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    Home » Salads

    Best Vegan Macaroni Salad - Easy Too!

    Updated: Mar 18, 2021 by Verna Rindler · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

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    vegan macaroni salad in a wooden salad bowl

    This vegan macaroni salad recipe is the BEST EVER. An easy Pasta salad with raw healthy veggies, smoked tofu and a creamy mayo based dressing that's incredible! Tart sweet salty savoury! Perfect for a backyard bbq, picnic or potluck! Eggless and dairy free! you'll love it!

    vegan macaroni salad in a wooden bowl with a spoon

    Step into my vegan kitchen folks I’ve got a doozy- MY Vegan Macaroni Salad!! It's amazing! I am not kidding! It has the classic flavours similar to traditional and Hawaiian macaroni salad we know and love but kicked up 10 notches!! Simple, homemade and delicious!

    With some added goodies like smoked tofu, fresh chopped tomatoes, black olives along with the usual suspects red pepper, crunchy celery, red onion, and dill pickles

    And the salad dressing!- OMG! vinegar, sugar, dill, spices, pickle juice, vegan mayonnaise (veganaise) and a splash of plant milk tie everything together for a pasta salad with exceptional flavour and texture!

    I know the typical dressing contains mustard and or lemon juice but this is honestly way better! so don't be tempted to add them!

    I guarantee everyone who tastes this salad will want the recipe! It's a total winner! The perfect summer salad! And it's so affordable to make! Which is great because who has ever said they had a good store bought deli
    macaroni salad? NO ONE EVER! Haha!

    over head view of macaroni salad in a wooden bowl

    Ok lets get to it- read on people!😊

    How do you make Vegan Macaroni Salad?

    Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Don't over cook! Drain pasta, add back to the pot and cover with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain in a colander and toss with a good drizzle of oil. Add to a large salad bowl.

    While the noodles are cooking prep and chop the veggies, pickles and tofu and add to the salad bowl.

    Mix the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl: vegan mayo, plant milk, vinegar, pickle juice, herbs and spices, and sugar, pour over the noodles and veggies and mix well. Season with salt and pepper if necessary

    Cover and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes and mix again just before serving! This salad is best served the same day! Enjoy!!step by step photos how to make vegan macaroni salad

    Pro tips for the perfect pasta salad!

    • do not over cook the noodles
    • chill noodles right after cooking to stop the cooking process
    • coat the cooled pasta in oil right after draining to prevent the salad from drying out!
    • mix and serve the same day

    What do you serve with Macaroni Salad?

    You can enjoy this salad along side of so many things:

    • Easy Vegan Quiche Recipe
    • Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
    • Vegan Turkey Recipe (Seitan)
    • Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings (Frank's Red Hot)
    • Ultimate Vegan Chili Recipe
    • Vegan Salisbury Steak
    • Vegan Burger (Best Grillable Vegan Burger)
    • Chickpea Salad Sandwich 

    or have a bowl straight up for lunch as it does have protein from the tofu!

    macaroni salad in a bowl with a spoon

    OK GUYS LETS MAKE SOME VEGAN MACARONI SALAD, IT'S

    easy

    creamy

    slightly smoky

    full of crispy vegetables and pasta

    kid friendly

    delicious

    satisfying

    sweet and tangy

    easily gluten free

    Enjoy guys! Happy day to you! feel free to leave a comment and a rating below. I would love to hear from you.

    Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based Vegan Recipes❤️

    Want more Classic Vegan Summer Salads? Here you go!

    • Vegan Caesar Salad (Best Caesar Dressing!)
    • Best & Easiest Vegan Broccoli Salad
    • Classic Vegan Coleslaw
    • Vegan Potato Salad Recipe
    Print
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    vegan macaroni salad in a wooden bowl with a spoon

    Best Vegan Macaroni Salad - Easy Too!


