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(4,689)
Comments
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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

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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.

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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.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
4,689 user ratings
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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

Kasey

Don’t skip the buttermilk, folks. Keeping a pint on hand will do so much for your dressings, sauces, and baking and in this recipe it just gives it such a great tang that works well with the brininess of the pickles and capers. After a day or two in the fridge, I love to freshen it up with a splash of pickle juice from the jar and a glug (yes, this is a scientific unit) of the buttermilk. SO GOOD.

Cheryl Bailey

As a native NYC gal who now lives in St Petersburg, FL...I def wanted a better, "21s Century" version of classic, deli Mac salad. This did not disappoint! I played with dressing proportions with what I had on hand...I don't think you can go wrong with a mayo/yogurt dressing with scallions, Dijon mustard etc and tons of fresh herbs! Served this well-chilled with "retro" Sloppy Joe's from Elie Krueger's cookbook...SO delish! Enjoy!

Roy Tompkins

Amazingly delicious! My husband requested macaroni salad which I am not a huge fan of. I found this recipe which has a list of ingredients that I can get behind. The only substitution I made was using plain full fat yogurt rather than buttermilk. The instructions don’t tell you to rinse the pasta after cooking which I had always been instructed to do when using it in cold salads, so I went ahead and rinsed it anyway. I served it with ribs from this site, a recipe from the now closed LA restaurant Animal. It was a great combo and I can’t wait for a repeat!

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