Macaroni Salad
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This macaroni salad is a fresh spin on the old-school classic. A few simple upgrades to the creamy dressing dial up the flavor, while a generous mix of crisp veggies adds color and crunch. It’s bright, refreshing, and just the thing for warm-weather cookouts or picnics.
Macaroni salad is a must-have side dish at summer picnics, BBQs, and potlucks—right alongside coleslaw and a classic potato salad. This one has all the appeal of the old-school version, but with a few updates to make it even better. I’ve added sour cream, Dijon mustard, and fresh basil to the dressing and loads of crisp veggies to the salad—the sour cream and mustard add a slight tang, while the basil and veggies bring in welcome summer flavor.
The secret to the perfect creamy texture is thinning the dressing with a bit of water so it coats the pasta without getting too clingy. Keep in mind that the dressing thickens and is absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits, so while you can prep all the components ahead, it’s best to toss everything together right before serving. This macaroni salad recipe pairs nicely with steakhouse burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, baby back ribs, or grilled BBQ chicken.
“This is my go to macaroni salad…I make it with different veggies each time depending what I have and it’s always good.”
What You’ll Need To Make Macaroni Salad
- Elbow macaroni, cavatappi, cellantani, farfalle, or fusilli pasta: These shapes are ideal for pasta salad because their ridges, twists, and curves hold onto the creamy dressing and other ingredients, ensuring every bite is flavorful. Their small, bite-sized pieces also make them easy to eat.
- Mayonnaise: Forms the base of the creamy dressing. Be sure to use a good-quality brand, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy creaminess that complements the mayo.
- Sugar: Balances out the tanginess with a touch of sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Provides a subtle tang and depth of flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity and brightness to the dressing.
- Water: Helps thin the dressing to achieve the perfect consistency.
- Onion powder: Lends a mild onion flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Carrots, Celery, And Red Bell Peppers: These veggies add color, sweetness, and crunch.
- Scallions: These green onions lend a mild onion flavor and nice pop of green.
- Fresh basil: Adds fresh, herby flavor that brightens up the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. You can be generous with the salt. Salting the water seasons the pasta from within which will add flavor to the salad. Cook the pasta until tender according to package directions, about 1 minute past al dente. While it boils, prep the veggies. When it’s finished cooking, drain the pasta and let it cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder until smooth. Whisking the dressing separately ensures it’s completely smooth and evenly seasoned before it coats the pasta and vegetables.
Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the bowl.
Stir until evenly combined. Serve immediately or let sit for up to an hour at room temperature. The dressing will thicken a bit as it sits. If you’d like to get a head start, the dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead, and the pasta, veggies, and basil can all be prepped a day in advance. Just be sure to store each component separately.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni, cavatappi, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1¼ teaspoons salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup finely diced or grated carrots, from 1 to 2 carrots
- ¾ cup finely diced celery, from 2 to 3 celery stalks
- 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, finely diced
- 6 scallions, light and dark green parts, finely sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until tender (about 1 minute past al dente). Drain and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the bowl and stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the salad immediately or let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature before serving. (Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken and get absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits.)
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; the pasta, vegetables, and basil can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Before serving, bring all of the components to room temperature. Add the dressing to a large bowl and whisk to loosen, then stir in the pasta, vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve.
- Update Note: In response to feedback from readers, this recipe was retested and updated on &frac73;/22 to include less sugar.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Calories: 336
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 268 mg
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I did add some chopped hard boiled eggs to mine. Delicious.
WAY better!! Made this last night and cut down the sugar as others suggested. It was just amazing. I haven’t had one of these in years as they were so awful. This was perfect for a hot night meal. Will be using this often during the summer. And other times as well. Thank you Jenn for bringing back some wonderful memories with an even better taste!
Excellent! Didn’t have any fresh basil so I substituted dried. I’m sure fresh would have put it over the top. Looking forward to making this part of my regular rotation.
I haven’t made macaroni salad in a really, long time! Way back when – I made a mayo, tuna, and peas version. However, when I quit smoking the taste of tuna was overwhelmingly strong and I couldn’t stomach it anymore. I was excited to see this recipe posted because it seemed to resemble the ‘wet dressing’ type you sometimes see in a deli case except a whole lot fresher! So, I made it last night for a delayed Father’s Day get together along with your Grilled BBQ Chicken. The salad was truly a hit with everyone and there were comments about how nice it was to have a light and fresh macaroni salad versus a heavier, mayo-laden one. It was also agreed the added vegetables and basil really took it to another level. Maybe just a tad too sweet so I’ll cut the sugar just a bit next time, but that’s simply individual preference. Definitely a keeper and it definitely won’t be long before I make this one again. Thanks, Jenn!
Hi Jenn – just curious, why cool to room temperature instead of rinsing with cold water. This would also stop cooking process.
Thanks. Chuck
Hi Chuck, I’m just not in the habit of rinsing my pasta but it’s perfectly fine to do that here if you’d like. Hope you enjoy!
I am looking forward to making this recipe, but I can’t tell how much sugar. My recipe shows a box with an X inside of it next to the sugar. Please explain the amount of sugar to use.
Hi Linda, I’m sorry there’s an X showing up there! Can you tell me what browser you’re using? You’ll need 1/3 cup of sugar. Hope you enjoy it!
I will never “just use mayo” again! The veggies and dressing make this the best! I did go a bit lighter on the sugar as I was afraid of the sweetness factor…but this actually had flavor! So good.
Like this but thought dressing was way too sweet. I will reduce sugar next time as 1/3 c seems too much
Delicious! The combination of tasty dressing, crunchy vegetables, and fresh basil really take this macaroni salad to the next level. It’s a perfect complement to grilled summer dinners. Thanks for another great recipe!
This was wonderful! Neither my husband nor myself were originally big fans of macaroni salad, but this has changed our minds! The dressing is a little tart, and not as heavy as all-mayo versions. We especially liked all the vegetables in this recipe. Nice!