BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: 5 Comments UPDATED ON:
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Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe for potlucks and parties. This is a vegan macaroni salad that tastes just as good as the old fashion pasta salad recipes if not better!
Macaroni salad is a classic side dish for parties and holidays. Add a scoop of this vegan side dish to your plate and you would never know that it is vegan! This recipe is best made in advance so the flavors can develop for a few hours. It’s an affordable salad that everyone loves.
macaroni salad recipe ingredients:
- elbow macaroni
- red pepper
- orange pepper
- yellow pepper
- celery
- red onion
- mustard
- vegan mayo
- vinegar
- salt + pepper
how to make macaroni salad
- Start by boiling the pasta.
- While the pasta is boiling you can take this time to prep the veggies. You can chop the veggies up as small or as big as you like. Just try to ensure they’re all the same size so someone isn’t getting a huge bite of onion or a huge bite of pepper out of nowhere.
- Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water once its fully cooked and place into a large bowl.
- Add in the peppers, onions, celery, mayo, mustard, mayo, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
- Toss to combine and allow the pasta salad to sit in the fridge to chill before serving.
Can you make this Easy Macaroni Salad ahead of time?
Absolutely, and we recommend it too! You can serve this pasta salad at room temperature, but macaroni salad is best enjoyed cold. That’s what makes this an easy macaroni salad, you can prep it in advance and have it ready when needed.
What’s the best vegan mayo?
We recommend Just Mayo or Hellmann’s. Both make a delicious vegan mayonnaise that even those who aren’t vegan enjoy.
More vegan recipes to try:
- Vegan Coleslaw
- Vegan Potato Salad
Tips for making the BEST Vegan Macaroni Salad
- This recipe is full of color, but we did leave out the green pepper. You can also add in green pepper if you’d like, but just remember that green peppers are a bit more bitter than colored peppers as they are picked before they can ripen into orange, yellow, or red.
- Use any small pasta you like, from shells, elbows, even rotini makes for a great macaroni salad.
- If you want more color you can add in fresh herbs.
- We use white vinegar in this recipe, but you can use apple cider vinegar as well, just know that it is stronger. Another great option is freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Cook the pasta until it’s al-dente. You don’t want a mushy pasta. About 7-8 minutes in boiling water should be good.
Easy Macaroni Salad
Author: Courtney
Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe for potlucks and parties. This is a vegan macaroni salad that tastes just as good as the old fashion pasta salad recipes if not better!
5 from 10 votes
(click stars to vote)
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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 328kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: macaroni salad, vegan mayo
Ingredients
- 1 box macaroni
- 2 celery stalks chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 cup peppers any color, chopped
- 1/2 cup small red onion chopped
- 1 cup mayo vegan
- 1/8 cup vinegar
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large pot cook the macaroni.
While the macaroni is cooking chop the celery, peppers, and onions.
Drain the pasta when fully cooked, rinse and place pasta into a large bowl.
Add the cut vegetables, mayo, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the macaroni salad, cover and refrigerate.
Serve the macaroni salad cold.
Notes
Like all pasta salads, this macaronisalad is best when made a few hours in advance so the flavors can fully develop.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Easy Macaroni Salad
Amount per Serving
Calories
328
% Daily Value*
Fat
17
g
26
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Cholesterol
9
mg
3
%
Sodium
155
mg
7
%
Potassium
163
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
35
g
12
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
2
g
2
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
105
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
12.8
mg
16
%
Calcium
18
mg
2
%
Iron
0.7
mg
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
full nutrition disclaimer
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this recipe?Tag us on social media using @knowyourproduce and or use #knowyourproduce!
you may also like:
- Vegan Tuna Pasta Salad
- Vegan Tuna Salad – Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Simple Traditional Stuffing from Scratch
More Side Dish Recipes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Green BeansAlmondine
About Courtney
Fruit and Veggie lover. I love making produce fun and delicious, not to mention taking tons of pictures in the process! :-)
Reader Interactions
Comments
Allison Swain The cutting boards look nice! The recipe sounds and looks so beautiful and delicious. Such a clean looking salad. I will be trying it out soon! Thank you 🙂
Reply
- Alexandra Young
I have been on the hunt for a new cutting board that will last me a while. I love the simple but beautiful look of these cutting boards! Thank you for sharing this macaroni salad. I love how simple it is to make!
Reply
- Annie @Maebells
YUM! Oh how I love a good pasta salad!! This looks amazing!
Reply
- ellen casper
The pasta salad looks yummy – love all the colors!
Reply
- Shelley
This was so good, the kids loved it as well!
Thank you!Reply
