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This keto potato salad recipe combines tender rutabagas with pickles and crispy bacon in a tangy, creamy dressing. Made with NO cauliflower and only 5 grams of net carbs!
Looking for more keto side dish recipes? Try my keto mac and cheese, keto green bean casserole, keto biscuits, and keto chicken salad next.
Craving the flavor of traditional potato salad but watching your carbs? My mock potato salad recipe is the answer!
Before I continue, I’m well aware it’s a bit of an oxymoron since there are no potatoes in the recipe. That said, you’d never be able to tell. The texture of the rutabagas is soft with the perfect bite, and the tangy dressing ties it all together.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No cauliflower. I have nothing against a cauliflower potato salad recipe, but every so often, I need a low-carb recipe with no cauliflower florets in sight.
- Perfect texture and flavor. The flavor and texture of rutabagas versus potatoes is uncanny. I’d be surprised if anyone could even tell the difference.
- Easy to make ahead. Like any cold potato salad, you can get ahead on the prep time and steam the rutabagas the day before.
- 5 grams of net carbs. That’s nothing compared to nearly 30 grams of carbohydrates in classic potato salad!
Ingredients needed
- Rutabagas. Also known as swedes, rutabagas make a fantastic alternative to potatoes. They have a similar flavor and texture, and the only difference is the carb and calorie count.
- Gherkins. Add a tangy flavor and balance out the mayonnaise. Look for dill pickles with no added sugar.
- Mayonnaise. Skip the store-bought version and make some homemade keto mayo.
- Dijon mustard. My mustard of choice for potato salad. That said, you can use any sugar-free mustard you prefer, including my keto honey mustard.
- Lemon juice. For acidity. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
- Dill. A must for any good potato salad!
- Cooked bacon OR pancetta. Optional but highly recommended,
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
How to make keto potato salad
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep the rutabagas. Peel the rutabagas and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2- Boil. Place the rutabagas in a large pot of salted water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Simmer until tender, then drain.
Step 3- Combine. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the still warm rutabagas and mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Keep an eye on the rutabagas as they boil. Remove them from the heat when they’re tender but still have a slight bite. Otherwise, they can become mushy.
- Or roast the rutabagas. I tested boiling and roasting the rutabagas, and while I preferred the texture of boiled, the roasted version did have a bit more bite to it. If you go this route, drizzle on a little olive oil so they get extra crisp.
- Add more protein. Fold in hard-boiled eggs.
- Amp up the veggies. For extra crunch, fold in chopped red onion and celery.
- Spice it up. For more flavor, season the salad with paprika, onion powder, or celery salt.
- Garnish with green onions for a pop of color.
Storage instructions
To store: Store mock potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
To freeze: Place leftover potato salad in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to six months.
More low carb salads to try
- Steak salad
- Caesar salad with chicken
- Avocado chicken salad
- Kani salad
- Healthy tuna salad
- Rotisserie chicken salad
Keto Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds rutabagas
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup pickles chopped, unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1/4 cup bacon chopped finely
Instructions
- Start by peeling the rutabagas and chopping them into half inch pieces. Place them in a large pot filled with salted water and place it over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, before letting it simmer until the rutabaga has softened but is still tender. Drain them immediately.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, pickles, pepper, fresh dill, and bacon, and whisk until smooth. Add the still warm rutabaga and mix until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Remove the mock potato salad from the refrigerator and transfer onto a serving dish and serve immediately.
Wow, couldn’t really tell it wasn’t potato salad. Amazingly good, very impressed.
I added hard boiled eggs too.
Thank you!!
I couldn’t believe it wasn’t potato salad!
Love that, Sue!
Made this and it was delicious . The salad had a faint sweetness. Rutabaga are low in carbs, high in fiber and contain protien.. they are a great substitute for potatoes
Thanks for the recipe!!! It is so delicious and easy to make, I also added boiled eggs to add creaminess and for some extra protein!! So good! 😋
This is an awesome recipe. Wouldn’t know there is no potato in this.
I was skeptical, but tried this because after 9 months on keto, and no potatoes in that time, I wanted to try a potato alternative that wasn’t cauliflower. This blew my mind! It was acceptable after preparing and chilling it for a couple of hours, but was almost indistinguishable from real potato salad the following afternoon!!! Giving it time to marinate made a huge difference. I will definitley add this as one of my regular recipes and intend to share!
Could I perhaps use kohlrabi instead?
I don’t see why not!
Couldn’t find fresh rutabaga where I am at this time of year, so I used canned, diced rutabaga instead. I simply drained three cans, patted the pieces a bit with a paper towel, and threw them in the bowl with the other ingredients. It is SO GOOD!!! Nobody at our picnic even knew or asked if it was real potato salad!! I can’t wait to try other ways to use rutabaga!
Have you tried turnips instead? Less carbs and resembles potatoes.
Yes! Works well 🙂
I made this for Easter and it was good but didn’t fool anyone into thinking it was potato salad. The rutabagas I had were more orangey yellow so everyone could tell it was unique haha People still enjoyed it and I thought the flavors were good with the added hard boiled eggs and bacon. I also added a little diced celery. Word of caution: it tastes pretty bad after you mix it with warm rutabagas. It needs to he very cold and served the next day! Also, I had to cook my rutabagas for 25 minutes. At 10 min, they were still very hard.
Your rutabagas look to white. When I cook them they’re a rich orange color. I don’t really care, but wondering why this is. (Turnips and rutabagas mixed was delicious, btw)
Hi Donald! I made this recipe a few times before sharing it and some rutabaga was super yellow and some was quite white- I think it depends on which one you get 🙂
My garden is booming with kohlrabi. Only 6.2g of carbs and its 3.6g of fibre makes it a whopping 2.6 net carbs per 100g serving. I will make this salad with it tonight. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Interesting. I thought it was going to be cauliflower. Will have to have the wife try this. Thanks for sharing!
Please do it is so easy!