My Mom's Macaroni Salad with Radishes
A classic make-ahead macaroni salad with a sweet-tangy dressing, crisp vegetables, and radishes that give it just enough bite to make it memorable. My mom's recipe, requested at every summer gathering since I can remember.
Ingredients
- 4 cups uncooked macaroni
- 1 large white or yellow onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup grated carrot
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsps yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 tsps salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender. Rinse immediately under cold water and drain well.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth.
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Add the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, radishes, and cooked macaroni to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Overnight is better.
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Stir well before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Recipe Notes
Making this gluten free? Use a rice-based or corn-and-rice elbow pasta. Barilla GF elbows are widely available and hold up well after chilling. Jovial is my personal favourite if you can find it, Healthy Planet carries it. Skip chickpea pasta entirely: it goes mushy overnight and dries out in the fridge.
This salad only gets better the longer it sits. If you're making it for a crowd, it doubles easily.