Macaroni Salad With Lemon and Herbs

By Alexa Weibel

Updated May 23, 2023

Macaroni Salad With Lemon and Herbs
Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(4,609)
Comments
Read comments

Consider this a macaroni salad for the 21st century: Like the original, it’s a welcome accompaniment to picnic fare and pairs with virtually anything off the grill. But this version also happens to be bright, acidic and herbaceous. The traditional elements have been preserved — elbow macaroni, mayonnaise and a pinch of sugar are mandatory — but they’ve been bolstered by bright flavors: lemon zest, tangy capers and pickles, crunchy celery and tons of fresh herbs. It goes lighter on mayonnaise than the original, swapping in tangy buttermilk for a dressing that is more glossy than gloopy. It can be served straight from the fridge or at room temperature. A splash of water stirred in restores its silky sheen.

Featured in: Macaroni Salad for Modern Times

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ⅔cup minced bread-and-butter pickles
  • 2large stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
  • 4scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • ½cup mayonnaise
  • ½cup buttermilk (see Tip)
  • ⅓cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
  • ¼cup chopped fresh dill, plus small sprigs for garnish
  • ¼cup drained jarred capers, chopped, plus 3 tablespoons caper brine
  • 4teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1teaspoon fresh lemon zest and 4 teaspoons juice (from 1 large lemon)
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 16ounces elbow macaroni
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

227 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 260 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.

  2. Step 2

    While the water comes to a boil, prepare your dressing: In a large bowl, stir together pickles, celery, scallions, mayonnaise, buttermilk, parsley, dill, capers and brine, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and sugar. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes; drain well and let cool for a few minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Once cooled, toss macaroni with dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled. Top with extra scallions, parsley and dill to garnish just before serving.

Tip
  • If you want to streamline the ingredient list, you could skip the buttermilk, increase the mayonnaise to ¾ cup and use ¼ cup milk.

Ratings

4 out of 5
4,609 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

dimmerswitch

At its' delicious best when chilled for a couple to a few hours. And delicious it is. I was tempted to eat the entire dish all by myself. The 'peel the celery' instruction is a good one. I always do this for use in cold salads of any kind because it makes a difference - here too. I'll use grainy mustard next time and no caper brine. If you're absent buttermilk, I think sour cream could work fine to substitute. This is now in keep and often repeat file.

vicki

Swap garbanzos for macaroni. Gluten free!

Robert L. "Doc" Chapman

I learned this recipe from my gourmet-chef mother. I have made this delicious and welcome cold salad (with variations) at least 6 dozen times. I always make a double batch and use sour cream instead of buttermilk. I never peel the celery, and I mix the mayo the night before with 2 fresh large cloves of micro-planed garlic and add all the herbs and chill overnight in a sealed glass container. I only put out one batch because it's usually gone before the party's over and I eat the rest later. Yum

Stephanie

I subbed picked jalapeños for the pickles, cut the dill, added chopped cilantro, subbed thinned green yogurt for the buttermilk, and subbed chopped pepperoncini for the capers. It made a delicious spicy alternative. And chilled was better than eaten right away.

Judi

This is really good with some crispy bacon mixed in.

KTchat

I love this pasta salad, made as per recipe but I add a can of garbanzo beans. This makes it a little more hearty as leftovers for lunch. yum

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.