Classic Southern Macaroni Salad Recipes

CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
• In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

SOUTHERN MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place eggs in another pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain.
• Drain cooked macaroni and place back into the pot; add mayonnaise and stir until creamy. Dice boiled eggs and mix into pasta. Fold in tomatoes, celery, radishes, and onion. Transfer to a big bowl and season with salt, pepper, and celery seed.

CLASSIC MACARONI SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce and hot sauce until smooth. Drain and dry the red onion and stir it into the dressing along with the bell pepper, scallions and a generous pinch of salt.
• Make the pasta: In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring from time to time, until al dente (chewy but not hard or raw tasting), 6 to 10 minutes. Drain; do not rinse the pasta. Spread it out on a large baking sheet to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• While the pasta is still warm, add it to the bowl with the dressing and let sit at room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir in the dill and basil just before serving and taste for seasoning.