Description
Alton Brown’s macaroni salad delivers classic southern comfort with perfect pasta texture and balanced tang. Creamy dressing and crisp vegetables combine for a refreshing side dish you’ll crave at summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (227 g) macaroni noodles
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs, finely diced
- ¾ cup (100 g) red bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ cup (80 g) sweet gherkins, finely diced
- ⅓ cup (55 g) celery, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup (45 g) red onion, finely diced
- ¾ cup (175 g) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (70 g) sour cream
- 2 tbsps sweet pickle juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil elbow macaroni in salted water until al dente, then rapidly cool under cold water and toss with olive oil to prevent clumping.
- Vegetable Chopping: Uniformly dice sweet pickles, celery, red onion, and red bell pepper into fine, consistent pieces for optimal texture and flavor distribution.
- Egg Integration: Carefully chop hard-boiled eggs into uniform bite-sized chunks, maintaining visual consistency.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, dijon mustard, sweet pickle juice, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes into a smooth, well-blended sauce.
- Salad Assembly: Combine cooled macaroni, chopped vegetables, and eggs in a large mixing bowl, then gently fold the creamy dressing throughout, ensuring complete and even coating.
- Flavor Development: Refrigerate the salad for at least one hour, allowing ingredients to marinate and flavors to intensify. Stir gently before serving to redistribute dressing.
- Final Touch: Optionally garnish with fresh herbs or a light sprinkle of paprika to enhance visual appeal and add subtle flavor complexity.
Notes
- Pasta Perfection: Cook macaroni just until al dente, rinsing immediately with cold water prevents overcooking and maintains ideal texture.
- Veggie Uniformity: Dice vegetables into consistently small pieces to ensure balanced flavor and texture in every bite.
- Chilling Strategy: Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow flavors to develop and marry, creating a more complex and delicious salad.
- Dressing Distribution: Fold dressing gently to coat ingredients evenly, avoiding excessive stirring that could break down pasta or crush delicate components.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg