Just as much as it’s not summer without pool days, it’s not summer without a good pasta salad.
Usually the things are laden with heavy dairy products, but not this one! It’s completely dairy-free and loaded with the perfect combo of crispy veg. Pasta heaven in a bowl.
Plus, it comes with a VIDEO!
If you enjoyed this video, be sure to check out my first one for Vegan Chai Ice Cream. I’m getting really into the video/editing process and having a blast doing it. So stay tuned for more in the near future!
So, back to the salad.
It’s simple, requiring just 30 minutes start to finish and just over 10 ingredients (depending on what spices you go with). The result is a light, fresh pasta salad with a tofu-based dressing that no one would ever guess was dairy-free. And the veggies? Perfectly crisp and uber colorful. Classic macaroni salad made vegan – ’nuff said.
Where might you take this pasta salad? A barbecue, a summer shindig, a lake day, a picnic, in yo lunch, camping…you get the idea. Make this salad and take it with you everywhere this summer. Cheers!
- 4 cups elbow macaroni shells (GF for gluten free eaters)
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/4 cup diced red or green onion
- 1 cup silken firm tofu (make sure it’s silken or it won’t blend right)
- 2-3 Tbsp dried dill or 4-5 Tbsp fresh
- 3-4 Tbsp agave nectar or cane sugar (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, black pepper & garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp vinegar (white wine is best)
- 2 Tbsp grape seed or olive oil
- 1 Tbsp spicy mustard for tang
- (water to thin)
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain and set aside.
- Chop veggies and set aside.
- Prepare dressing by adding silken tofu, dill, salt, pepper garlic powder, agave nectar (or sugar), vinegar, grape seed oil, and spicy mustard to a blender and blending until well combined. Scrape down sides as needed. If having trouble blending add water in Tablespoon amounts until it has enough liquid to churn properly.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added more dill, mustard, salt and agave.
- Toss drained noodles and veggies with the dressing in a large serving bowl. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving. The flavors will meld and the salad will thicken up the longer it chills.
- Serves 8. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a few days.
* Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 8 servings.
And no mayo either! Looks great- exactly what I want in a pasta salad.
Love the music choice for the vid too :)
Thanks!! No mayo for days and STILL amazing!
I love the idea of using tofu as a base for this sauce! I tend to not make pasta salad because I don’t like mayo-laden things. I’m excited to try this out!
Also love the video :)
Thanks Jenna! Let me know if you give it a go!
This looks amazing. I have never though of using tofu as a mayo substitute before. I shall definitely be giving this a try
Love the video (especially the music!). It was definitely very you, even though the format wasn’t just words and pictures :) ‘Boil them noodles’ made me laugh! Love the blue background and basically everything about this post!
Thanks Medha!! You’re the best :D
This looks FANTASTIC! I’ve made macaroni salad with homemade mayo before to kind of mitigate the gross/gloppy factor, but this looks like a much better solution. Thanks for sharing :)
I love a good macaroni salad and double plus that this is vegan. Will be making this for a BBQ this summer! Btw, great video!! Pinned! :D
Yay! Hope you and your dinner guests enjoy it. And thanks for the kind words on the video! I’m starting to love the process of videoing/editing!
Love your video!! Editing is spot on :) recipe looks super yummy!
Thanks Anetta!! xo
Drooooling at my desk. We’re going to a family potluck on Sunday. This would be a perfect dish to bring! :)
These sounds lovely! I’ve bookmarked it to make at some point!
Stephanie
Loved the video! Also, I LOVE the use of silken tofu. I’m going to definitely play around with this idea. :)
Such a fab video (and the recipe, obviously!) – the editing is seriously amazing and love a bit of Johnny Cash!
Holy cow! This looks so, so good! Nothing says summer to me more like a giant bowl of creamy macaroni salad- it’s the best! Will be making this one soon!
This sounds amazing and I am SO excited that it is vegan! Thank you for sharing ;)
What an awesome creamy dressing! I can imagine how delicious it would be with all of the herbs and mustard. I’ll definitely be trying this soon! P.S your photos are always, consistently, awesome. This blog is a pleasure to read!
Yum. Love a great pasta salad in the summer. Thanks!
How does the tofu-based approach compare to using a vegan mayo?
very similar, actually. Only you wouldn’t need to add any sweetener if using mayo because it’s already kind of sweet in my experience. Hope that helps!
