• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Know Your Produce
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy
    • Disclosure
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Work With Us
    • Contact
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Vegan
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Snacks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dish
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
  • Resources
  • How To
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • How To
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home / Recipes / Side Dish

    Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe – Vegan

    BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: Nov 20, 2018 5 Comments UPDATED ON: Jul 16, 2020

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    easy vegan macaroni salad
    macaroni salad recipe

    Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe for potlucks and parties. This is a vegan macaroni salad that tastes just as good as the old fashion pasta salad recipes if not better!

    vegan easy macaroni salad in a low bowl with a spoon on a purple and white napkin

    Macaroni salad is a classic side dish for parties and holidays. Add a scoop of this vegan side dish to your plate and you would never know that it is vegan! This recipe is best made in advance so the flavors can develop for a few hours. It’s an affordable salad that everyone loves.

    macaroni salad recipe ingredients:

    easy macaroni salad ingredients in a bowl with peppers celery and onion

    • elbow macaroni
    • red pepper
    • orange pepper
    • yellow pepper
    • celery
    • red onion
    • mustard
    • vegan mayo
    • vinegar
    • salt + pepper

    how to make macaroni salad

    • Start by boiling the pasta.
    • While the pasta is boiling you can take this time to prep the veggies. You can chop the veggies up as small or as big as you like. Just try to ensure they’re all the same size so someone isn’t getting a huge bite of onion or a huge bite of pepper out of nowhere.
    • Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water once its fully cooked and place into a large bowl.
    • Add in the peppers, onions, celery, mayo, mustard, mayo, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
    • Toss to combine and allow the pasta salad to sit in the fridge to chill before serving.

    vegan macaroni salad in a low bowl on purple and white napkin

    Can you make this Easy Macaroni Salad ahead of time?

    Absolutely, and we recommend it too! You can serve this pasta salad at room temperature, but macaroni salad is best enjoyed cold. That’s what makes this an easy macaroni salad, you can prep it in advance and have it ready when needed.

    macaroni salad without dressing

    What’s the best vegan mayo?

    We recommend Just Mayo or Hellmann’s. Both make a delicious vegan mayonnaise that even those who aren’t vegan enjoy.

    More vegan recipes to try:

    • Vegan Coleslaw
    • Vegan Potato Salad

    Tips for making the BEST Vegan Macaroni Salad

    • This recipe is full of color, but we did leave out the green pepper. You can also add in green pepper if you’d like, but just remember that green peppers are a bit more bitter than colored peppers as they are picked before they can ripen into orange, yellow, or red.
    • Use any small pasta you like, from shells, elbows, even rotini makes for a great macaroni salad.
    • If you want more color you can add in fresh herbs.
    • We use white vinegar in this recipe, but you can use apple cider vinegar as well, just know that it is stronger. Another great option is freshly squeezed lemon juice.
    • Cook the pasta until it’s al-dente. You don’t want a mushy pasta. About 7-8 minutes in boiling water should be good.
    vegan easy macaroni salad in a low bowl with a spoon on a purple and white napkin
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    click the stars to rate this recipe

    Easy Macaroni Salad

    Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe for potlucks and parties. This is a vegan macaroni salad that tastes just as good as the old fashion pasta salad recipes if not better!
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 15 mins
    Total Time: 25 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: macaroni salad, vegan mayo
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 328kcal
    Author: Courtney

    Ingredients

    • 1 box macaroni
    • 2 celery stalks chopped, about 1 cup
    • 1 cup peppers any color, chopped
    • 1/2 cup small red onion chopped
    • 1 cup mayo vegan
    • 1/8 cup vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon mustard
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • In a large pot cook the macaroni.
    • While the macaroni is cooking chop the celery, peppers, and onions.
    • Drain the pasta when fully cooked, rinse and place pasta into a large bowl.
    • Add the cut vegetables, mayo, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
    • Mix the macaroni salad, cover and refrigerate. 
    • Serve the macaroni salad cold.

    Notes

    Like all pasta salads, this macaroni salad is best when made a few hours in advance so the flavors can fully develop.
    Nutrition
    Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 12.8mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.7mg

    The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.

    nutrition disclaimer

    you may also like:

    • Vegan Tuna Pasta SaladVegan Tuna Pasta Salad
    • Vegan Tuna Salad – Chickpea Salad SandwichVegan Tuna Salad – Chickpea Salad Sandwich
    • Vegan Potato SaladVegan Potato Salad
    • Simple Traditional Stuffing from ScratchSimple Traditional Stuffing from Scratch

    POSTED IN: Recipes Salads Side Dish Vegan celery mayo onions pasta

    About Courtney

    Fruit and Veggie lover. I love making produce fun and delicious, not to mention taking tons of pictures in the process! :-)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Allison Swain

      August 25, 2015 at 8:18 am

      The cutting boards look nice! The recipe sounds and looks so beautiful and delicious. Such a clean looking salad. I will be trying it out soon! Thank you 🙂

      Reply
    2. Alexandra Young

      August 25, 2015 at 9:14 am

      I have been on the hunt for a new cutting board that will last me a while. I love the simple but beautiful look of these cutting boards! Thank you for sharing this macaroni salad. I love how simple it is to make!

      Reply
    3. Annie @Maebells

      August 26, 2015 at 12:20 pm

      YUM! Oh how I love a good pasta salad!! This looks amazing!

      Reply
    4. ellen casper

      September 08, 2015 at 7:40 am

      The pasta salad looks yummy – love all the colors!

      Reply
    5. Shelley

      July 27, 2020 at 6:35 pm

      This was so good, the kids loved it as well!
      Thank you!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to know your produce.

    Hey there! We're sharing our love for fruits and veggies and making sure that they are in each and every meal.

    More about me →

    sign up for recipes and tips




    Popular Recipes

    • Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes
    • Vegan Gingerbread Loaf
    • Cauliflower Leek Soup
    • Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe

    More From The Blog >

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Cookie Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Know Your Produce