Macaroni Salad
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A good macaroni salad should be creamy without feeling heavy, with enough crunch and tang to keep you going back for another spoonful. This version combines small pasta elbows, sweetcorn, carrot, green pepper and gherkins in a mayonnaise-and-yoghurt dressing. A splash of gherkin brine brings everything together without making the salad sharply vinegary.
It is just the sort of practical side I like for a braai: affordable, easy to portion and ready before the meat comes off the fire. The cool, creamy dressing is lovely alongside Peri-Peri Chicken, while the crunchy vegetables suit Lamb Sosaties and Boerewors and Pap. For a bigger spread, browse the Braai Salads collection.
Make it up to a day ahead and keep it covered in a fridge at 4°C or colder. In our summer heat, carry it in a cooler box packed with ice bricks and serve small portions rather than leaving the whole batch beside the braai. Keep its total time out of refrigeration under 2 hours, or under 1 hour when the temperature is above 32°C; during load shedding, use an iced cooler if the fridge cannot stay cold.
Tips & Techniques
- Cook for a cold salad: Aim for tender macaroni with no chalky centre, rather than very firm al dente pasta. It will firm up further in the fridge.
- Drain properly: Water trapped inside the elbows and between the sweetcorn kernels can thin the dressing. Shake the colander well and give the pasta a few minutes to drain.
- Keep the crunch small: Dice the pepper, onion and gherkins into roughly 5 mm pieces so each forkful has a little of everything.
- Tame a strong onion: Soak the diced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry before adding it.
- Season after chilling: The pasta absorbs dressing as it rests. Stir, loosen if necessary and taste the cold salad before adding extra salt or brine.
Delicious Variations
- Mild curried salad: Stir 5 ml mild curry powder into the dressing and replace the sugar with 15 ml fruit chutney for a gently sweet, spiced version.
- Cheddar addition: Fold in 100 g mature Cheddar cut into small cubes. Taste before adding extra salt.
- No yoghurt: Replace the 100 g yoghurt with 75 g extra mayonnaise and 25 ml cold water for a richer dressing with a similar consistency.
- Less bitter crunch: Replace the green pepper with the same weight of red or yellow pepper, keeping the dice small.
Serving Suggestions
- With boerewors: Spoon alongside sliced boerewors and tomato smoor; the tangy dressing balances the rich sausage nicely.
- With spicy chicken: Serve cold beside peri-peri chicken, with a simple green salad for freshness.
- For a full braai spread: Add beetroot salad or a tomato-and-onion salad rather than another creamy side.
- For outdoor serving: Nest the serving bowl in a larger bowl of ice, keep it shaded and replenish with fresh chilled portions rather than topping up an old bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Can I make macaroni salad the day before?
Yes. Make it up to 24 hours ahead, cover and refrigerate at 4°C or colder. Stir before serving and loosen with 15-30 ml cold water if the pasta has absorbed much of the dressing. The prep and cook times do not include the minimum 1 hour chilling time.
Q2: How long will leftovers keep?
Keep promptly refrigerated leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days from preparation. Discard salad that has spent more than 2 hours out of refrigeration, or more than 1 hour above 32°C, counting preparation and serving time together. Refrigerating it again does not reset that clock. Freezing is not recommended because the dressing can separate and the vegetables lose their crunch.
Q3: What can I substitute for macaroni or gherkins?
Use 300 g dry small shells or short pasta twists instead of elbows. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free short pasta and check the dressing ingredient labels. If you do not like gherkins, leave them out and replace the 15 ml brine with 10 ml lemon juice plus 5 ml water, then adjust to taste.
Q4: How many people does this recipe serve?
It makes approximately 1.6 kg, enough for 6 generous or 8 smaller side portions. If you are serving several other salads and pap or bread, allow 8 portions. For 12-16 people, double all the ingredients and use a very large mixing bowl or two smaller bowls.
Q5: Why has my macaroni salad turned watery?
The usual causes are poorly drained pasta or sweetcorn, or vegetables added while still wet. Cool and drain the pasta thoroughly, use thick plain yoghurt and keep the finished salad cold. If liquid settles after chilling, stir gently before deciding whether it needs any extra mayonnaise.
In Summary
This macaroni salad brings creamy dressing, crisp vegetables and a gentle gherkin tang to the braai table without much fuss. Make it ahead, give it a final stir and keep it properly chilled until the meat is ready.
Recipe
Macaroni Salad
This creamy macaroni salad balances tender pasta, crunchy vegetables and a tangy mayonnaise dressing for an easy South African braai side.
Ingredients
- 300 gDry elbow macaroni (Small elbows hold the dressing well.)
- 10 mlSalt (For the pasta water; add extra to the finished salad only if needed.)
- 180 gMayonnaise (Use a creamy, tangy mayonnaise you enjoy.)
- 100 gPlain unsweetened yoghurt (Full-cream yoghurt gives a smooth dressing.)
- 15 mlGherkin brine (From the gherkin jar.)
- 10 mlDijon mustard (Use mild prepared mustard if preferred.)
- 5 mlSugar (Balances the tang; omit if using sweet mayonnaise or sweet gherkins.)
- 1.25 mlGround black pepper (Plus extra to taste.)
- 150 gGreen pepper (Prepared weight, seeds removed and finely diced; about 1 medium pepper.)
- 100 gCarrot (Peeled and coarsely grated; about 1 medium carrot.)
- 50 gRed onion (Finely diced; about half a small onion.)
- 165 gCanned sweetcorn kernels (Drained weight; use kernels, not cream-style sweetcorn.)
- 60 gGherkins (Drained and finely diced.)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large mixing bowl with a lid or cover
- Chopping board, sharp knife and coarse grater
Method
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the 10 ml salt. Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions, usually 8-10 minutes, until tender but still holding its shape. Cold pasta firms up, so avoid leaving a hard centre.
- 2
Drain the macaroni in a colander and rinse briefly under cold running water until cool. Shake well, then leave to drain for about 5 minutes while you prepare the dressing. Do not leave the pasta standing at room temperature to cool.
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, yoghurt, gherkin brine, mustard, sugar and black pepper until smooth.
- 4
Dice the green pepper, red onion and gherkins, and grate the carrot. Drain the sweetcorn thoroughly so it does not water down the dressing.
- 5
Add the cooled, well-drained macaroni and all the vegetables to the dressing. Fold together gently, scraping the bottom of the bowl so every piece of pasta is lightly coated.
- 6
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving; this chilling time is additional to the prep and cook times. Once chilled, stir and taste before adding any extra salt, as the mayonnaise and gherkins already contribute plenty.
- 7
If the chilled salad looks a little stiff, stir in 15 ml cold water to loosen it, adding another 15 ml only if needed. Serve cold, putting out a small bowl at a time and keeping the rest refrigerated.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
- Calories
- 352 kcal
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Saturated fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 17 mg
- Sodium
- 444 mg
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
