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–+ servings
Macaroni salad in a grey bowl surrounded by a serving spoon and fresh parsley.
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5 from 23 votes

Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe

There's a clear difference between a basic bland macaroni salad and a flavor packed Southern Macaroni Salad. With the creamiest flavorful dressing and crunchy veggies, this macaroni salad will be your new go-to summer side dish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chill Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Author: sweetlysplendid.com

Equipment

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 pound elbow macaroni uncooked
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup diced sweet pickles
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 3 large hard boiled eggs diced

Dressing

  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice from the jar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Instructions

  • Cook the macaroni elbows in salted water just until al dente.
  • Drain the pasta and run under cold water to cool completely. Let it sit in the strainer for a few minutes so that all water drains.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until it's smooth.
  • Add the cooked pasta, bell peppers, pickles, celery and eggs to the dressing.
  • Mix it all together until everything is well coated.
  • Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, but overnight is best. This will allow all of the flavors to marinate together and the pasta to soak up some of the dressing.
  • Once refrigerated, uncover and give it another good mix so that everything is well coated in the dressing.
  • Serve cold and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • If you decide to add chopped red onion, I recommend soaking it in a bit of ice water to take some of the strong bite away. You could also try a sweet vidalia onion.
  • It's really important to let this sit in the fridge for 2-4 hours (overnight is best). It helps all the flavors marinate together and the pasta will soak up some of the dressing. It'll get thicker as well.
  • After it's been in the fridge, be sure to give it a good stir or shake to make sure it's all coated in dressing again.
  • If you do omit the eggs due to allergy, add a little extra pasta, peppers, and / or pickles to make up for the lost volume.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 377IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg