Vegan Macaroni Salad
Updated Apr 19, 2026
Creamy vegan macaroni salad comes together in about 20 minutes and tastes even better the next day. A simple make-ahead side for cookouts or weekly lunches.
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This easy vegan Macaroni salad is soo good!
A vegan-style macaroni salad is one of those things I never really thought about making until I needed something for a cookout that everyone could eat. Half my family doesn’t do dairy, some guests are vegan, and regular mayo-based salads can get a little heavy when they sit out. This vegan macaroni salad fixed all of that. The dressing uses vegan mayo as the base, but the pickle juice and red wine vinegar are what actually make it taste good. There’s a tang to it that keeps the whole thing from tasting flat.
I make this easy vegan macaroni salad at least a day ahead whenever I can. The flavors settle in after a few hours in the fridge, and it tastes noticeably better the next day. I keep the vegetables crunchy on purpose; the celery and red pepper give it texture against the soft pasta, and the peas just pop in there. It holds up really well, which makes it a solid option if you’re bringing something to a gathering or just want lunches ready for the week.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Vegan Macaroni Salad Ingredients
- Elbow macaroni: I usually use elbow macaroni for this recipe, but you can use any small pasta shape. Just be sure to cook it al dente! Do not skip the rinsing step after draining. Stir the pasta while you rinse it so every piece cools down evenly. If any of it is still warm when you add the dressing, it will absorb more mayo than it should, and the salad can end up dry.
- Vegetables: For this macaroni salad, I like to use diced celery, carrots, red bell pepper, and frozen peas. Chop everything finely and as evenly as possible so you get a little of each in every bite. The peas just need to be thawed, not cooked. For the red pepper, any color works if red is not what you have on hand.
- Vegan dressing: I make my vegan macaroni salad dressing with vegan mayo, pickle juice, red wine vinegar, a little Dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, salt, and pepper. If you want a creamier result, increase the vegan mayo to ½ cup. For more tang, add an extra tablespoon of pickle juice.
How to Make Vegan Macaroni Salad
Vegan Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow pasta
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 1 small red pepper finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
Dressing
- ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the vegan mayonnaise, pickle juice, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
- Add drained macaroni to the dressing, along with celery, carrots, red pepper and peas. Toss well to combine. Serve immediately at room temperature or allow to cool in the fridge before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations to Try
- Add a protein. Stir in 1 cup of rinsed chickpeas or white beans to make it more filling. Both blend in well without overpowering the dressing.
- Add fresh herbs. A tablespoon or two of chopped fresh dill is especially good in this macaroni salad. Flat-leaf parsley works too. Add right before serving so they stay fresh.
- Add pickles or red onion. 3 to 4 finely chopped dill pickles and ¼ cup of finely diced red onion (or pickled red onion!) are both good in this.
- Add cucumber or avocado. Dice 1 small cucumber finely and fold it in with the other vegetables for extra crunch. 1 medium avocado, cubed, adds extra creaminess; just make sure to fold it in gently.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-mix your salad. Once all of the ingredients are added, gently stir everything together until it’s evenly mixed.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled. This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you’re serving it right away, you can serve it at room temperature. Otherwise, chill it in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
- Check before serving. The pasta keeps absorbing the dressing as it sits, so if it looks a little tight or dry, stir in an extra tablespoon or two of vegan mayo and toss well before putting it out.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with veggie sides. I love pairing this vegan pasta salad with other tasty vegan veggie sides like grilled eggplant, roasted cauliflower steaks, or carrot salad.
- Pair with a sandwich. For a backyard or park BBQ, this pasta salad is so good with a quinoa burger, a white bean avocado sandwich, or a chickpea salad sandwich.
- Make a side salad. For a lighter vegan dish to pair with this pasta salad, try my fresh garden salad, my cucumber tomato avocado salad, or my red cabbage slaw.
FAQs
The best way to avoid a watery macaroni salad is to make sure that the noodles are cooked to al dente and rinsed with cold water after cooking, then allowed to drain. You can also lightly salt your veggies after cutting. You’ll want to let them sit on a plate on top of a paper towel for 15-30 minutes, so the excess moisture has time to weep.
If your salad is too dry, all you need to do is add a little more dressing! Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take away.
It most likely needs more salt or more pickle juice. Taste after tossing and adjust both. Also keep in mind that cold dulls flavor, so if it just came out of the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before serving and taste it again.
Comments
My family loved this! The dressing made the salad so delicious! I don’t like a macaroni salad that has too much mayo and this was perfect! Thank you!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one!
Can you make it with gluten free pasta?
It should work!
Will definitely try this out over the weekend 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Hope you enjoy!
Perfect salad for BBQ and delicious too! I made it today and had all the ingredients on hand, didn’t even have to go to the store.
Thank you so much! That’s perfect!
It is a good.recipe. Better to parboil the carrots.By the way it is difficult to type in a comment because of pop ups that appear. Sorry to say I will not do any more comments
Thank you! I will take that feedback into consideration to make the experience more user friendly!
Yum, this looks so delicious and healthy!