The Best Macaroni Salad
If you're dreaming of the perfect macaroni salad, this is it. Creamy, tangy, and crunchy with the perfect hint of sweetness, it's a shoe-in potluck favorite that's even better the next day.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 12 oz dry macaroni noodles ditalini or elbow macaroni
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2/3 cup sweet gherkins, finely diced
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup celery, finely diced
- 3 hard boiled eggs, diced
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2.5 tablespoons sweet gherkin juice
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar red wine vinegar as a substitute, start with 1 tbsp add more if needed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Start by boiling the noodles in a large pot of salted water. Cook the noodles to al dente. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking and cool them down for the pasta salad.
- While the pasta is cooking, whisk together all the homemade dressing ingredients until smooth and combined: mayo, sour cream, pickle juice, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and spices. Taste and adjust if needed.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the noodles, diced red onions, diced pickles, red peppers and celery. Pour over *most* the dressing and toss well to combine. If you're adding in eggs, dice up the hardboiled eggs and fold them into the macaroni salad.
- Reserve a little leftover dressing for tossing before serving as pasta absorbs it as it sits in the fridge. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Be sure to toss the salad before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 367kcal