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    Home » Salads » Simple Macaroni Salad | Pasta Salad with Veggies

    Simple Macaroni Salad | Pasta Salad with Veggies

    Posted on March 12, 2020 · Last Updated on March 18, 2020 · By Srividhya G · 23 Comments

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    Here is my take on the classic macaroni pasta salad with vegan mayonnaise and vegetables. This cold and egg-free pasta salad is a crowd-pleaser, and you can easily customize this to a vegan salad!

    classic pasta salad in a black bowl with some celery greens on the side. Be it in grocery stores deli section or the kitchen section or even in pizza places; you would have come across this cold pasta salad. And yeah, most of the summer parties and potlucks will have this pasta salad as well.  I tasted this pasta salad in one of the pool parties and instantly fell in love with it.

    Our friend made it just with veggies, but in grocery stores and other places, you can different varieties of this cold macaroni salad—some with tuna, some with bacon, and some with eggs. You can find a zillion varieties on the internet as well. I loosely adapted the recipe from all recipes website.  Here is my vegetarian and egg-free take on this pasta salad. 

    The recipe is straightforward. All you have do is – cook the pasta and add the veggies and dressing. Then mix, chill and enjoy! That’s it. I love to pack this for lunch box too. You don’t need to worry about reheating, and this pasta tastes better when it is cold. Perfect right? 

    Now let’s talk about the ingredients and how we can make it vegan. 

    Ingredients required and substitutes for the veggie version of the macaroni pasta salad-

    Pasta

    You can prepare this salad with any small shaped pasta, but for this recipe, I went with the regular durum wheat elbow-shaped macaroni pasta. You can try the tricolor pasta too. Opt for gluten-free pasta depending upon your diet preference. And you need water, salt and oil to cook the pasta.

    You can cook the pasta in your preferred way either in Instant Pot or stove-top. Check my carrot sauce pasta recipe for cooking pasta in Instant Pot. I used ½ cup of pasta, and it yielded roughly 2 cups of cooked pasta. 

    Once the pasta is ready, it’s all about mixing. 

    Vegetables for pasta salad 

     I always use a mix of colored bell peppers, green onion, and celery along with celery greens. My son is not a fan of raw onions, so I add green onions. Also, he loves the crunchiness of celery in this salad. So I make sure to sneak in celery along with the greens. Now, there is no set measure for vegetables. You can adjust the measurements according to your preference. Also, instead of green onion, you can add red onion and other veggies like carrots, sweet peas, sweet corn, snap peas, sweet pickles as well.

    If you follow a low-carb diet, opt for gluten-free quinoa or chickpea pasta and add more veggies to make it healthy. You can even skip the pasta and add any beans or boiled potatoes. The options are endless.

    veggies and cooked pasta in a wooden bowl

    Sauces and condiments for the salad 

    The three main condiments/sauce required for the dressing are mayo, mustard, and vinegar or pickle juice. And you need some salt, pepper and a little bit of sugar. I went with vegan mayo but ended up using honey mustard(we love it). So I cannot call this recipe completely vegan. I did not add any vinegar or pickle juice because the honey mustard that I used had vinegar included in it.

    I went with ¼ cup of mayo and 1.5 to 2 tbsp of honey mustard. It might sound a lot, but those two are the main ingredients that make this pasta salad creamy and rich. I don’t add any extra cheese, so I always go with ¼ cup of mayo. And adjust the sugar, salt, and ground pepper according to your preference. If you are using honey mustard, you can skip sugar as well, but I add a little. 

    How to make this macaroni pasta salad vegan?

    You can skip honey mustard and instead use spicy mustard or any vegan mustard available. Check the label for ingredients, and depending upon that, you can add vinegar as required. Also, increase the amount of sugar or add maple syrup to add that tinge of sweetness. By using gluten-free pasta, you can make this salad both vegan and gluten-free.

    pasta salad in a spoon ia blurred background of pasta bowl

    Now without any further ado, here is the detailed recipe. 

    Instructions:

    • Bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add ¾ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil while the water is boiling. Cook the pasta aldente according to the directions in the package. I cooked the pasta for 7 minutes. 
    • Drain the water and set the pasta aside—no need to reserve the pasta water. Make sure to drain the water thoroughly. 
    • While the pasta is getting ready, chop all the veggies.
    • In a mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, mayo, mustard, sugar, salt (¼ tsp), pepper, chopped green onion, celery, and bell peppers.

    pasta salad with all veggies and sauces before mixing in a wooden bowl

    • Gently combine and serve it chill. I usually refrigerate for atleast 2 to 3 hours. 

    macaroni salad in a wooden bowl after mixing

    Recipe Notes-

    • As mentioned before, you can use any pasta (gluten-free) kind or any other small variety pasta for this salad.
    • You can keep it vegan but adding spicy mustard and, in that case, increase the sugar amount by a tsp or add 1 tsp of maple syrup.
    • I kept the macaroni salad egg-free. But you can add eggs and also regular mayo instead of vegan mayo.
    • There is no set measurement for mayo and honey mustard. Adjust them and also sugar, salt, and pepper according to your preference. 
    • As my honey mustard contains vinegar, I did not add extra. If you are using spicy mustard, add 1 tbsp of white vinegar.
    • You can add regular onions instead of green onions or a combination of both.
    • I like to add colored bell peppers, but you can add just one color. I would recommend red bell peppers for the color pop. 
    • You can use other veggies like carrots, sweet peas, corn, and even sweet pickles.

