If you're trying to limit or eliminate your potato intake but love potato salad, this Low FODMAP Keto Hearts of Palm Faux Potato Salad or "Fauxtato" Salad is a must try! Using low FODMAP, low carb hearts of palm in place of potatoes, this "fauxtato" salad is both low FODMAP and blood sugar-friendly and still has the creamy, tangy flavors of a classic potato salad. A low FODMAP low carb side dish ideal for summer picnics, barbecues, and potlucks, this faux potato salad is also Keto, low carb, Paleo, Whole30, and dairy-free. If you're looking for a "regular" low FODMAP potato salad recipe, try my Low FODMAP Instant Pot Potato Salad. If you prefer German potato salad, try my Low FODMAP Instant Pot German Potato Salad.
Jump to:
- Why Low FODMAP Faux Potato Salad? Aren't potatoes low FODMAP?
- What are hearts of palm?
- Are hearts of palm low FODMAP?
- Where can I get hearts of palm?
- Why did I choose hearts of palm as a potato substitute?
- What do hearts of palm taste like?
- Necessary Equipment
- Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato "Fauxtato" Salad: Ingredients, FODMAP Information & Success Tips
- What can I eat this Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato Salad with?
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- Low FODMAP Keto Hearts of Palm Faux Potato Salad ("Fauxtato" Salad)
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Why Low FODMAP Faux Potato Salad? Aren't potatoes low FODMAP?
White potatoes are indeed low FODMAP. However, as a hypoglycemic, white potatoes raise my blood sugar to unhealthy levels and cause it to rapidly crash down. While many of my older recipes feature white potatoes as an ingredient, now that I know I'm hypoglycemic, I limit my intake of potatoes and other foods high in simple carbohydrates that will lead to these huge fluctuations in blood sugar. Eating Keto helps me avoid foods that are high in carbs in general, helping me to keep my blood sugar more stable.
But, I do love potato salad.
When summer rolls around, I naturally gravitate to my favorite low FODMAP summer side salads. Potato salad is one of them. Eating Keto this summer put me at a loss for what to do for potato salad. I began researching Keto-friendly potato salads, and I came across a plethora of "fauxtato salad" recipes that typically use cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes. Unfortunately, cauliflower is high in FODMAPs, so I had to find another potato substitute that is both low in FODMAPs and carbs.
Meet hearts of palm.
What are hearts of palm?
Hearts of palm are the core, or heart, of certain palm plants. You may have seen them when getting salad at the salad bar. They are eaten as a vegetable in salads and are packed full of nutrients, such as fiber, protein (rare for a vegetable), potassium, phosphorous, and other minerals. They are low in fat, carbohydrates, and in FODMAPs.
Are hearts of palm low FODMAP?
As mentioned, hearts of palm are low FODMAP. According to Monash University's low FODMAP Diet App, canned hearts of palm only contain trace amounts of FODMAPs and can be eaten freely. Hurray!
Where can I get hearts of palm?
Canned hearts of palm are available at most grocery stores in the canned vegetables aisle. Locally in BC, I find hearts of palm at Real Canadian Superstore, Walmart, and some health food stores.
Why did I choose hearts of palm as a potato substitute?
When it comes to potato substitutes that are low FODMAP AND low carb / Keto, the options are minimal. Hearts of palm are well suited as a potato substitute as they are:
- Low FODMAP
- Low carb
- Lend themselves well to salads as they are already a salad ingredient
- Are easy to source
- Are white in color like a potato
- Can be made the right size for potato salad
- Are already being used as a potato and pasta substitute, such as in Palmini products, which are ingenious
Due to these reasons you will most likely be seeing hearts of palm used as a potato or pasta substitute in many of my future low FODMAP, low carb recipes. Subscribe to be notified as soon as these recipes hit the blog!
What do hearts of palm taste like?
Canned hearts of palm have a mild flavor similar to an artichoke heart. In potato salad, the flavor of hearts of palm comes through. Therefore, this low FODMAP Keto fauxtato salad does not taste exactly the same as regular low FODMAP potato salad, nor is the texture the same.
The nice thing about canned hearts of palm is that they're tender and delicate enough not to require cooking prior to being added to fauxtato salad. They are still strong enough to maintain their shape when being stirred into the salad. When sliced, they can fall apart as they have layers, but they're still well suited for fauxtato salad.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make this Low FODMAP Keto Fauxtato Salad includes:
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Chopping board and knife
- Whisk
- Measuring spoons and cups
Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato "Fauxtato" Salad: Ingredients, FODMAP Information & Success Tips
Produce & Eggs
Hearts of Palm (the "Fauxtatos")
To start, I prepare the produce, starting with the star ingredient, canned hearts of palm. Canned hearts of palm only contain trace amounts of FODMAPs and can be eaten freely according to Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App (upon which all of the following FODMAP information is based).