STOP, this is too perfect. Love pasta salad, love your images (and fonts!) and love the video! And your (vintage Pyrex?!) mixing bowl! And of course, can’t say enough how much I love all the vegan stuff. I must make this! Do you think I’d enjoy the dressing if I’m not a mustard fan? I hate it straight, but am usually ok with it as an ingredient in something like a dairy-free “mac n cheese” sauce or something.
Thanks Katherine! I found the mustard to just add a little tang, and you really can’t taste it that much. But try it without first and then add it in if you’re concerned. Hope that helps!
Oh wow! That tofu blended up so smoothly, I had no idea you could do that. I can’t wait to try this method for other tasties. We added more dill, some black olives, and omitted the sugar. This is one of the best pasta salads ever – thank you so much for sharing!
[ Smiles ] Great! A delicious vegan recipe that anyone can make!
Oooh! this was great…a perfect no-oven summer dish! I used shells instead of elbows, and tossed in some diced cucumber and radishes…will definitely be making this again! The video is very cute…johnny cash AND vegan pasta salad…win!!!
This looks great, I’ve been trying to work out what to feed everyone (including vegans!) at a summer picnic and this looks perfect! Thanks for the recipe
This looks and sounds SO fantastic! I love finding any excuse to use Vegenaise.
This was so delicious!! So fast and easy to make too. Best part, my non-vegan husband loved it; even after I told him it had tofu in it! Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Btw, I am obsessed with this video! Great job!
Thanks friend!!
I just made this and WOW is it good! I’m going to have to make this again for a pool party I’m going to saturday!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, Hayley!
Ah! Looks delish! I am going to try to make this right now— but I don’t have any silken tofu on hand! Do you think that I could substitute the tofu with an avocado?
That should work! It will taste a little different but still delicious!
Just made this for lunch, so yummy!
I love your website – thank you for all of your great, simple, healthy, plant based dishes.
Hi! I am searching desperately to find opaque colored backgrounds that are exactly like the one you’ve used above for food pics! Can you please tell me what resources you’ve used for this background? Do I have to buy professional tools or can I find things like this at Target or something, or just use cool fabrics that are laying around? I’ve tried little colored science boards and have painted some white boards but it just doesn’t look that great, or professional. Maybe this is something discussed in the online food photography class?!
I do discuss this in the online food photography course! Also, we have a new food photography product coming out very soon, so stay tuned!
My sister works with Neal Barnard and I needed a pasta salad to take to a party but I told her I didn’t think I should make a vegan salad. She said whenever she brings something (vegan) to a party it always goes first. So I found this, just made it and is it delicious!! Wow!! Since there was fresh white corn at the store, I added that.
Lovely! So glad you enjoyed it, Louise!
I am intolerant to anything with vinegar, so what would you suggest to replace the white vinegar and the mustard (usually vinegar in it also)? I’m still having a hard time to find something to put on my burgers that would replace – relish, mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce. Thank you for helping me!
Hey instead of tofu can we use cottage cheese/ curd ?
This has got to be the best thing ever. I think my boyfriend and I ate this for 2 weeks straight. I wasn’t sure if I had found the right silken tofu, so I substituted with Hampton Creek Vegan Mayo. BOMB!
How much mayo did you use, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m in the same boat as you right now, we have extra firm tofu instead of silken firm and I’m in need of a replacement.
I used one cup of the mayo, and inside of blending, I mixed the dill, salt, pepper garlic powder, agave nectar (or sugar), vinegar, grape seed oil, and spicy mustard all in a bowl before mixing in the macaroni.
Thank you! We tried a cup with the vegenese and it came out wonderful!
This is aaaaaaamazing!! :D
This is AMAZING. I used sunrise firm tofu because I didn’t have Silken and it blended perfectly. I cut the mustard in half and added a few pinches of cayenne pepper since I was using regular mustard (not spicy). I also added extra dill. It turned out so yummy. Thanks!
I just finished making this- it’s FANTASTIC! Definitely need to adjust seasoning to taste..I only added half the sweetness (cane sugar) and I actually wish I’d added less. Not too into sweet mac salad..but by adding a bit more vinegar, mustard and fresh dill, I countered that. The tofu is amazingly creamy..salad is chilling now and I’m sure will be even better by dinner time. Thank you!
I am eating this now! It’s amazing. I have never used tofu to make a dressing and it was creamy and perfect! I LOVE IT!!! The bit of sweatness is a huge plus and complements the onion in a big way!
My father is allergic to mustard so wondering how important the mustard is to the recipe or do you suggest an alternative. would love to be able to bring something to my family’s vegan father’s day bbq in a few weeks – usually I only bring myself ;-)
Ooh. I want to try these!
