This vegan macaroni salad can be ready in about 30 minutes. It is made without mayo and, instead, covered in a flavorful creamy cashew dressing. Serve it at any picnic, backyard barbecue, or summer party.
Vegan macaroni salad is a summertime favorite.
The pasta and fresh crisp veggies covered in a creamy cashew dressing are always a hit at barbecues.
This cold salad is an excellent side to vegan burgers, carrot hot dogs, grilled tofu, tofu chicken nuggets, and more.
Ingredients
These 3 main ingredients make up this recipe.
- Pasta – Choose either elbow macaroni or ditalini pasta.
- Relish – I suggest using sweet relish. It will add an extra flavor to the macaroni salad. But you can go with dill if you prefer.
- Cashews – The dressing is made with cashews for a healthier vegan macaroni salad.
The remaining veggies are:
- Carrots – Julienne-cut the carrots, or dice them into bite-sized pieces using a knife.
- Red onion – The red onion is on the sweeter side with a more mild taste. This makes it more enjoyable to eat raw.
- Bell pepper – I went with red bell pepper for the pop of color, but you can use any colored bell pepper.
Instructions
This vegan macaroni salad is made with fresh vegetables and a tasty homemade cashew dressing.
To make the dressing
Start by soaking the cashews for the dressing.
Step 1: Toss the soaked cashews and remaining dressing ingredients into a high-speed blender or Nutri-Bullet.
Step 2: Blend until everything is smooth and creamy.
To make vegan macaroni salad
First, cook the pasta, and chop the veggies.
Next, add the pasta, veggies, and cashew dressing to a large mixing bowl.
Now, fold the salad ingredients together until everything is evenly combined.
Cover the bowl and chill the macaroni salad in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Just before serving, give the macaroni salad a good stir and top it with fresh parsley.
Variations
- Add 1 cup of corn to the mix for a rainbow-style macaroni salad.
- Replace the sweet relish with dill relish for a savory side dish.
- Switch out any of the veggies to your taste.
- Add celery for an extra crunch.
Tips for Success
- Don’t forget to salt the pasta water.
- Cook the macaroni until it's "al-dente".
- Rinse the cooked pasta in cold water to bring the temperature down and stop the cooking process.
- Allow the macaroni salad to chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
- Give the fully chilled salad a taste and adjust any flavorings if needed. Adding more relish will add flavor and moisture to the dish.
More Vegan Sides
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Recipe
Creamy Vegan Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
For the Macaroni Salad
- 16 oz macaroni pasta
- 1 red bell pepper,, chopped (about 1 and ½ cups)
- 1 cup carrot,, julienned
- ½ cup red onion,, diced
- 4-6 Tablespoons sweet relish
- A handful of fresh parsley,, finely chopped
For the Dressing
- 1 ½ cup raw cashews,, soaked
- 1 cup water
- 4 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ teaspoon ground mustard seed
- pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Macaroni Salad
- Start with soaking the cashews for the dressing.
- Then boil the noodles in salted water according to their packaging.
- Prep the vegetables while the cashews soak and the noodles cook. Keep an eye on the noodles to not overcook them.
For the Dressing
- Add the soaked cashews and remaining dressing ingredients to a high-speed blender or Nutri-bullet.
- Blend until everything is smooth and creamy.
Assemble the Salad
- Add the cooked pasta, veggies, and dressing to a very large bowl. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined.
- Taste the macaroni salad and add more lemon juice, salt, and/or relish if needed.
- Cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge for at least ⅔ hours before serving.
- Keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days.ENJOY!
Notes
- For a savory macaroni salad replace the sweet relish with 6-8 Tablespoons dill relish.
- Slightly over measure the dressing seasonings for full flavor.
- Give the fully chilled salad a taste and adjust any flavorings if needed. Adding more relish will add flavor and moisture to the dish.
- Add 2 cups sweet corn, --frozen, fresh, or canned-- for a rainbow macaroni salad
- If you forget to salt the pasta water, add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt to the dressing.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
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