This creamy macaroni salad recipe has fresh veggies combined with elbow pasta, then add a dressing of mayonnaise and sour cream with some mustard, garlic & vinegar for zing. So good!
Creamy Macaroni Salad is just the dish you need for the upcoming holiday season. Quick and easy to make, perfect for a barbecue or potluck.
My recipe may differ from others you may have read because it doesn’t call for any added sugar. I’m not a big fan of adding sugar to my savoury dishes, I leave it out wherever I can.
Ingredients you will need to make creamy macaroni salad
- Elbow pasta / macaroni – (cooked & cooled)
- Shallots / scallions / green onions – (finely sliced)
- Red capsicum / bell pepper – (finely diced)
- Carrot – (grated)
- Red / spanish onion – (finely chopped, see my “top tips” below)
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream – I used low fat
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder
- White wine vinegar
- Fine salt
See recipe card for quantities and detailed instructions.
How to make creamy macaroni salad
- Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, dijon mustard, garlic powder, vinegar & salt in a small bowl – see Image 1.
- Mix well to combine, then set aside – this will be our creamy dressing for the macaroni salad – see Image 2.
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- Image 1.
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- Image 2.
- In another bowl, combine the shallots, red capsicum, carrot, and red onion along with cooked and drained pasta – see Image 3.
- Mix to combine – see Image 4.
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- Image 3.
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- Image 4.
- Add creamy dressing to pasta mixture – see Image 5.
- Mix everything to combine, then taste test for salt and serve – see Image 6.
My top tips for making this creamy macaroni salad recipe
- I like to rinse the slices of red onion under cold running water then dry them with kitchen towel before I finish chopping them, this takes some of the bite out of the raw onion – totally optional.
- If red onion isn’t your thing you could substitute finely chopped celery.
- I suggest assembling this salad just before serving, because as it sits the pasta will start to soak up the dressing. You can still make it ahead of time, just add the creamy dressing just before serving.
Other salad recipes you make like
Caprese pesto pasta salad – the traditional taste of caprese salad, with an extra flavour boost from basil pesto and prosciutto.
Pumpkin avocado feta salad – a tasty combination of sweet pumpkin, creamy avocado, sharp lemony feta & topped with crunchy pine nuts.
Carrot and orange salad – Carrot Orange Salad – a fresh orange salad recipe with sweet dates and fresh herbs, plus a video showing how to segment oranges.
Cucumber tomato avocado salad – a crunchy side with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado & cilantro (coriander) with a sour cream dressing & a hint of chilli.
Creamy Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 250 g elbow pasta / macaroni ½ lb
- ½ cup shallots / green onions / scallions approx 4 - finely sliced
- 1 cup finely diced red capsicum / bell pepper
- 1 cup grated carrot (see my notes)
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion / spanish onion (see my notes)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream I use low fat
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp fine salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta (250g / ½lb) according to packet directions, then drain and set aside to cool.
- Combine mayonnaise (½ cup), sour cream (½ cup), dijon mustard (3 tsp), garlic powder (½ tsp), vinegar (2 tsp) & salt (½ tsp) in a small bowl and mix well to combine then set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the shallots (½ cup), red capsicum (1 cup), carrot (1 cup), and red onion (¼ cup) along with the cooled pasta and mix.
- Add creamy dressing to pasta mixture, then give everything a good mix to combine. Add more salt if needed, and serve.
Notes
- I have grated the carrot using a standard box grater.
- I like to rinse the slices of red onion under cold running water then dry them with kitchen towel before I finish chopping them, this takes some of the bite out of the raw onion - totally optional.
- If red onion isn't your thing you could substitute finely chopped celery.
- I suggest assembling this salad just before serving, because as it sits the pasta will start to soak up the dressing. You can still make it ahead of time, just add the creamy dressing just before serving.
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