Best Vegan Macaroni Salad

5 from 3 votes

Elbow macaroni, mixed with your choice of veggies, lightly dressed in a creamy homemade dressing. Beautiful, delicious, and the ideal side dish or light lunch.

Course Salad

Cuisine Vegan

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings Servings

Calories 210kcal

Author Ligia Lugo

Ingredients

16 ounces elbow macaroni
½ cup red onion - finely diced
¾ cup red bell pepper - diced, about ½ bell pepper
½ cup celery - diced, 2 stalks
¾ cup carrot - matchstick shape and chopped
¾ cup frozen peas

Dressing

1 cup dairy free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard - buy a vegan variety
2 tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped
salt and pepper - to taste, start with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. You'll probably need more salt

Instructions

Boil pasta according to directions on box to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, chop and dice the vegetables and add to a large bowl.
When the pasta is done, rinse thoroughly in cold water and then add the same a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing and mix until smooth.
Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and mix to coat well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 4 days.

Video

Notes

The salad should make about 8 cups when finished. So each serving is based on about ½ cup each.

If you think everyone will eat about a cup each then the salad will serve 8 and double the calories.

Before you start making your pasta salad, here are five mistakes to avoid:

Use the right size and shape of pasta – while fresh pasta may look appealing and you may think it is better, for this dish you will want to avoid it. Fresh pasta does not hold up quite so well, and with stirring, you will get a soggy mess. Choose small pasta instead of linguine or spaghetti. Choose pasta with plenty of nooks and crannies – elbow, penne or fusilli are ideal as their little folds and pockets provide plenty of space to trap dressing and herbs.
Cook your pasta properly – the pasta is the star of this dish, so make sure it is cooked right. Overcooked pasta will result in a mushy salad, while if you take the pasta off the stove too soon, you will end up with too tough noodles. The important thing to remember is that the past becomes chewy as it cools. Since it is not being served with warm sauce, the pasta in this recipe will benefit from an extra minute of cooking.
Season your pasta properly – unlike warm meals, the flavor in cold dishes may be more muted. Therefore, add an extra pinch of seasoning.
Dressing pasta at the right time – some think it is important to cool the pasta before drying it. There is no reason to do that. If you do, you are missing out on an even more flavorful pasta salad. Add ⅔ of the dressing to the warm pasta and the remaining once it cools down.
Do not make it too far in advance – while the pasta will stay good for a couple of days in the fridge, it is best to make it the day or the day before you plan to eat it.

How to store pasta salad?

To maximize freshness, store the pasta salad in an airtight container for about 3 days. You can also freeze the past salad, by placing it in an appropriate freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve thaw overnight.

Can I change something in the recipe?

This pasta salad is a perfect dish, but if you do not like some ingredients, you can avoid them or substitute them with something other.

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