I’d suggest keeping any of the herbs (like the scallions) out of it and add them fresh, when you re-heat. Onions and fresh herbs are less likely to spring back to life when re-heated, but if you toss fresh into the reheated base … it’ll really freshen the whole thing up. I hope this helps! 🙂
Just made this to go with our ribs today…. OH MY GOD! I’m waiting 30 minutes until dinner, and it’s taking all my willpower to just not gobble it up. ❤️ Soooo good.
When I need a low carb recipe, you do it right DJ! I know it will be delicious! Thanks so much…
Whoo hoo! You saved me. Needed something to go with sauerkraut and brats. This was perfect!