American
Classic Macaroni Salad
Tender elbow macaroni, finely diced vegetables, chopped egg, and sweet relish are folded into a tangy mayonnaise-mustard dressing that stays creamy after chilling.
8 servings · 25 minutes prep · 12 minutes cook
Ingredients
Macaroni and Vegetables
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for the pasta water
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced; soaked 5 minutes in cold water and drained
- 3 large hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Creamy Dressing
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Cook and Cool the Macaroni
- Boil the macaroni in 4 quarts / 3.8 L water seasoned with the pasta-water salt until tender throughout, about 1 minute beyond package al dente time. Drain and rinse under cool running water just until no longer hot.
- Shake the colander thoroughly, then spread the macaroni on a sheet pan for 10 minutes so surface water evaporates.
Mix the Salad
- Whisk the mayonnaise, relish, vinegar, mustard, sugar, dressing salt, and pepper. Reserve 1/3 cup / 80 ml dressing.
- Fold the macaroni with the remaining dressing, celery, bell pepper, carrot, and red onion until evenly distributed. Gently fold in the eggs last.
Chill and Refresh
- Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Fold in enough reserved dressing to restore a creamy coating, chill 20 minutes more, then taste cold and adjust salt or vinegar. Keep chilled until service.