Any suggestions for a non-soy sauce that would be good for mac salad. I tried to be vegan for a while and found out I’m terribly intolerant of soy :( A cashew-based sauce?
I’m trying this soon!
Was this supposed to be 4 cups of cooked macaroni?! I cooked 4 cups of dry, thought it looked like too much and left a bunch out, but it still became dry after it was refrigerated. The taste was good, but I added juice from dill pickles to take away the dryness.
Hmm, it’s been so long since I made this that I still feel like it’s 4 cups dry. It’s even what I say in the video, but it does look like less. Perhaps I meant 4 cups cooked? Sorry to confuse! I’ll retest it as soon as I can. Otherwise, just cook as much as you’d like in order to get the right sauce:pasta ratio. Thanks for asking!
Did you ever determine the dry measure of noodles for this recipe?
I used 4c cooked macaroni and that worked out just right. The recipe says serving size 1/2 cup and serves 8 so I think it was meant to be 4c cooked macaroni.
Hello,
I know this is an older post but checking to see if i could just leave the oil out of this recipe? How important is the oil?
Just made this today! It’s wonderful! I used 2 garlic cloves instead of powder and yellow mustard instead of spicy mustard. Can’t wait to experiment with the recipe again!
Wonderful! So glad you liked it, Allie!
I made this today–It is a really great recipe. I used quinoa elbow pasta and made the following changes: added peas, 4 oz cubed “Jjlapeno jack” almond cheese, and 4 slices soy bacon (chopped). I didn’t have white wine vinegar so substituted apple cider vinegar. Finally, I added a few large spoonfuls of Vegenaise and 3T dijon mustard to make it extra creamy. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this for a picnic and it is so incredibly good. I am vegan, but I also am serving it to my non-vegan friends. The dressing is simple to make, but the taste is tangy and complex. As for the pasta amount, 16 ounces worked great. That is about 4 cups uncooked. I used two different interesting shapes, which makes the dish look fancy. I also added a cubed avocado (not too ripe or it will fall apart) and garbanzo beans. To thin the dressing, I used a almond/coconut milk blend instead of the water.
Any ideas for making this dressing without using a soy product? I need it to be vegan but also soy free.
Hmm, what about soaked cashews?
this is really good!!! thank you for posting!!!! ive made it twice now and my boyfriend loves!!!!!
I used extra vegetables in place of some of the macaroni, rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup but would recommend half that, 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and no oil. I suggest starting with half the sweetener and adjusting, adding extra mustard, and patting the tofu dry before blending for a creamier dressing (no water needed in my case). I was unsure about the tofu-based dressing at first, but it’s healthier than mayo so I gave it a try and LOVE it. Please share with us more tofu-based dressings! Great starting point for macaroni salad, which is versatile to begin with. I will try radishes and olives as others have suggested next time.
Do yo u think this could be frozen? Made the recipe and loved it but have a ton left over and don’t want to waste any.
Thanks
I don’t, sorry!
I will do it again! It was amazing ;)
Hi Dana! I’m a 16 year old vegan and I love your recipes! I like to plan my week out in advance because I like to avoid cafeteria food. Do you think that I could make this recipe the night before? It looks nice and easy and I would love to be able to have it at school. If not, what other recipes would you suggest would be better to pre-prepare? Thank you! Much love xx
Wow! Sounds delicious! I really want to make some for my family, since They think I only eat vegetables 😉 what do you mean by spicy mustard? Dijon mustard? Thanks! 😃
Awesome recipe. I usually use Veganaise in these salad type dishes, but it’s not as healthy. I made this last night and after chilling overnight, I can say it’s so delicious! Thanks
I just went plant-based about a week ago. Just made this recipe and cannot believe how good it is! I think we made too much pasta (maybe the recipe meant four cups of COOKED pasta, I read it as four cups of DRY pasta) so just doubled everything else. Its incredible, and if I hadn’t made it I would never know it didn’t have mayonnaise. A+
I Made it yesterday and my boyfriend made it dissapear in seconds (with chicken on side). He does not eat dill and soya…well did not eat untill now. Had no idea poor thing. I have just discovered your blog when searching some silken soya recipes and love it!
Looks great! Want to make right now and have no tofu. Any idea for a substitute?
Just made this and it tastes SO good – you’d never know it was made with tofu (much less no mayo!) It tastes like old timey pasta salad that you’d get at a church potluck or the cafeteria. This cures my southern girl heart :)
Four cups of macaroni. That must be cooked? I would think the salad would be very dry using that much dry pasta?!?
