Southern Macaroni Salad

Start with high-quality dried macaroni.

Southern macaroni salad is commonly served in restaurants and diners both in and out of the southern part of the United States, often accompanying items such as sandwiches, hamburgers or baked or fried chicken. While there are numerous variations on macaroni salad, there is a basic recipe with which you can start. From there, you can add anything you wish, such as pimentos, olives or carrots.

Things You'll Need

• Large pot with a tight-fitting top
• Salt
• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• Large mixing bowl
• 1 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar
• Large wooden spoon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. mustard
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Plastic wrap
• Large serving bowl or individual serving dishes
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• Fresh or dried herbs (optional)

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot halfway with cold, clean water and add 2 tbsp. salt. Bring the water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni, following the package instructions. Drain the macaroni and set it aside in a large mixing bowl until needed.

2. Add the white vinegar, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir to combine with a large wooden spoon.

3. Add the mustard, onion, eggs, celery and mayonnaise to the bowl. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fully combined.

4. Cover the macaroni salad with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for four hours so the flavors combine.

5. Remove the macaroni salad from the refrigerator and transfer it to a large serving bowl or individual serving plates. Garnish the macaroni salad with chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley, if desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of using fresh flat-leaf parsley, you can use fresh or dried dill, marjoram or thyme. If you choose to use dried herbs, add a small amount, mix the macaroni salad and taste it before adding more. Dried herbs may have a more intense flavor than fresh herbs and can overpower the macaroni salad.

• If you add other ingredients to your macaroni salad, try to match the ingredients to complement your main course.

Resources

• Allrecipes.com: Pasta Salad Recipes