Hands down the best Vegan Macaroni Salad, made with all the classic ingredients and tossed in a simple creamy sauce. This picnic-perfect dish is sure to be a hit at every potluck!
Macaroni salad is a must have at any cookout, barbecue or potluck, and today I’m going to share with you the absolute BEST vegan version. It’s incredibly creamy and flavorful, and is sure to be a hit at your next get-together!
Just like my Best Vegan Potato Salad, this Vegan Macaroni Salad is a classic summer dish that no one would guess is vegan.
It’s also ridiculously easy to make in less than 30 minutes. Chill for another 30 minutes (or longer, perfect for make ahead!) and you’re good to go.
Ingredients needed
In my perfect vegan macaroni salad, the main ingredients are:
- Elbow noodles – Feel free to use gluten free if needed.
- Celery
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion – May leave it out if you aren’t a fan.
- Fresh dill – This is such a yummy addition, but you can leave it out if needed, or use parsley instead.
- Sweet pickles – Or sweet pickle relish.
- Easy creamy dressing – Vegan mayo, sweet pickle juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard and garlic powder.
How to make vegan macaroni salad
First, cook the noodles. Drain and rinse with cold water, then add to a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and stir gently, so the noodles don’t stick together.
Finely chop all the vegetables and add to the bowl with the noodles. Make the simple dressing in a medium bowl by whisking the ingredients together, then pour into the bowl with the noodles and vegetables.
Toss until everything is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can mingle together. Stir once more before serving.
How long will macaroni salad keep?
Macaroni salad will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, in a covered container. It’s the perfect make ahead potluck dish!
Serving suggestions for vegan macaroni salad
Looking to have a backyard cookout with all vegan options? Try any of the following recipes:
- Vegan Steak
- The Best Vegan Baked Beans
- Vegan “Chicken” Kebabs
- Vegan Chicken – Make it barbecue style!
- Sticky BBQ Tempeh Ribs
- BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork
More potluck perfect vegan salads
- Vegan Egg Salad
- Vegan Chicken Salad
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Classic Vegan Coleslaw
The Best Vegan Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces macaroni noodles
- 2 ribs celery, minced
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, minced
- 1/4 small red onion, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles (or sweet pickle relish)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
Creamy Dressing
- 1 cup vegan mayo
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons mustard (yellow or dijon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- few shakes black pepper
- tiny pinch garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare the macaroni noodles according to package instructions, then immediately rinse well with cold water. Add the drained noodles to a large bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and stir, so the noodles don't all stick together.
- Finely chop the celery, red bell pepper, red onion, dill, sweet pickles and add them to the bowl with the noodles.
- Make the dressing: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over your macaroni salad ingredients and toss until everything is well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes if you can to allow the flavors to meld together. It will keep for 4-5 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. Stir before serving and enjoy!
Notes
- I used regular macaroni noodles, but you can make this gluten free if needed by using gluten free pasta.
- Feel free to leave out any vegetables you don’t like, such as the celery, red onion or red bell pepper.
- Instead of apple cider vinegar, you may use red wine vinegar. Or lemon juice if you can’t have vinegar.
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published June 2019 and has been updated with an improved recipe that is easier and tastier!
I love the dressing recipe, especially! It was smooth and creamy.
Hi Nancy. Thank you for sharing your terrific review! I’m really glad that you enjoyed the macaroni salad!
Using the vegan mayonnaise from the linked recipe gave it a kind of grainy texture. I would have preferred something creamier. Also the maple syrup gave it a sweetness that I didn’t care for. I would have preferred a more savory macaroni salad. Just my personal preference.
Where are you seeing maple syrup in this recipe? The only sweet thing I see is the sweet pickles and since I don’t like those, I just use regular pickles. Also I have found that the Hellman’s plant based Mayo is the best Mayo for this recipe. It’s very creamy.
Fabulous. Perfection. I’ve made it about six times this summer, always a favorite at a barbecue. Tip: use the pickles, not the relish. Way better tangy punch from actual pickles. Or both.
Hi Kaylynn. I’m so glad that salad has been a hit this summer! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and terrific preview! Wishing you a happy cooking!
I enjoy visiting nora cooks for many of my recipes. However, the mayonnaise recipe to make the macaroni salad is not my favorite choice. I prefer making vegan Mayo with aquafaba. However, that’s not always available, so i’m going to keep on searching.
I’m glad you enjoy many of my recipes. No need to make the homemade mayo if you don’t like it. In fact I usually just use store bought vegan mayo like Vegenaise.
You’re giving this three stars because you cant always find a can of chickpeas, which this recipe doesn’t even call for? Unfair to Nora.
Made it for a potluck and it went fast! I should have doubled recipe and will always do that going forward. I did omit the dill as not everyone loves that herb. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
You are welcome, Tina! I’m so glad that the macaroni salad was a hit at your potluck! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! Happy cooking to you!