Hands down best vegan pasta salad recipe. Even my non-vegan sister loved it and she’s a picky eater!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Janice!
This recipe turned out great! i substituted mint and thyme for dill (thats what I had in the house) and it was delicious!
I have a friend allergic to soy, what could I use instead (no dairy, either)?
soaked cashews!
This was fantastic!!! I know some people in the comments were feeling that 4 cups of dried pasta might be too much, but I ended up using around that much (around 450 grams of macaroni, which was probably about 3.75 cups or thereabouts) and it was perfectly fine. I think I’ll probably lower the pasta amount and add in more vegetables next time (carrots maybe? or green beans? or broccoli? diced pickles?), but it was delicious the way it was. The only thing I’d do differently about the dressing is probably add less sugar–I used the minimum recommended amount, and it was still a little bit too sweet for me. Overall though, this is a really easy and really delicious recipe, and I’m sure I’ll be using it several times this summer!
This was outstanding. Thank you for the recipe.
BEST DRESSING EVER! The silken tofu dressing is amazing – and a great, versatile base to use for a variety of creamy-based salad dressings (potato, slaw, veggie dip, etc.) Play with the “add ins” and have fun creating some wonderfully flavored concoctions. I have made it several times – and now double the recipe so that I can have a jar of reserve in the fridge. AND – gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or not – this is a great dressing to use in the summer when one is leery of using any ingredients that are especially susceptible to spoilage when sitting out at a picnic in hot weather.
My one suggestion: Cut back at least half on the agave/honey/sugar used to begin with. Make and taste and then add more sweetener to your taste or recipe needs.
I really enjoyed this recipe, especially with the dill! I did double the veggies, and I think it would be good with other veggies as well. I also increased the pepper and mustard to give it a bit more spice.
I just made potato salad using the dressing portion of this recipe. I’m not one to usually keep tofu on hand, so I subbed canned white beans instead. I found that I needed to add a few Tbs extra water and oil to get a nice, creamy consistency. This turned out BOMB! So delicious.
Where are places to purchase silken tofu. I resolved to making this recipe with veganaise after multiple store stops and no silken tofu.
Hi Rachel,
Try using regular firm tofu and using a food processor instead of a blender. Make sure to process thoroughly. I can’t get silken tofu in my local stores either and this is what I do. It works great.
My favorite pasta salad! I did it at least 5 times. Usually i am a big fan of mayo and this one is amazing with tofu!
I just made this and it is delicious! I added extra red bell pepper, celery, and red onion. I also added shredded carrot and halved yellow grape tomatoes.
I can’t find silken tofu at my local grocery stores so I used firm tofu and used a food processor instead of a blender. I do this for other recipes calling for silken tofu and it always works out perfectly. Just make sure to process thoroughly so it’s nice and smooth.
Made this today and it was so good! Tastes exactly like a mayo pasta salad, but better! Wish I had dill, but just used a few different dried spices to give it taste (basil, celery seed, thyme). This was so easy to make and was a huge hit. The serving size is a lot though. Perfect for a picnic! Will be making this again.
Use 1/2 as much sugar (cane) and more salt, pepper, and vinegar.
Hello! I made this for a cook out for my colleagues today and everyone LOVED it. Got so many compliments from a crowd that would probably shy away from vegan food. (I did not mention it was vegan before they ate it :) )
I added a bit more garlic powder and some chili flakes for a bit of a mild kick and let it sit over night before serving. It was really quite great and tastes quite rich! Everyone loves the creamy dill flavor.
I made this for a BBQ where my boyfriend was the only vegan. Everyone loved it and couldn’t understand how it was so creamy! Totally yummy. Your blog is a life saver for me as although I’m a veggie it can be difficult for me sometimes to think of vegan alternatives.
I subbed Just Mayo instead of tofu (about a half a cup, plus a few tablespoons of water to thin it out) and used my trusty immersion blender to make the sauce. I added chickpeas to the salad for some protein…and with broccoli, red onion and cucumber as the only veggies in the house, this turned out perfect. Thank you Dana for inspiring so many of my meals!
I’m obsessed with this macaroni salad! I’ve made it twice this week already. I make a few small changes: I cut down the agave and the olive oil to one tablespoon and add about a tablespoon more vinegar. It’s the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had, vegan or not. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Is there anything I could use instead of tofu or mayo?
Soaked cashews!