While canned hearts of palm can come in a variety of ways - whole, sliced, noodled (is that a word?), etc. - we want to use whole hearts of palm so we can slice them to the perfect size similar to what they would be were they potatoes in potato salad. To do this, I first chop them in half lengthwise, being mindful to handle them gently.
Then, I chop the hearts of palm horizontally into ½-inch pieces.
As hearts of palm have layers, some of them may fall apart at some point during this process, but that's okay.
Once chopped, I add the hearts of palm and the following produce ingredients to a large bowl.
Scallions
To add oniony flavor without the FODMAPs, I add the chopped dark green parts of scallions (a.k.a. green onions), which are FODMAP-free.
Red bell pepper
As we must limit the amount of celery due to FODMAPs which is a traditional potato salad ingredient, to deliver similar crunch and texture, I add red bell pepper. While previously listed as FODMAP-free, Monash University's recent tests show red bell pepper as containing the FODMAP fructose and low FODMAP in quantities of up to ⅓ cup or 43 grams per serving. As we are adding just ½ cup across 10 servings, this is well below the tolerable amount per serving.
Celery
While high in the FODMAP mannitol, celery can still be eaten in small quantities on a low FODMAP diet in the amounts of up to about a ¼ of a medium stalk or 10 grams per serving per Monash University. We're adding 1 medium stalk across 10 servings.
Hard Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a traditional potato salad ingredient. I add three of them to this salad as they add more bulk without the carbs or FODMAPs. I don't include the cooking of them in the process of this recipe; the recipe assumes you already have them on hand. Currently, I don't have a recipe for hard boiled eggs on my site but love to cook them in my 6-quart Instant Pot using the 5-5-5 method.
Once cooled, I chop the eggs and add them to the large bowl containing the remaining chopped produce.
Using a large spoon, I gently stir the ingredients to combine.
Dressing
To make the low FODMAP Keto Fauxtato Salad dressing, I whisk together the following dressing ingredients together in a small bowl:
Avocado oil mayo
To make my low FODMAP fauxtato salad creamy like classic potato salad, I add dairy-free avocado oil mayo, but essentially any mayo can be used. Although avocados are high in FODMAPs, avocado oil and all oils in general are FODMAP-free as they do not contain carbohydrates. The Keto diet focuses primarily on eating healthy fats, such as avocado oil, so avocado oil mayo also works well for Keto.
Yellow Mustard
A traditional potato salad ingredient, Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App lists yellow mustard as low FODMAP in servings of up to 1 tablespoon or 11 grams per serving. However, you want to make sure the mustard you use does not contain garlic, onion and other high FODMAP ingredients.
Seasonings
To season the fauxtato salad, I add salt, ground black pepper, and chopped fresh dill to the dressing, all of which are low FODMAP.
White Wine Vinegar
Lastly, I add white wine vinegar to the dressing. I prefer white wine vinegar over others as its acidity is more subtle. You could potentially substitute regular white vinegar but do so to taste as the hearts of palm and other ingredients add acidity to the salad already. You don't want to make the salad too acidic by adding too much white vinegar, which has a stronger acidic flavor than white wine vinegar.
White wine vinegar hasn't yet been tested for FODMAPs but is generally thought to be. We're adding very small amount (1 teaspoon) across 10 servings.
What can I eat this Low FODMAP Keto Faux Potato Salad with?
Eat this low FODMAP Keto summer side salad alongside these low FODMAP and Keto-friendly summer main dishes:
Store
This low FODMAP Keto Fauxtato Salad is best when served within 1-2 days of making but should stay good covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Gently stir before reserving.
Low FODMAP Keto Hearts of Palm Faux Potato Salad ("Fauxtato" Salad)
Ingredients
Produce & Eggs:
- 2 14-ounce cans whole hearts of palm, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup scallions, green parts only, chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium stalk celery, finely chopped
- 3 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
Dressing:
- ½ cup avocado oil mayo, or your mayo of choice
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Prepare hearts of palm, produce and eggs. Once rinsed and drained, being mindful to handle them gently, chop hearts of palm lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices and place in a large bowl. Chop remaining produce and eggs per the list above, add to the bowl, and gently stir with a spoon to combine.
- Prepare dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, dried chives, mustard, salt, pepper, dill, and white wine vinegar.
- Cover produce with dressing. Pour the dressing onto bowl with the produce and eggs and gently stir with a large spoon to combine. While the salad can be served immediately, for the best flavor, cover and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours prior to serving.
- Serve. Serve alongside your favorite low FODMAP Keto summer mains, like my Low FODMAP Grilled Pork Chops with Lemon and Sage, Low FODMAP Italian Marinated Chicken Thighs, or my Juicy Low FODMAP Turkey Burgers.
- Store. Store leftover salad covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Stir before reserving.
Equipment
Notes
- FODMAPs: Please see post above for detailed FODMAP information on each ingredient.
- Servings: Makes ten, ½ cup servings.
- Adapted from my Low FODMAP Instant Pot Potato Salad recipe
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