First, we need to address the elephant in the room. There are no potatoes in this keto potato salad. We still wanted to call it keto potato salad though as that is what you are likely to search for if you are looking for a keto or low carb replacement for potato salad. Keto potato salad is one of those recipes we haven’t tried in the four years of our keto lifestyle. Mainly because it seemed that cauliflower was the only option to replace the potato and we were not convinced.
Well a month or two ago, there was a lot of hype around swedes and turnips in our facebook group. Erika then had a lightbulb moment! She could finally try a keto potato salad.
Erika’s famous potato salad
Erika is famous in her family for her potato salad. Any time there was a family BBQ or celebration, everyone would request that she bring her potato salad. Well, needless to say, those requests stopped with the beginning of our keto journey.
I have definitely missed Erika’s potato salad. It is so delicious and I was so excited when I came home from work one day and she had been experimenting with a keto potato salad. She basically took her original potato salad recipe and just replaced the potato with swede.
All I can say is WOW! This keto potato salad recipe tastes just as good as her original potato salad. We haven’t tried serving this to her family yet, but I don’t think they would notice much of a difference. The only issue is they are immediately suspicious that we are serving them something low carb and that it won’t be the same as the original.
After watching High Falutin low carb do a keto potato salad battle on his YouTube channel, I realised our version of the keto potato salad is closer to a German version than the American version. I much prefer this version as I just love the bacon and onions in ours.
Swede/Rutabaga vs Turnips
As I mentioned above, about 2 months ago, we started seeing a LOT of hype around swedes and turnips in our Facebook group. Quite a few people were using them as a potato replacement in a potato bake and absolutely raving about them.
Erika was intrigued and she decided to do a cook off using swedes and turnips. Both versions were very good and tasted very close to a potato bake. Erika preferred the taste and texture of the swede while I preferred the turnip.
Once Erika decided swedes were her preference, she got to experimenting some more with hash browns and this delicious keto potato salad. The hash browns are still a work in progress, but the keto potato salad was a winner straight away.
Low Carb Potato replacements
Within the keto and low carb communities, there have been many attempts to find a lower carb potato replacement. The most common choice has always been cauliflower with there being many recipes for cauliflower mash created.
As cauliflower hasn’t quite met that craving for many, there has been a search for other options. Check out the best ones below.
- Cauliflower 2.9g net carbs per 100g
- Radish 1.7g net carbs per 100g
- Daikon radish 2.5g net carbs per 100g
- Swede or Rutabaga 6.3g net carbs per 100g
- Turnip 4.6g net carbs per 100g
Please note I used cronometer to get this macros and I used raw for each one.
While the swede is the highest carb option, it is the most like potato in flavour and texture and is the best low carb replacement for potato we have found. In comparison, potato is 13.3g net carbs per 100g and sweet potato is 17g per 100g.
Keto Sides
Keto side dishes are a great way to add flavour to your dinners. Protein by itself can be pretty boring, but add a delicious low carb side dish and you can turn that boring protein into a wonderful meal.
Some of our favourite keto side dishes include;
Tips
- If you are looking to lower the carbs you could use turnips or radishes in place of the swedes.
- When looking for a keto-friendly mayo, we recommend making your own or looking for a mayo that doesn’t contain seed oils like the Sir Kensington avocado oil mayo.
Suggestions
- Serve as a side with any of your favourite protein.
- We love this as a side dish when having a BBQ. It’s great to take as a side when attending family or friend get togethers.
Equipment
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You may need –
- The best thing about this recipe is there is no need for any special equipment, just use a large pot or saucepan you have at home to cook the swedes.
Keto Potato Salad
The thing that makes this keto potato salad so good is the bacon, onion and mayo. The bacon adds a saltiness and wonderful texture that is essential to making this keto potato salad so good. The caramelised onions add a sweetness and the mayo binds it all together. Those three ingredients tossed through the swedes really is just the perfect combination.
If you like this recipe, please give it a 5 star rating.
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Ingredients
- 4 swedes (rutabaga), medium-sized (approx 1kg)
- 150 g streaky bacon, chopped
- 1 red onion, sliced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper
- fresh parsley leaves or chives to garnish
Instructions
- Peel the swedes, remove the ends and chop into 1cm dice
- Place the swedes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cover. Cook until the swede is tender, which takes about 35-40 minutes
- While the swedes are cooking, heat a frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chopped bacon for 7-8 minutes, until it is browned and crispy
- Remove the bacon pieces from the pan leaving the bacon fat behind and turn the heat down to medium-low. Place the bacon pieces in a large bowl and set aside
- Add the sliced onions to the pan with the ¼ teaspoon of salt and cook for 15 minutes stirring regularly. You may need to moderate the heat element while it is cooking to ensure it does not get too high and brown too much. We want them to cook slowly and caramelise.
- Add the cooked onions to the bacon and set aside while the swedes continue to cook
- Once the swedes are cook strain them and allow them to sit in a strainer for 5 minutes to dry slightly
- After the swedes have drained, add them to the bacon and onions and toss to combine
- Add the mayonnaise to the swedes and stir through. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary
- Cover and place in the fridge until completely cold. When you remove it from the fridge you will need to stir it again, and you can add more mayonnaise at this point depending on how you like your potato salad
- Serve cold and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or chives
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