When it’s hot, cooking has to be limited to the bare minimum, right? This quick and easy macaroni salad with hard boiled egg, roasted red peppers, onions, mayonnaise and peppers will breathe new life into your standard picnic macaroni salad!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
When you have temperatures above 100F for a week, start looking for cooler things to craft. My mom makes this macaroni salad all summer long. She whipped up a portion earlier this week and I think I ate half the bowl.
VIDEO: How to make macaroni salad
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Macaroni Salad
Tip: Add roasted red peppers
Roasted red peppers aren’t a typical addition to macaroni salad, but trust me, they’re great! They add a sweet, slightly smoky flavor and make this macaroni salad deliciously unique.
There are two ways to get roasted red peppers for this salad. You can buy them or make them yourself:
- Store-Bought Roasted Red Peppers: Many retailers, including Trader Joe’s, carry jars of roasted red peppers packaged in oil and vinegar. We typically use these in recipes that call for roasted peppers.
- Fry yourself: Alternatively, you can roast a fresh pepper by blackening or grilling it over an open flame on a gas stove until the skin blisters on all sides. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl, cover the bowl, after a few minutes remove from the bowl and scrape off the blackened bits. Discard seeds and stems. Check out our Marinated Roasted Peppers recipe for more instructions on how to do this.
Suggestions and Substitutes for Macaroni Salad
- Replace the macaroni with fusilli, ditalini, cavatelli, orecchiette, or other small pasta
- Add chopped cucumbers or cucumber relish (you can also add some cucumber juice to the dressing!)
- For some crunch, swap out the roasted red peppers for fresh red peppers
- Add chopped celery for even more crispiness
- Swap the scallions or scallions for shallots or red onions (soak them in a little water with lemon juice or vinegar for a few minutes to soften their bite)
- Add fresh or frozen peas
- Add diced cooked chicken, ham, bacon, shrimp or tuna for a heartier salad
This recipe makes enough for four people, but can easily be doubled or even tripled for a larger group. Just scale all the ingredients.
How long does macaroni salad keep?
Macaroni salad is best served the same day it is made. If you’re serving this at a picnic, be sure to only let the salad sit for a maximum of two hours.
Refrigerate any leftovers; The leftovers will dry out a little, but will keep for another 2 to 3 days. We do not recommend freezing this salad.
Do you love pasta salads? Here are 5 more
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- THUN Macaroni Salad
- Pasta salad with shrimp, bacon and avocado
- Salmon Macaroni Salad
- Greek pasta salad
Mom’s Easy Macaroni Salad
While the pasta water is coming to a boil, prepare the ingredients.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
ingredients
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2 cups (about 1/2 pound) dry macaroni Pasta (use rice or gluten-free pasta for the gluten-free version)
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Salt
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1/4 Cup chopped spring onions or green onion
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1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or Vinegar
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1 hard boiled eggchopped
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1 roasted red pepperschopped
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1 tablespoon freshly chopped Parsely
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Generous amount mayonnaise (1/3 to 1/2 cup)
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Several pinches paprika
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Fresh ground black pepper, taste
method
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Cook pasta:
Cook the pasta in at least 2 liters of salted water (1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per liter of water) according to package directions until al dente – still slightly firm. Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta has reached room temperature.
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Soaking Onions:
While the macaroni is cooking, place the chopped onions in a small bowl and drizzle with lemon juice or vinegar and a little water. This takes the edge off the onions.
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Assemble the Macaroni Salad:
Combine cooked macaroni, onions, and all other ingredients in a large serving bowl. Adjust the spices to taste.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 376 | calories |
| 24g | Fat |
| 33g | carbohydrates |
| 8g | protein |
