Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe (2024)

Macaroni Salad is a creamy, cheesy pasta salad. It has my favorite elbow pasta (macaroni), fresh summer veggies, cheese, and a creamy dressing that makes everything taste so good. A perfect side dish for the summer BBQ or a family picnic.

Have you ever wished to chow loads of pasta with veggies? This simple macaroni salad is the answer to all your carb-laden dreams wrapped with colorful vegetables.

It is a purely vegetarian, kid-friendly salad that is perfect for outdoor picnics or as a BBQ side dish for large gatherings.

Make it a few hours before serving, keep it in the fridge to chill and last-minute simply serve in style.

This salad recipe could be a game-changer for all the macaroni that’s stashed away in your kitchen waiting for a cheat day to arrive.

Pin

The Vegetables

Macaroni can be paired with a variety of crunchy veggies to yield a very sensorial salad. The softness of its texture makes it a perfect accompaniment to the crunch of vegetables.

As with any salad, the golden rule is to use fresh and crunchy vegetables.

Nothing can ever make up for wilted greens or dried-up old tomatoes when you’re putting together a salad. Remember, it’s all about freshness.

Start off with choosing your vegetables for the salad: Red bell pepper, green capsicum, yellow bell pepper, purple cabbage, regular cabbage, broccoli, sweet and tender carrots, bright red cherry tomatoes, boiled sweet corn, olives, onions, cucumber… whatever you fancy.

You can add some greens like parsley, coriander, kale, baby spinach, mint, or basil leaves. Basil leaves pair very well with any kind of pasta salad.

For a sweet and savory pasta salad, pineapple, apple, or blueberries are also a great addition.

The Protein

In case you want to add some kind of protein to your pasta salad, then here are a few interesting choices:

Add in some cooked tofu chunks or some extra firm fried tofu to the salad (vegan)

Try macaroni salad with eggs it tastes amazing

Small cubes of boiled chicken or slices of cooked sausages can be added

Garnish with some fried crisp bacon for a great texture and taste

If you are a seafood lover, add pan-grilled prawns to the salad

The Salad Dressing

The deal-breaker for this heavenly pasta salad is a finger-licking good dressing.

Hope you know about my 6 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes. We have used the classic Italian dressing for this macaroni salad. Or you can use my vegan cashew sauce as a base for the dressing to make a dairy-free pasta salad.

Here is what you need for making the salad dressing:

• plain mayonnaise
• white wine vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• lemon juice
• parmesan cheese
• crushed/grated or garlic powder
• salt and black pepper
• oregano

Pin

Serving Suggestion

One really doesn’t need an excuse to make this pasta salad because it’s that addictive. But if you’re looking for inspiration, here are some ideas:

Serve macaroni salad as a side with some whole wheat sandwiches for office lunch or for kid’s school lunchbox (it’s guaranteed to come back licked clean).

Take it on a summer family picnic or potluck.

Pasta Salad makes an excellent choice for the high tea party.

Storage Suggestion

If the macaroni salad is stored in the fridge in an airtight container, it can last for 3 – 5 days.

Avoid adding salt before refrigeration so that vegetables don’t release their juices and the salad remains fresh.

At room temperature, salad packed with cheese and mayonnaise spoil very fast. It is best to consume it within 2 hours.

You can use the leftover boiled macaroni pasta to make my Indian-style masala macaroni stir fry pasta or the classic minestrone soup.

More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

Basil Pesto Pasta

Makhani Sauce Pasta

Vegetable Stir-Fry Pasta

20 Minute Red Sauce Spaghetti

Instant Pot Pumpkin Sauce Pasta

Subscribe to ourweekly newsletteror follow us onYoutubefor video recipes.

If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.