This quick and easy vegan macaroni salad is a flavorful twist on a classic recipe. It’s packed with vegetables, a creamy tahini mayo dressing and perfect for your next summer bbq or picnic!
Macaroni salad is a summer classic. And for good reason! It’s easy to make, perfect for preparing ahead of time (best served cold) and pairs perfectly with burgers, grilled veggies and other summer bbq classics.
I haven’t made it in ages; totally forgot how good it is! We gave the traditional recipe a bit of an upgrade with a few extra veggies and a more flavorful tahini-mayo-mustard dressing.
It’s tangy, creamy, crunchy and delicious!
Looking for more cold vegan pasta salads? Try this Pesto Pasta White Bean Salad!
Ingredients
- Pasta: macaroni, of course! You could also use another type of pasta like fusilli, farfalle, rotini or penne.
- Vegetables: the veggies in this macaroni salad are easily interchangeable. We used celery, broccoli, tomatoes, carrot, bell pepper, peas and scallions. You could also use summer squash, cauliflower, radishes or corn. The vegetables are added in raw, so it’s best to cut them pretty small. Nobody wants a huge chunk of broccoli! When it comes to super tough vegetables like carrots, shredded is best.
- Dressing: The dressing is super easy to make! Whisk together vegan mayo, dijon mustard, tahini, hot sauce (for a slight kick), apple cider vinegar, agave, salt, paprika, onion and garlic powder. Feel free to leave out the hot sauce for a milder option. If you don’t have tahini, you can also sub with more mayo.
- Extras: we also add in some fresh parsley and sunflower seeds for crunch. Totally optional!
Instructions
- Make the pasta: Boil in salted water until al dente.
- Prep the vegetables: Meanwhile, prep all of the veggies into small, bite-sized pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the dressing: whisk everything together until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Assemble! Toss everything together, add in the sunflower seeds and parsley and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
Make ahead
This vegan macaroni salad is perfect for making ahead of time. It honestly tastes even better after it sits in the fridge for a day or two!
Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Stir well before serving.
More vegan recipes for your summer bbq
Round out your summer picnic/bbq menu with these favorites:
- Pulled BBQ Mushroom Sandwiches
- Grilled Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad
- BBQ Tofu Kebabs
- Vegan Lobster Rolls
- Spiced Veggie Burgers
- Grilled Peach Caprese Salad
If you make this vegan macaroni salad recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
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Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This quick and easy vegan macaroni salad is a flavorful twist on a classic recipe. It’s packed with vegetables, a creamy tahini mayo dressing and perfect for your next summer bbq or picnic!
Ingredients
- 12 oz macaroni or other pasta (cooked according to package directions)
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 cup broccoli, finely diced
- 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped well
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp vinegar-based hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)*
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp agave
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- While pasta is cooking, add celery, broccoli, tomatoes, carrot, pepper, peas, green onion, sunflower seeds and parsley to a large mixing bowl. Add in cooked pasta and dressing and toss until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and serve cold.
Notes
*Leave out hot sauce if you don’t want any spice.
You can make ahead up time up to 5 days in advance.
Keywords: vegan macaroni salad
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