    ★★★★★

    5 from 5 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 30 Minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This vegan macaroni salad recipe is the BEST EVER. An easy pasta salad with raw healthy veggies, smoked tofu and a creamy mayo based dressing that's incredible! Tart sweet salty savoury! Perfect for a backyard bbq, picnic or potluck! Eggless and dairy free recipe! You'll love it!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For salad:

    • 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni noodles
    • 2 celery stalks, diced
    • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced (or any colour)
    • 1/4 - 1/3 cup red onion, diced
    • 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes and their juices
    • 1 large dill pickle, chopped
    • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
    • 1/2 pack smoked tofu (100 grams), cubed into bite size pieces

    For dressing:

    • 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, I use vegenaise
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened non dairy milk , I used almond milk
    • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
    • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
    • 2 teaspoons dried dill
    • 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

    Instructions

    1. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Don't over cook! Drain pasta, add back to the pot and cover with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain in a colander and toss with a good drizzle of oil. Add to a large salad bowl.
    2. While the noodles are cooking prep and chop the veggies, pickles and tofu and add to the salad bowl.
    3. Mix the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl: vegan mayo, plant milk, vinegar, pickle juice, herbs and spices, and sugar, pour over the noodles and veggies and mix well. Season with salt and pepper if necessary
    4. Cover and chill the salad in the fridge for 20 minutes and mix again just before serving! Best served the same day! Enjoy!!
    5. Lovely with my Grillable Vegan Burger or Sliced Vegan Turkey Seitan Recipe and along side other salads like Coleslaw, Caesar Salad, Potato Salad or Broccoli Salad!

    Notes

    • Gluten free: use gluten free pasta
    • I use Soyganic Smoked Tofu for this recipe if you can't find it you could substitute some chopped tofu bacon or leave it out completely and add a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke (to the dressing) if you like (optional)
    • could sub apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar but I like recipe best as written
    • prep time doesn't include chill time
    • Salad will keep covered in fridge for 3-4 days but tastes the best the first day it's made. It does not freeze well!
    • the dressing for this recipe is also so tasty on green salad and fresh or grilled veggies and more!
    • This recipe is adapted from my original recipe I made for years that contained cubed ham and cheese and is also inspired by Pioneer Woman

    Tips for perfect macaroni salad:

    • do not over cook the noodles!
    • chill noodles right after cooking to stop the cooking process
    • coat the cooled pasta in oil right after draining to prevent the salad from drying out!
    • mix and serve the same day
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
    • Category: Salads, Snacks & Sides
    • Method: Stovetop / Salad bowl
    • Cuisine: American, Canadian

    Keywords: vegan macaroni salad, vegan pasta salad, vegan side dishes, vegan bbq food, vegan cook out recipes,

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

     

     

     

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. CeCe

      April 17, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      Ok, new vegan here… stupid question….how do you smoke the tofu?

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        April 17, 2022 at 2:51 pm

        No questions are stupid 🙂 I buy mine smoked it is really tasty and no need to press it usually, for too lazy to smoke it myself. Hope that helps, enjoy the salad!

        Reply
    2. Elizabeth Belden Handler

      April 17, 2022 at 9:53 am

      I make mine much the same way, with one big difference. As soon as the pasta is drained I put it into a bowl and add the dressing, stir it up, and put it in the fridge to cool. This infuses the macaroni with all the good flavor that’s in the dressing. When cool I add the veggies, stir and serve.

      Reply
      • Verna

        April 17, 2022 at 2:52 pm

        Sounds lovely Elizabeth thanks for your feedback!

        Reply
    3. Melody

      March 06, 2022 at 7:28 am

      Very good recipe! First time attempting a vegan macaroni salad. Changes I made, I used cherry tomatoes, I added peas and cilantro and a little vegan shredded cheese. My noodles were gluten-free brown rice elbows so it’s very versatile too! Thank you for the great recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        March 06, 2022 at 12:44 pm

        Yay!! Thanks for the wonderful feedback and suggestions. Glad you enjoyed it Melody.

        Reply
    4. Tina

      May 05, 2021 at 7:49 pm

      Best pasta salad I’ve ever made! and no one knew it was vegan  

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        May 06, 2021 at 8:16 am

        thanks so much!

        Reply
    5. Midge

      May 22, 2020 at 2:11 pm

      The dressing for this is the best , I put it on everything .

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        May 22, 2020 at 2:36 pm

        Glad you like it Midge! It's definitely tasty. Thanks so much for your comment!

        Reply
    6. Angela

      May 21, 2020 at 12:27 am

      So delicious!! My toddler is such a picky eater and he just devours this dish! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        May 21, 2020 at 3:19 pm

        Oh that's so nice to hear your little one is enjoying the pasta salad. Thanks for the comment Angela.

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Verna! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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