Vegan Pimento Macaroni Salad
User Reviews
5
Vegan Pimento Macaroni Salad
Description
This vegan macaroni salad features a sauce created by blending soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, rice vinegar, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. After blending to a smooth consistency, the sauce is tossed with cooked and cooled elbow macaroni, providing a creamy and tangy coating without traditional mayonnaise.
The salad includes chopped celery, bell pepper, red onion, and jarred pimentos, which add crispness and sweetness to balance the rich sauce. The mixture is chilled to thicken the sauce further and enhance the flavors, making it a refreshing dish with a tangy, mildly spicy profile and varied textures from crunchy vegetables and soft pasta.
This salad is suitable for potlucks or as a make-ahead side dish, offering a vegan alternative to classic pimento salads. It can be garnished with reserved vegetables and pimentos for presentation. The recipe notes that it tastes even better the next day and should be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 ½ cups cashews raw (sub 1 ¼ cups raw sunflower seeds for nut-free
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 4 ounces red peppers roasted, drained
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons hot sauce I used Crystal brand.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt I know this seems like a lot, but remember it's for an entire package of pasta!, fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the salad:
- 16 ounces macaroni dry elbows (use whole-grain or gluten-free, if needed
- 1 cup celery chopped (about 5 large stalks
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped yellow or orange (about 1 large pepper
- ¾ cup red onion diced (about 1 small onion
- 4 ounce Pimentos jar, drained very well and chopped
Instructions
- *If using a standard blender, first soak cashews in hot water for 1 to 2 hours (or soak seeds for 1 hour). Then, drain and follow recipe. In a high-speed blender combine all sauce ingredients. Gradually increase speed, then blend on high until completely smooth. Set sauce aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Immediately drain in a colander and thoroughly rinse with cold running water, tossing/stirring pasta until it's cool. Drain well.
- Pour about half of the sauce into the pasta pot. Add the macaroni and stir to combine. Add more sauce, and continue to stir making sure all of the macaroni is completely coated. It will seem very saucy at this point but will thicken as it sits and after adding the veggies.
- Reserve a tablespoon or two of each of the veggies for garnish, if desired. Add remaining celery, bell pepper, onion, and pimentos to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, and sprinkle reserved veggies/pimentos on top. Refrigerate for one hour (or longer) before serving.
Notes
- Macaroni salad improves in flavor after chilling overnight, making it ideal for make-ahead meals.
- Serve this salad cool, and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days to maintain freshness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 285 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 285kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 14% |
| Protein | 11g | 22% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 575mg | 24% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 369IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 41mg | 46% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 3.4mg | 19% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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