What's in traditional macaroni salad?

Macaroni salad is usually made with a mayonnaise-based dressing that can sometimes contain sour cream as well. It sometimes includes celery, bell pepper, onion and chopped pickles. Some recipes include a little sugar in the dressing as well. Many traditional macaroni salads also include peas and cheese.

Is macaroni salad healthy?

Traditional Macaroni salad can be incredibly calorie-dense at more than 400 calories per cup . Furthermore, white macaroni pasta is made with refined semolina or durum wheat flour which lacks fiber and trace nutrients. While most macaroni salads do have vegetables added to them, there is often not enough vegetables to make a serving. Plus many recipes also contain eggs and cheese which are also calorie dense. This recipe for Macaroni Salad packs more than 3 cups of veggies into it, and is great for folks watching their macros or paying attention to their calories. It has only 210 calories per serving, 8 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber! It is also healthier because I used whole-wheat pasta giving it more fiber and counts as a whole grain serving. I used shredded cheese in this salad but opted for extra-sharp cheddar so I would be able to get great cheese flavor using only 4 ounces split among 8 servings.

healthy macaroni salad with greek yogurt - Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Description

This Healthy Macaroni Salad is made with creamy Greek Yogurt dressing, fresh veggies and shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Serve it as a side dish for your next barbecue or picnic. With this delicious pasta salad recipe, you’ll save nearly 200 calories per serving!

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups dry macaroni, preferably whole wheat
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, fat-free if desired
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon coarse grain or brown deli mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon or dill
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, (about 1 cup)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes for garnish

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Instructions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni, stir and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cool running water. Drain thoroughly.
Meanwhile whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add shallot.
Mix the cooked macaroni into the yogurt mixture until coated. Add carrots, peas and cheddar and stir to combine.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cherry tomatoes just before serving.

Notes

Variations To Try

Instead of shallot, add finely chopped onion or scallions.
Add crumbled cooked bacon before serving.
Add 1 cup diced red or green bell pepper instead of the tomatoes.
Add 1 tablespoon minced pickle or relish to the dressing and a pinch of celery seed for classic Amish macaroni salad taste.
Chop 2 ribs celery and stir into the salad instead of one of the carrots.

Make-Ahead Tips and How to Store Macaroni Salad

This Greek Yogurt Macaroni Salad salad when enjoyed within an hour or two or the pasta will absorb too much of the dressing. If you want to make this ahead you have two options:

Make the salad and when you do set aside some extra dressing. After refrigerating, add the extra dressing to the salad if it is too dry.
Cook the pasta, make the dressing and prep the carrots. Then keep all of the ingredients separate and stir them together just before serving. Just make sure to toss the macaroni with a little oil to keep it from clumping together.

For make-ahead I recommend adding the cherry tomatoes just before you’re ready to eat.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 210
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 542 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 26 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 12 g