Description
A creamy and colorful salad featuring elbow macaroni, hard-boiled eggs, and crunchy vegetables, perfect for gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454g) elbow macaroni (dried)
- 3 large hard-boiled eggs (peeled and chopped into tiny bits)
- 1.5 cups (150g) celery (finely diced)
- 1 cup (150g) red bell pepper (diced into uniform cubes)
- 2 cups (480ml) mayonnaise (real mayo for best sheen)
- 3 tbsp (45g) yellow mustard (provides signature color)
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar (adjust for desired sweetness)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar (tangy acid source)
- 1/2 tsp (3g) salt (plus more for pasta water)
- 3 stalks green onions (sliced into rings for garnish)
- 1/2 tsp (1g) ground paprika (for light dusting)
Instructions
- Start by cooking the elbow macaroni according to the package instructions. Make sure to add a pinch of salt to the water for flavor.
- Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, and red bell pepper.
- In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, and salt until well-blended.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and gently stir to combine all the ingredients. Make sure everything is evenly coated.
- Finally, sprinkle the salad with sliced green onions and a light dusting of paprika for garnish.
- Cover the salad and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
Adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of sugar; consider adding ingredients like diced pickles or chopped olives for extra crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Chilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 100mg