    Other salad recipes from my archives-

    • Couscous salad
    • Veg ceviche salad
    • Beets and corn salad
    • Black bean salad

    top angle picture of macaroni salad placed in a black bowl on stack of black plates

    PS – Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates. If you try this pasta salad recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!

    📖 Recipe

    pasta salad on a black bowl placed on a black plate
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    5 from 2 votes

    Simple Macaroni Salad | Pasta Salad with Veggies

    Classic macaroni pasta salad with vegan mayonnaise and vegetables. This perfect summer salad is egg-free and can be customized to vegan!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 182kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup uncooked dry pasta I used elbow pasta
    • 3 cups water for cooking the pasta
    • 1 tsp salt divided
    • 1 tsp oil
    • ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
    • 1.5 tbsp honey mustard
    • ½ tsp raw sugar
    • ½ tsp ground pepper adjust according to your taste
    • 1 green onion finely chopped including the green part
    • 1 celery rib one single stick from the stalk including the greens
    • ¼ cup colored bell peppers diced

    Instructions

    • Bring 3 cups of water to boil. Add ¾ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil while the water is boiling. Cook the pasta aldente according to the directions in the package. I cooked the pasta for 7 minutes.
    • Drain the water and set the pasta aside—no need to reserve the pasta water. Make sure to drain the water thoroughly. 
    • While the pasta is getting ready, chop all the veggies.
    • In a mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, mayo, mustard, sugar, salt (¼ tsp), pepper, chopped green onion, celery, and bell peppers.
    • Cook the pasta aldente according to the directions in the package. I added ½ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of oil while cooking the pasta.
    • Gently combine and serve it chill. I usually refrigerate for atleast 2 to 3 hours.

    Notes

    • As mentioned before, you can use any pasta (gluten-free) kind or any other small variety pasta for this salad.
    • You can keep it vegan but adding spicy mustard and, in that case, increase the sugar amount by a tsp or add 1 tsp of maple syrup.
    • I kept the macaroni salad egg-free. But you can add eggs and also regular mayo instead of vegan mayo.
    • There is no set measurement for mayo and honey mustard. Adjust them and also sugar, salt, and pepper according to your preference.
    • As my honey mustard contains vinegar, I did not add extra. If you are using spicy mustard, add 1 tbsp of white vinegar.
    • You can add regular onions instead of green onions or a combination of both.
    • I like to add colored bell peppers, but you can add just one color. I would recommend red bell peppers for the color pop.
    • You can use other veggies like carrots, sweet peas, corn, and even sweet pickles.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 321IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2015 but now updated with new photos.

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    Filed Under: Salads Tagged With: bloggin marathon, cold macaroni pasta salad, kids delight, no cheese no vinegar pasta salad, pasta salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. harini says

      December 06, 2015 at 4:11 pm

      Very interesting one and tempting one for the kids.

      Reply
    2. Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille) says

      November 30, 2015 at 6:56 pm

      perfect summer pasta salad

      Reply
    3. Pavani says

      November 30, 2015 at 11:27 am

      Wow, what a colorful and creamy looking pasta salad.

      Reply
    4. Priya says

      November 24, 2015 at 12:44 am

      Am in love with this cold pasta salad, lipsmacking here.

      Reply
    5. Sowmya says

      November 23, 2015 at 9:09 pm

      Mayo magic! Super super easy!

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 24, 2015 at 7:36 am

        Yup. thats the magic ingredient

        Reply
    6. Suma Gandlur says

      November 18, 2015 at 5:13 pm

      The pasta looks very inviting and must be yummy if kid approved.

      Reply
    7. annu says

      November 18, 2015 at 6:09 am

      Mayonnaise with pasta sounds tempting. I’ve some homemade mayo left in the fridge. Will try it out right away.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 18, 2015 at 8:03 am

        Sure.. Let me know how it turned out

        Reply
    8. Sowmya:) says

      November 18, 2015 at 3:29 am

      Yummy looking salad….honey mustard and mayo wow!

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 18, 2015 at 8:02 am

        Thanks Sowmya

        Reply
    9. CHCooks says

      November 18, 2015 at 1:08 am

      I love pasta salads too, this looks amazing Sri :)

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 18, 2015 at 8:02 am

        Thanks GB..

        Reply
    10. Lakshmi Srivatsan says

      November 17, 2015 at 8:35 pm

      Nice one!
      Have posted my entry. Here is the link https://maasimplytoogood.wordpress.com/2015/11/18/%E2%99%A7-pasta-%E2%99%A7/
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 18, 2015 at 8:03 am

        Thanks Lakshmi. Will link it up all.

        Reply
    11. Freda @ Aromatic essence says

      November 17, 2015 at 3:53 pm

      Yummy ! Love a cold macaroni salad :)

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 17, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        Thanks

        Reply
    12. Traditionally Modern Food says

      November 17, 2015 at 3:50 pm

      Ne er tried mayo for pasta if kutti boss approved it I can relate the taste. Looks inviting da

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 17, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        Thanks da.. give it try. It was amazing.

        Reply
    13. Malar says

      November 17, 2015 at 2:59 pm

      Looks super yum!!

      Reply
    14. padma veeranki says

      November 17, 2015 at 11:58 am

      Perfect treat for kids…good share :)

      Reply
    15. zuneraserena says

      November 17, 2015 at 8:24 am

      Looks yummy. Will try it

      Reply
      • Vidhya@VVK says

        November 17, 2015 at 10:16 am

        Thanks :-)

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

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