Summertime is a great time for all kinds of salads. Looking for a substitute for potato salad to take on a picnic? This one might do the trick.It’s light, low caloried, and low carb’d, and it tastes wonderful. Like most seasoned items, it tastes better the longer it sits in the ‘fridge to allow the flavors to really come through, so allow several hours to chill if you can.

Originally, I spotted this recipe on Foxes Love Lemons website and I thought it looked delicious, so I wanted to adapt it for low carb. It was a pepe pasta recipe and the pasta is too high in carbs, so I pulled out the versatile cauliflower to stand in for it. After tasting it, I added in sliced radishes to give it a little more crunch and flavor and I also added in a little cayenne pepper. You can add sweet peppers for more flavor and color burst. If you prefer your salad dressing a little on the sweet side, add a teaspoon or two of sugar substitute when you mix the dill dressing.

By the way, the dill dressing is lovely for dipping vegetables in for a party. I cut back the amount of buttermilk for this as it made quite a lot, so unless you like your salad completely doused with dressing, the amount below should be enough.

This dish is good for all phases of Atkins except for Induction.  For induction, you can substitute the buttermilk with heavy cream and add more seasonings or make a straight mayonnaise dressing.

Vegetable Summer Salad

2 cups riced Cauliflower
2 tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 Leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Baby Corn, chopped
1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Radishes, sliced
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, chopped (optional)

Dill Dressing

1/2 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Sugar Substitute (optional)
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried fill or 1 tablespoon fresh Dill
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

If using purchased pre-riced cauliflower, cook according to directions on the package. Many of these are in steam bags that can be microwaved or cooked in a pot.

If ricing fresh cauliflower, put in a food processor and pulse until you have rice-sized pearls. Put in a microwave safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water, and cover. Microwave for about 2 minutes to cook the cauliflower. Set aside.

Cut all the vegetables up before starting so they are ready to go.

In a large pot or deep skillet, melt the butter, then add the leeks and sauté until they are softened, then add the cut asparagus spears. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the asparagus are just slightly tender. If using red peppers, add them when you add the asparagus.

Stir in the baby corn pieces and cauliflower and mix it well. Remove from the heat. Add radishes and grape tomatoes.

Mix the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until they are well blended. Taste for seasonings. If you want any of the flavors stronger, add a little more.

Put the vegetable mixture in a large salad bowl and pour the dressing over it. Toss to mix the dressing into the salad. Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours. Can be prepared up to two days in advance of serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings, 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.

Nutrition Information per serving (6 servings):
Calories: 114 Fat: 7.5 g Net Carbs: 6.9 g Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving (8 servings):
Calories: 85.5 Fat: 5.6 g Net Carbs: 5.2 g Protein: 2.1 g

Nutrition Information per serving with sweet peppers (8 servings):
Calories: 86.7 Fat: 5.6 g Net Carbs: 5.5 g Protein: 2.1 g