Healthy Macaroni Salad
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
This Healthy Macaroni Salad is made with a lighter dressing than the classic recipe and has chunks of hard boiled eggs and crisp vegetables! Serve this macaroni salad as a side dish at your next party, bbq or summer picnic!
PIN Healthy Macaroni Salad to try later!
I especially love this creamy Macaroni Salad because it’s made with all of the classic macaroni salad fixings except it’s a lighter version. This Healthy Macaroni Salad is made with both mayonnaise and Greek yogurt as the base so it’s extra creamy and it still has the classic taste.
The Greek yogurt adds more flavor, tang and creaminess to this salad. You and your guests won’t even believe this version is healthier than the original. Greek yogurt makes the best substitute for mayonnaise in just about any recipe, like my Healthy French Onion Dip. or my Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip.
Hard boiled eggs in a macaroni salad is a must for me! I love how the yolks give the macaroni salad more of a creamy texture and they pair so perfectly with the other ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
Elbow macaroni: the short macaroni or the elbow macaroni work well for this recipe.
Bell peppers: you can use green, red, orange or yellow. Sweet mini bell peppers are also fun to use and it’s gorgeous to have all of the different colors in the salad. They all will work.
Celery: adds so much crunch.
Yellow onion: you could also use white onions.
Green onions: adds color, crunch and a mild onion flavor.
Paprika: just a few sprinkles for some color and spice on top.
Hard boiled eggs: adds a rich and creamy element to this macaroni salad. 6 eggs is just perfect for this recipe but you can use more or less.
INGREDIENTS IN MACARONI SALAD DRESSING
- Greek or nonfat yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- White vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh or dried parsley
- Fresh or dried dill
- Lemon juice and zest
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Salt + pepper
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY MACARONI SALAD
WHAT TO SERVE WITH MACARONI SALAD
- Cilantro Lime Chicken (with avocado salsa)
- Crock Pot Chicken
- Dutch Oven Pulled Pork
- Egg Salad with Dill
- Bacon Spinach Salad
- Bean Salad
- Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad
- Copy Cat KFC Coleslaw
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Cornbread
THIS HEALTHY MACARONI SALAD IS
- Creamy, packed with crisp veggies and delicious hard boiled egg pieces.
- Healthier than the original Macaroni Salad recipe and won’t even taste the difference.
- Perfect for summer BBQs, picnics or parties!
- Super easy to make and takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish. You can also prep this macaroni salad the night before.
IS MACARONI SALAD HEALTHY?
This Macaroni Salad is a healthier version and has less fat then the original recipe. This recipe is made with Greek yogurt and mayonnaise as opposed to just mayonnaise. I also add more vegetables because I love the crunch and freshness that they bring in every bite.
To make this macaroni salad even healthier, you can use whole wheat, gluten-free or chick-pea based noodles instead.
Another healthy options is you can completely omit the mayonnaise and substitute plain Greek yogurt, you will be shocked at how creamy this is! You can also use 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 3/4 cup of plain yogurt so you still get the classic macaroni salad flavors.
LEFTOVERS
This Healthy Macaroni Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure to give the macaroni salad a stir when you want to enjoy it again to combine all of the flavors that may have transferred to the bottom of the container.
OTHER SUMMER SALAD RECIPES TO TRY
- Vegetable Herb Pasta Salad
- Tomato Caprese
- Greek Salad with Avocado
- Melon Caprese Salad
- Healthy Tuna Salad
CAN’T GET ENOUGH?
Subscribe and I’ll send all my newest and FREE recipes to your inbox! You can also keep up with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram so I can see and feature you!
Healthy Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz. box elbow macaroni
- 1 cup bell peppers; finely diced any color; I love using a trio
- 1 cup celery; finely diced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion; finely diced
- 2 Tbsp. green onions; plus more for garnish
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 3 Tbsp. hard boiled eggs; roughly chopped
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup plain Greek or nonfat yogurt
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. fresh or dried parsley
- 1 tsp. fresh or dried dill
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice plus the zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the noodles per package and drain in a colander and add to a large mixing bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Stir in the eggs, bell peppers, celery, yellow onion and green onion until combined. Pour the dressing over the macaroni salad and mix well until combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Top the macaroni salad with a few dashes of paprika and then place in the fridge until ready to eat.
Notes
- This Healthy Macaroni Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure to give the macaroni salad a stir when you want to enjoy it again to combine all of the flavors that may have transferred to the bottom of the container.
- If you want to add a boost of protein, you can add a can or two of canned tuna to this macaroni salad!
Macaroni salad is one of my favorite to make for summer backyard parties. I am in love with this vegetable loaded healthier version and can’t wait to make it.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we did! Enjoy 🙂
A lovely salad with all the delicious combinations. Looks colorful and creamy. Love the addition of Tuna enhancing the taste of this salad too. A meal by itself.
Thank you!!
Macaroni salad is my favorite! Thank you so much for sharing your very amazing recipe! It’s yummy and will make it again for sure!
Thank you so much! So glad you loved this macaroni salad!
I love that you used Greek yogurt in this! And the healthy spin. Saving this for picnic season!
I bet this is a great way to get kids to eat veggies! I know I’m definitely going to give it a try. 🙂
Oh yes definitely, they will love it- hopefully! 🙂
This is my favourite thing to bring to picnics!! But for some reason I have never made it myself. This looks so good, I am definitely going to give it a go this weekend!!
Thank you Cathleen, I sure hope you got a chance to try this recipe!
This macaroni salad looks so Creamy and delicious. One of the best recipe to try this summer. Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much!!
This macaroni salad recipe is right up my street! It looks so creamy and delicious. I plan to make it for my BBQ next week. Thanks for sharing.
🙂 I hope you enjoyed it!
I made this delicious salad this weekend and everyone loved it! The yogurt gave it such a nice tangy flavor.
That is awesome! I’m so glad you tried this recipe and everyone loved it! Thank you 🙂
What a fab idea to use Greek yogurt. Oh, I love this. And my kids going to love this too, I’m sure. I’m making this soon. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much! The Greek yogurt works so well with this recipe!
This is an amazing recipe… Works fine.
Thank you, I’m glad you loved it!
Who wouldn’t love this? Came out so well… The kids asked for more….lol.
Hi Raleigh, thanks so much for your review 🙂 I’m so glad you loved it and so did the kids!
This pasta salad is delicious! I make it with brown rice pasta so it’s even healthier! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Maxine! I love that you love this Macaroni Salad recipe, thanks for your review! Brown rice pasta is a great idea, I love how it’s even healthier. Thank you again 🙂