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Enjoy my easy, creamy vegan macaroni salad, made with fresh, wholesome ingredients. Naturally gluten-free and perfect for picnics and barbecues, it delivers all the classic deli-style flavors you love-only healthier, thanks to its plant-based twist. The homemade dressing takes it to the next level, making it truly irresistible!
The classic dressing for macaroni salad traditionally uses a mayo type base, so I set out to find a way to make a macaroni salad without mayo, but still have the same tangy creamy flavor that mayo brings.
I nailed it, and when mixed with the al-dente pasta, sauteed peppers, and crunchy veggies, it is spot on. I don't even think it's a stretch to call this the best vegan macaroni salad recipe ever!
If you love pasta salads as much as I do, be sure to also check out my flavorful vegan orzo salad and my gluten-free pasta salad with olives and herbs.
🥘 Ingredients
Making vegan macaroni salad without mayo really only requires a few extra ingredients, for a healthy, whole-foods based dish. Here is what I use:
Salad Base
Macaroni Noodles: The classic pasta shape for macaroni salad is in the name, macaroni! However, you can also use other shapes if you want, and call it vegan creamy pasta salad instead!
Veggies: I like to use a combination of orange, yellow and red bell peppers, onion, celery, and pickles to add a variety of colors, flavor, and texture to the salad. Feel free to use any veggies you like (see my variations section below for more mix-in ideas!)
Salt & Pepper: To enhance the natural taste of the vegetables, I use a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Creamy Dressing
Cashews, Potatoes, & White Beans: I love this combination! These 3 ingredients blend together into the most amazing creamy base. I like using this instead of vegan mayo because it has more protein and whole food nutrition from the cashews and white beans.
Pickle Juice: I use this to add a delicious balance of saltiness, tang, and subtle sweetness.
Seasonings: I use salt, garlic, and ground mustard seed to achieve the ultimate mayonnaise flavor without any egg!
🔪 How To Make Vegan Macaroni Salad
This is a fairly simple recipe that requires 3 main parts to be made, then mixed together and you're done! Here is how I make my healthy vegan macaroni salad:
Cook The Pasta: I start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions. Once it's done, I drain the noodles, rinse it under cold water, and add it to a large bowl.
Sauté The Sweet Pepper: While the pasta cooks, I sauté the chopped sweet pepper over medium heat with a bit of veggie broth (or oil) and a dash of salt. It takes about 5-7 minutes to get nice and soft.
Prepare The Veggies: While the pepper cooks, I place the celery, red onion, dill pickles, pickle juice, and black pepper in the large bowl, ready for mixing.
Make The Creamy Dressing: Next, I whip up the creamy dressing by blending all the dressing ingredients until it's smooth and silky.
Combine Everything: I add the creamy dressing to the bowl with the pasta and veggies, then mix it all together. I taste it to adjust the seasoning-I usually need an extra ½ teaspoon of salt.
Chill The Salad: I place the salad in the fridge while I clean up, letting it chill so the flavors can fully marinate.
Garnish & Enjoy: Once it's cold and ready, I garnish it with my favorite toppings and dig in!
📖 Variations
Whenever I want to switch things up from this classic version, I make a few simple changes:
Gluten-Free Option: In order to make this a gluten free macaroni salad, all you need to do is use gluten-free pasta. For this cold-pasta recipe, I recommend choosing a gluten-free pasta that keeps its texture in the fridge and doesn't get mushy. The only brand I've found that works is Bionaturae gluten free pasta.
Other Mix-Ins: You can definitely change this up to make it your own. The ingredients I use here are to capture that spot on deli flavor, but you can add in even more. Load up this vegan macaroni salad with vegetables, herbs, and more for added flavor and nutrition. Here are some of my top ideas:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Olives
- Green onions
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Tomato
- Peas
- Fresh dill
- Fresh parsley
- Cubed or shredded cheese - plant based or standard
- Hard boiled eggs (this would make this a recipe for vegetarian macaroni salad)
- Meat eaters can add in chopped bacon, salami, or ham
🍽 Serving Suggestions
There are so many amazing dishes that go with my dairy free macaroni salad! I literally can have it with anything but generally, think picnics and barbecues. Here are some of our faves:
🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating
Refrigeration: I store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be best to eat within 2-3 days, but safe to eat for up to 5. It will keep out of the refrigerator longer than the traditional mayo filled kind, but I don't let it sit out for more than a few hours. Let's be honest, chilled macaroni salad always tastes better than room temperature!
Freezing: I usually don't freeze this dish as it won't be quite as good once defrosted. The texture usually changes. I find it best to mix up the dressing and freeze that separately. When I am ready to serve, I simply defrost the dressing, give it another blend if it has separated, then mix with the pasta and veggies.
❓Recipe FAQs
CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, you sure can! Here are my suggestions for when you want to make this in advance.
* Make the vegan macaroni salad dressing and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
* Chop the veggies and keep together in the fridge for up to 3 days.
* Sauté the peppers up to 3 days in advance.
* The pasta can be boiled up to 2 days ahead of time.
* Day of serving, mix everything and go!
* You can also completely make the macaroni salad, but I suggest doing so only a day or so ahead of time since it will start to get soggy.
DO I NEED TO LET MY PASTA COOL BEFORE MAKING THIS SALAD?
No, it's not necessary to let the pasta cool before assembling the salad-unless you're using certain gluten-free varieties. However, once the salad is assembled, I do recommend that you let it cool slightly before placing it in the fridge.
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