This vegan macaroni salad is bursting with all the good stuff: Crisp red onion, crunchy celery and carrots, sweet red peppers, and a cool and creamy dressing.
The dressing is really what makes this noodle salad. It is the perfect combination of tangy, sweet, and just plain delicious. It’s a classic perfect side dish that is a crowd pleaser at any cookout, BBQ, picnic, potluck, basically anytime you need a good dish to share.
Does the perfect pasta salad exist? This classic vegan macaroni salad comes pretty close!
Free from: Dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, corn, sesame, lupin, sulfites, tomatoes, and more
Options on how to make this recipe free from: Celery, Gluten, Nightshades, and Refined Sugars
This family favorite recipe mixes up in just about 30 minutes!
Looking for more summer classics? Check out this lemony vegan potato salad, simple brown sugar baked beans , vegan strawberry shortcake, and gluten free angel food cake.
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Why You’ll Love this Macaroni Salad
- Classic recipe made allergy friendly!
- Easy to mix together
- Perfect to make ahead and take to events
- Simple side dish
- Dairy free, egg free, soy free, nut free, and more!
Ingredients
Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. See the substitutions below for how to adapt this to your food allergy needs!
- Noodles: Use your favorite macaroni noodle, and you can totally use gluten free noodles if that is what you need. Banza pasta is made with chickpeas for extra protein and is gluten free. It’s a favorite around here. To shake things up, try out a different shape like spirals or bow ties!
- Veggies: I love using the classic vegetables like red onion, red bell pepper, and celery. Since so many people are allergic to peanuts, I avoid peas since the proteins can cause a cross reaction. But if you love green peas and know they are safe, you can totally add them. In place of peas, I add shredded carrots for a sweet crunch. The crunchy veggies really helps to make the best macaroni salad.
- Dressing: The base of this dressing is a good vegan mayonnaise. My favorite brand is Sir Kensington’s but Trader Joe’s also has a good one and there are so many more that are great. Add to this some sugar, apple cider vinegar, pickle relish, yellow mustard, and herbs and spices like onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried dill.
Optional topping ingredients: Green onions, green peas, fresh chives, more fresh dill, more fresh herbs of your choice.
Allergy Substitutions
If you are avoiding mustard, simply omit the teaspoon of yellow mustard.
Want to make this refined sugar free? Replace the white sugar with either coconut sugar or maple syrup. You still want something sweet to balance out all of the tang but these unrefined sugars are lower glycemic index options.
To make this gluten free, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta. I really like Banza pasta with the extra protein from the chickpeas.
If you are avoiding nightshades, remove the red bell pepper and replace it with a vegetable like small broccoli florets or corn kernels.
Need to avoid celery? Remove the celery from the recipe and replace with jicama slices, fennel slices, or more carrots.
Instructions
For the full instructions complete with ingredient measurements, please see the recipe card below!
Making any kind of noodle salad or pasta salad is pretty similar and fairly simple.
First up, boil the noodles that you are using according to package instructions. While elbow pasta is traditional, you can use any small to medium sized noodle that you like.
Tip! Cook the noodles until they are al dente in firmness. The dressing will soak into the noodles and will turn super soggy if you let them cook until soft.
When the noodles are done, drain and rinse the noodles in cold water. This stops the cooking process and makes mixing it all together a bit easier. Set them aside while you work on the dressing and vegetables.
While the noodles are cooking, mix up the dressing. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, sweet relish, and all the herbs and spices. Give it a quick taste and adjust for seasoning as needed. This makes a super creamy sauce.
Tip! I sometimes like to add an extra spoonful of pickle juice from the relish as well just to give it a bit more tang!
Wash and chop all the vegetables into similar, small, bite sized pieces. Add them to a large mixing bowl when done.
Now add the cooked noodles to the large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Pour the dressing on top and mix until fully combined. Give it another taste for seasoning to adjust. That’s it! Enjoy!
FAQs
You can serve it in both styles! Enjoying it warm just after making it tastes great. However, I prefer it after it has chilled and the dressing gets a chance to sink into the noodles a bit. But both are great!
How to Store and Make Ahead
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
To make ahead, mix up the dressing the day before you need it. Chop and prep all the vegetables and store in a container. The day before the event, cook the noodles according to direction and mix the dressing and veggies with the noodles. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
My family thinks that this salad tastes even better the next day, so don't be afraid to make it in advance.
More Classic Summer Recipes
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Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pot
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 lbs macaroni noodles
- 2 cups red pepper chopped, about 2 red peppers
- ½ red onion
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 cup carrots grated or cut into small bites
Dressing
- 1 cup vegan mayo I used Sir Kensington’s
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish i used mt olive
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard optional
- 1 teaspoon dill dried
Instructions
- Cook the noodles. In a large pot of salted water, cook the noodles according to package directions. For most noodles, this should be around 10 to 12 minutes. Drain them and rinse under cold water. Set them aside.
- Prep the vegetables. While the noodles are cooking, wash and chop the celery, red pepper, red onion, and carrots. Make these into small, bite side pieces. Place them in a large mixing bowl and set them aside.
- Mix the dressing. Next, in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Give it a taste and adjust for seasoning as needed.
- Combine and serve. Finally, it’s time to combine everything into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top and mix. Give it a taste again and adjust for seasoning one final time. After chilling, you may need an additional spoonful of vegan mayo to make the dressing creamy again. Just add one spoonful and mix into the entire noodle salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store and Make Ahead
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- To make ahead, mix up the dressing the day before you need it. Chop and prep all the vegetables and store in a container. The day before the event, cook the noodles according to direction and mix the dressing and veggies with the noodles. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Allergy Substitutions
- If you are avoiding mustard, simply omit the teaspoon of yellow mustard.
- Want to make this refined sugar free? Replace the white sugar with either coconut sugar or maple syrup. You still want something sweet to balance out all of the tang but these unrefined sugars are lower glycemic index options.
- To make this gluten free, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta. I really like Banza pasta with the extra protein from the chickpeas.
- If you are avoiding nightshades, remove the red bell pepper and replace it with a vegetable like small broccoli florets or corn kernels.
- Need to avoid celery? Remove the celery from the recipe and replace with jicama slices, fennel slices, or more carrots.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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