Italian Cauliflower Salad – a quick and delicious vegetarian dish made with steamed cauliflower, corn, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and shallots. Enjoy it warm or chilled. Perfect as an appetizer and can be prepared ahead of time.
On today’s menu, we’ve got one of those effortlessly chic Italian dishes that somehow manages to impress without even trying. Think tender steamed cauliflower florets tossed with a creamy mayonnaise (or a mayo-based sauce if you’re feeling fancy), a touch of mustard, and a sprinkle of sweet corn.
It’s the kind of dish that looks like you’ve made an effort – when really, you’ve just let good ingredients do the work. The best bit? It’s completely flexible, so you can tweak the flavors to suit your mood (or whatever’s left in the fridge).
The perfect pairing: Homemade boiled eggs mayonnaise (or mayonnaise sauce for salads).
Behind the Bites
If you’ve ever wandered through an Italian market in winter, you’ll know the sight – stacks of pale, knobby cauliflower heads, fresh from the fields and ready to star in a dozen humble but delicious dishes. The name cauliflower itself comes from the Latin ‘caulis‘ (stalk) and ‘floris‘ (flower), which feels rather poetic for something so down-to-earth. It likely arrived in Italy sometime around the late 15th or early 16th century, before making its way north into France and the rest of Europe.
Southern Italy quickly became something of a heartland for cauliflower, cultivating unique varieties and transforming them into the soft, creamy “curd” forms we recognize today. From rustic pasta dishes in Sicily to the elegant ”Cavolfiore alla Cavour” of Piedmont, the Italians have long known how to coax sweetness and sophistication out of this simple vegetable – and local farmers still proudly preserve those regional varieties, keeping the tradition (and flavor) alive.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cauliflower – fresh, good looking and firm white cauliflower
- Mayonnaise – homemade or store-bought
- Dijon mustard
- Corn – from a can/jar or from homemade corn on the cob
- Shallots – can be replaced with green onions, or chives
- Parsley– fresh is best
- Oregano – fresh or dried if good quality
- Sea salt and black pepper – to taste
NOTE: Boiled eggs can be added to the salad as well.
How to make Cauliflower Salad?
1st: Clean cauliflower and cut into small florets. Steam the florets within a steaming basket on the stove top. Use the lid and add enough water. Add more water if needed while steaming.
2nd: Drain florets of any fluids, let cool slightly and place into a large salad bowl. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Cool (optional) and serve.
NOTE: This recipe can be prepared with roasted cauliflower as well.
Italian Cauliflower Corn Salad with Mayo
Equipment
- 1 tall soup pan with lid
- 1 classic steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower
- 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 cup corn, cooked (from can or boiled)
- 2 medum shallots, sliced
- 1-2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. parsley, fresh
- pinch of oregano, dried
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, wash cauliflower under cold water and cut off florets. Place cauliflower florets into the steaming basket. Fill the bottom of the cooking pan with water.
- Steam with a lid on (on medium temperature) until cauliflower is fully cooked. Add water to the pot if needed, during steaming. Set aside to cool.
- Transfer steamed cauliflower into a large salad bowl and add in the diced shallots, corn, mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Finally, stir gently to coat florets on all sides with the dressing. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Genius way to use cauliflower:)
This was a tasty new way to enjoy cauliflower! I used a Romenesco cauliflower, because that’s what I had on hand. I cooked that veg in the Instant Pot. My flourettes were small. I used a steamer basket with a cup of water in the bottom of the pot on high pressure for 0 minutes with a quick release. Zero minutes means that the pot just comes up to pressure. They were “al dente” which was good for this salad. I cooked the frozen corn separately for 0 minutes. Next time I will cook both veg together. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing! Your version sounds delicious, I would definitely try the Instant pot trick too.