Memorial Day is once again upon us. If you live in the South like I do, there really is no way around spending time in the outdoors this time of year. Add in potluck style food offerings and refreshing beverages and it becomes a can’t miss occasion.
If you find yourself excited about attending a cookout this holiday, want to bring a vegan dish, but also want something on the traditional side for those patrons unfamiliar with tofu or seitan, vegan macaroni salad is a winner.
This recipe has become my go-to party dish, and it tastes so close to the macaroni salad I grew up with! Plus, it takes very little prep time and minimal ingredients.
Country Macaroni Salad
- 4 cups whole wheat macaroni noodles
- 1 cup vegan mayo (I prefer Veganaise, which comes in soy-free, grapeseed, reduced fat and many other varieties. You can find this at any Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s)
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2-3 celery stalks, sliced (I like my vegetables a little stockier, but you could dice finely as well)
- 1 medium sized onion, diced (I would go with a yellow or white variety, but you could also use red onions for a spicier salad)
- 2 -3 carrots, sliced thin
- 1/3 cup sugar (I just use regular old sugar, but for a healthier version, you could experiment with different kinds of sweeteners. I wouldn’t skip this ingredient, however, because it really does give the dish a tangy flavor)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Boil a pot of water and add pasta. Whole wheat pasta might take a little longer than regular pasta to soften.
Drain pasta and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix vegan mayo, vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.
Then, add celery, carrots and onion to bowl, stirring a few times to mix well. (You can add other vegetables if desired. Some options include olives, capers, roma tomatoes or pickles.)
Mix drained macaroni with vegetables and dressing, careful not to mash the pasta.
Leave in fridge overnight.
This will serve a pretty big group, and it only takes 15- 20 minutes to prepare, making the payoff well worth it.
Image Credit: Flickr Creative Commons, Tavallai (Note: Photo used is a stock photo variation of actual recipe)
Do these recipes meet the 2010 USDA nutrition standards?
As a side dish, this recipe seems like it’s in line with the new USDA My Plate guidelines for sure – plenty of veggies and whole grains!
Just to clarify, individual recipes can’t meet any nutrition standards; these standards refer to diets, not individual dishes. What you consume in the course of your day determines whether you meet daily nutritional requirements — a recipe or dish can be PART of that, but can not ‘meet USDA nutrition standards’ by itself.
Also, re: vegan mayo — yes it’s tasty! But different brands taste, well, different. I thing Vegenaise is the yummiest pre-packaged one, and the easy/ cheap/ delicious recipe (cashew-based) in Vegan on the Cheap is my favorite! :-)
Seconding Veganaise. It’s the best one I’ve tried, and I’ve tried many pre-made vegan mayos. Even my mom, an omnivore and a mayo queen, said she liked Veganaise!
I have actually been loving making things with cashew cream lately! There’s a recipe in Vegan Girl’s Guide to Life for asparagus pasta using it and it’s delicious.
Macaroni is one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes! Thanks for this uber healthy macaroni dish. I haven’t tried vegan mayo, is it more tasty? I can just imagine the cholesterol in those regular mayo!