The result is a delicious summer salad with a cooling crunch and luscious creaminess. You can make it ahead and serve it as a main or side dish for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Macaroni salad dressing
How to make macaroni salad
Serving suggestions
Questions
Tips
Storage
More pasta salads
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This recipe is an American classic born from the intersection of two cuisines: Italian cuisine, where immigrants brought over macaroni to the US. And German cuisine, rich in creamy mayonnaise-based sauces with a sweet and tangy taste. There are three main components to make a delicious macaroni salad: While this recipe is heavily inspired by classic macaroni salad, we made a few modifications to make it more balanced, nutritious, and delicious. Other shapes that work well are fusilli, rotini, and ditalini.
Frozen peas
We include frozen peas to add a naturally sweet flavor, bright green color, and fulfilling protein. You can cook the frozen peas in the same pot with the pasta.
Bell pepper
Crunchy red bell pepper is best; cut into small pieces. Substitute halved cherry tomatoes or yellow bell pepper for red bell pepper.
Celery
Celery adds crunch and freshness, and we love it in macaroni salad. Cut it into small pieces. Substitute thinly sliced radishes for celery.
Red onion
The red onion should be finely chopped. Substitute shallots or green onions for red onion.
Carrot
The carrot adds color and sweetness. You can grate it with the large holes of a box grater. Substitute corn for carrots.
Pickle cucumber
You can add dill pickles, sour pickles, or sweet pickles, chopped into small pieces. Substitute sweet pickle relish, capers, or olives for pickles.
Mayonnaise: you can use vegan mayo or regular mayo. Greek yogurt: substitute with unsweetened non-dairy yogurt to make the recipe vegan. Apple cider vinegar: substitute red wine or white wine vinegar. Mustard: you can use yellow American mustard or Dijon mustard. Sugar: optional, but we think a little sugar makes this recipe more authentic. Garlic powder. Salt and black pepper.
Halfway through cooking, add frozen peas to the pasta in the same pot. When the pasta is cooked, drain them, rinse them under cold water for 15 seconds, and add them to a large bowl. Note: rinsing the pasta under cold water for a few seconds is essential to prevent it from overcooking. Don’t rinse for more than 15 seconds, or you’ll remove flavor. While the pasta cooks, make the dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Add shredded carrots, diced bell pepper, finely chopped red onion, chopped celery, chopped pickles, and the dressing to the bowl with the pasta. Stir until well combined and enjoy immediately or store in the fridge, covered with a plate or in an airtight container.
BBQ tofu (probably the best tofu you’ll ever have). Barbecue sauce (ketchup, smoked paprika, mustard, sugar, soy sauce, etc.) Grilled tofu (tofu slices, olive oil, sesame seeds, smoked paprika, etc.) Grilled zucchini (zucchini olive oil, garlic, basil, salt, etc.) Microwave sweet potato (sweet potato, butter, sage, salt, etc.)
Grilled Zucchini
BBQ Sauce
Grilled Tofu
BBQ Tofu
Refrigerator: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezer: we don’t recommend freezing macaroni salad.
Creamy pasta salad (pasta, corn, olives, bell pepper, white beans, mayonnaise, etc.) Chickpea pasta salad (chickpeas, cherry tomato, olives, corn, pasta, etc.) Pesto pasta salad (basil pesto, green beans, bowtie pasta, cherry tomatoes, etc.) Vegan pasta salad (white beans, pasta, corn, red onion, lemon basil, olives, etc.)
Vegan Pasta Salad
Creamy Pasta Salad
Pesto Pasta Salad
Chickpea Pasta Salad
Dill potato salad (potato, radish, celery, Greek-style yogurt, dill, pickles, etc.) Coleslaw (cabbage, carrot, parsley, yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, etc.) Red cabbage slaw (red cabbage, carrot, parsley, vinegar, mayonnaise, etc.) Broccoli salad (broccoli, sundried tomatoes, red onion, mayonnaise, vinegar, etc.)
For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.
Dill Potato Salad
Broccoli Salad
Coleslaw
Red Cabbage Slaw
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The result is a delicious summer salad with a cooling crunch and luscious creaminess. You can make it ahead and serve it as a main or side dish for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues.” player-type=”default” override-embed=”default”]
