The Best Vegan Macaroni Salad

Summer is on the way, and what better way to greet it than with a classic vegan macaroni salad for your first BBQ! 15 minutes from start to finish, this vegan version of a classic macaroni salad recipe will bring them back for more.

In Arizona, when the temperatures start to hit the high 70s, I think BBQ! And when I prepare to BBQ, I think classic vegan macaroni salad. Macaroni salad was my favorite BBQ salad when I was a kid. Even as a kid, I didn't care for meat, so I would load my plate with salads, fruit, and chips and skip right by the meat dish. Of course, the macaroni salad I ate as a child was full of mayo and God only knows what else. So, as with all great recipes, I 'veganized' my mom's classic macaroni salad and made this vegan macaroni salad recipe. 

Jump to:

• Easy Vegan Macaroni Salad Ingredients
• Vegan Macaroni Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Vegan Macaroni Salad
• Recipe Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Do you love Vegan Salad Recipes?
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• 💬 Reviews

Unlike most macaroni salad recipes, my mom always put peas in her macaroni salad. Now that I think about it, she probably was trying to trick us into eating peas. But it's tradition now, so I always put peas in my vegan macaroni salad. 

My mom, before becoming plant-based, always made the same macaroni salad. So, I used the same ingredients, changed up her classic mayonnaise dressing, and made my vegan version. 

Easy Vegan Macaroni Salad Ingredients

• Elbow Macaroni Noodles (Small or Large Size):I used gluten-free elbow macaroni noodles, but whole grain noodles are good as well.
• Red Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper is vibrant in color and adds sweetness to the macaroni salad.
• Green Peas: I used cooked frozen peas, but you can also use fresh peas.
• Celery: Celery adds a fresh crunch to the salad.
• Green Onions: Regarding flavor, scallions have the sharp, somewhat-spicy, peppery flavor that white and yellow onions produce. This makes them a nice substitute for small amounts of chopped onions in a pinch. On the other hand, spring onions possess a lot more sweetness, making them a good stand-in for sweet onions.
• Parsley: Fresh parsley gives the salad an extra fresh taste.
• Cashew Mayo: I made vegan cashew mayo for this recipe. However, for a nut-free, see the substitutions in the cashew mayo recipe attached.
• Yellow Mustard: Yellow mustard has a crisp, tart-and-tangy flavor. 
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is made from garlic cloves that have been dehydrated and ground into fine particles. The flavor is garlicky but vastly different than fresh-chopped garlic. It tastes sweeter and much less assertive than fresh garlic but without the caramel undertones, you get from roasted or sautéd garlic.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder is finely ground, dehydrated onion. You'll find it in the spice section of the supermarket. The pungent powder has a flavor that's different from fresh onion yet recalls it—almost roasted, and less fresh and sweet than fresh onion.

Vegan Macaroni Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any vegetables to add to the vegan macaroni salad, such as carrots, green pepper, red onion, and zucchini.
• Try different-shaped noodles for a fun twist and a different look to a traditional macaroni salad recipe. Vegetable noodles add color to a salad.
• Baby bell peppers taste exactly like red bell peppers, but they come in various colors to brighten up any salad.
• Lima beans, broad canned beans, diced green peppers, green onions, and other beans can be great substitutes for peas in this recipe.
• Fennel is often used as a substitute for celery, but it has licorice overtones, so if you like that, try it.
• White or red onion is wonderful in macaroni salad.
• Celery leaves replace parsley in this vegan macaroni salad recipe.
• Use any vegan mayo, or use hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, silken tofu, or white beans in the cashew mayo recipe for a nut-free option.
• Dijon mustard gives the salad a more decadent taste when substituted for yellow mustard.
• Garlic flakes are the best substitute for garlic powder.
• Instead of onion powder, you can use: grated fresh onion, shallots, fennel bulbs, scallions, garlic powder, onion salt, or celery.

How to Make Vegan Macaroni Salad

• First, this recipe takes 15 minutes to make from start to finish.
• The first step, however, is to cook the noodles. For example, the gluten-free elbow macaroni noodles I used took 8 minutes to cook.
• Please follow the directions on the noodle package, as times change depending on the type and size of the noodle you choose. 
• I cook the frozen peas with the noodles for the last 3 minutes to save a step.

• Another suggestion is to drain and rinse the noodles in cold water to stop them from cooking.
• Remember to toss the noodles around in the colander and cold water so you rinse all the noodles, not just the top half. Then, transfer the cold noodles to a large bowl. 
• Mix the vegan cashew mayo, yellow mustard, garlic, and onion powder in a bowl.

• Next, add your chopped vegetables.
• I use my favorite vegetable chopper as a time-saver, so my veggies are the same size.
• Once all the veggies are added, I pour in half the vegan dressing and reserve the other half to add right before serving.
• Preserving half the dressing adds an extra creamy element right before serving. 

Recipe Serving Suggestions

Now, cover and store the vegan macaroni salad in the refrigerator. Before serving, add the rest of the dressing and spoon it into bowls. Although I serve vegan macaroni salad as a side dish for burgers, sloppy joes, and BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, it can also be served as an entree. 

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Add a teaspoon of salt to the water before cooking the pasta.
• Do not add the noodles to the pot until the water is boiling.
• Stir the noodles into the boiling water so they don't stick together.
• Using a vegetable chopper helps to cut the vegetables in similar sizes.
• To maximize the shelf life of macaroni salad for safety and quality, refrigerate the macaroni salad in airtight containers. The stored macaroni salad will last  3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Be sure to add salt to the water you cook the pasta in or you risk having bland macaroni salad. Be sure the pasta has cooled before you add the mayonnaise. It will absorb less of it this way, and your pasta salad will stay creamy.

Don't forget the best vegan macaroni salad for your next barbeque or picnic! It's a crowd-pleaser!

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