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    Home Β» All Recipes Β» Side Dishes

    Creamy Vegan Macaroni Salad (Mayo-Free)

    July 12, 2018 By Melissa Huggins / 14 Comments

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    Creamy Vegan Macaroni Salad ~ a summertime essential! With a healthier twist, it's mayo-free but still rich, creamy & full of classic flavor.

    Chopped ingredients in a white bowl for vegan macaroni salad.

    It's just not summertime without a big bowl of Vegan Macaroni Salad on the table. Don't you agree?

    It's perfect for backyard barbecues, picnics, potlucks, and beach days. It's always the first to disappear, right next to the potato salad.

    It's comforting, yet refreshing and cooling with its crisp veggies, al dente macaroni, and a tangy-sweet dressing.

    Who can resist?

    Creamy dressing pouring on top of chopped veggies in a white bowl. Vegan macaroni salad.

    How to make it

    After you chop your veggies and make the macaroni dressing, it's smooth sailing from there.

    Just cook the elbow macaroni pasta al dente and according to package directions. Now rinse with cool water. and drain well. When cooled, place in a large bowl. Drizzle and toss with olive oil (*omit to keep oil-free).

    Now add all the chopped veggies, pickles, and chopped dill to the same bowl. Add the creamy dressing on top and toss to combine well.

    Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to chill. Give it a good stir and sprinkle with paprika, freshly cracked pepper, and more fresh dill.

     

    Mixed and ready to serve vegan macaroni salad in a white bowl. Blue napkin underneath and lemon wedges on the side.

    More summer favorites

    • Cucumber and Tomato Salad
    • Vegan Coleslaw
    • Avocado Black Bean and Corn Salad

    I’d love to hear from you

    If you make this Vegan Macaroni Salad, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.

    Mixed and ready to serve vegan macaroni salad in a white bowl. Blue napkin underneath and lemon wedges on the side.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Creamy Vegan Macaroni Salad

    Creamy Vegan Macaroni Salad ~ a summertime essential! With a healthier twist, it's mayo-free but still rich, creamy & full of classic flavor.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 292kcal
    Author: Melissa Huggins

    Ingredients

    Dressing

    • 1 ΒΌ cup cashews , raw (soaked in water 4-6 hours)
    • 1 ΒΌ cup non-dairy milk , unsweetened
    • β…“ cup vegan yogurt , unsweetened
    • 3 tablespoons lemon juice , fresh squeezed
    • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 2-3 tablespoons pickle juice
    • 2-3 tablespoons dijon mustard
    • 2-3 teaspoons agave syrup
    • 1 clove garlic (sub 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
    • Β½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt , more to taste

    Macaroni Salad

    • 16 ounces elbow macaroni
    • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (*Optional)
    • Β½ cup red onion , diced
    • ΒΎ cup red bell pepper , diced (1 small pepper)
    • ΒΎ cup celery , diced (about 2-3 stalks)
    • Β½ cup dill pickles , diced
    • β…“ cup fresh dill , chopped (more for garnish)
    • Paprika and fresh cracked pepper , for garnish
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Dressing

    • Put all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth (*discard cashew soaking water). Adjust flavors as needed (* Keep in mind that the flavors will be concentrated, but it will be covering a lot of pasta). Set aside.

    Macaroni Salad

    • Boil pasta in salted water and cook until al dente (according to package directions). Drain and rinse with cool water. When cooled, place in a large bowl. Drizzle and toss with olive oil (*omit to keep oil-free).
    • Add all the chopped veggies, pickles and chopped dill to the same bowl with cooled macaroni. 
    • Now add the dressing on top and toss to combine well. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed (*the dressing will look thin and seem like a lot, but it will thicken up perfectly in the fridge). 
    • Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to chill. Give it a good stir. Sprinkle top with paprika, fresh cracked pepper, and more fresh dill. Enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1(1 cup) | Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 19.3mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @veganhuggs and mention #veganhuggs!

     

     

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    About Melissa

    I’m Melissa Huggins – the creator of Vegan Huggs. I started this blog to share delicious vegan recipes that everyone will love. Yep, that includes carnivores, too! Read more...

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kelly

      June 18, 2021 at 4:54 am

      5 stars
      This was so delicious. I used macadamia nuts instead of cashews. That was the only change II made. Going to use the dressing for potato salad. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Support @ Vegan Huggs

        June 18, 2021 at 7:44 am

        Hi Kelly! We are so happy to hear that you loved the recipe and that it worked out well with the macadamia nuts πŸ™‚ Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
    2. Linda

      April 29, 2020 at 9:46 am

      5 stars
      Super yummy and so much better than using mayo. The taste and texture is perfect! The dill really makes this meal pop.

      Reply
    3. Olivia

      December 14, 2019 at 4:38 pm

      Can you freeze these and if so, please could I have instructions :))

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        December 14, 2019 at 4:46 pm

        Hi Olivia, I haven't tried freezing this, so I'm not sure of the results. Sorry, I wish I could be more help. Thank you for stopping by πŸ™‚

        Reply
    4. Nina

      July 24, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      5 stars
      Loved this recipe! I made it for a summer cookout dinner along side vegan hot dogs and fruit.

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 28, 2019 at 7:46 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it. Sounds perfect with the hot dogs and fruit. Thank you for giving it a try πŸ™‚

        Reply
    5. Shannon

      November 28, 2018 at 10:58 am

      What would you suggest for a cashew allergy? Thanks!

      Reply
    6. Sara

      September 04, 2018 at 6:21 pm

      5 stars
      Made it today and it’s about to be served. Beautiful salad!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        September 05, 2018 at 10:59 am

        Hi Sara! Thank you so much! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    7. Cassie

      August 14, 2018 at 10:25 am

      love that this is dairy free 😍

      Reply
    8. Sam

      July 25, 2018 at 10:28 pm

      5 stars
      This macaroni s as lad recipe was spot on in taste and texture. Thanks for the "WAY" healthier mac salad recipe!

      Reply
    9. Sarah Smith

      July 25, 2018 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      This looks amazing!! I cant wait to make it!!

      Reply
      • Melissa Huggins

        July 25, 2018 at 9:48 pm

        Thank you, Sarah! πŸ™‚

        Reply

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