Macaroni Salad with Fresh Herbs

We still use a cool and creamy dressing with mayonnaise, elbow macaroni, and a crunchy mix of raw veggies like celery and bell pepper.

But with a few changes, without causing a stir amongst guests at backyard barbecues and the 30-minute lunchtime crowds, we aim to rejuvenate and freshen up this popular recipe.

You’ll enjoy the acidic additions of sour cream and freshly squeezed lemon juice as well as the tangy, textured whole grain mustard in the dressing. And you’ll wonder why you haven’t always added tender pieces of hard-boiled eggs to your typical mix.

And with a light and lovely flurry of chopped assorted herbs, you’ll fully understand why the freshest of ingredients are vital to the delicious success of this recipe.

We use an equal mix of chopped fresh dill and tarragon, as well as sliced scallions, a selection you might not have expected to find in a macaroni salad.

But as soon as you capture a whiff of the anise and grassy aromas, and once you taste the subtle onion flavor, you’ll be rewarded with full clarity and gustatory happiness!

There’s a special bond macaroni salad shares with an outdoor summer shindig, as it’s the cooling counterpart to grilled, steamy hamburgers and chicken or ribs slathered in barbecue sauce.

But don’t let your cook-outs call dibs all the time.

As mentioned before, it’s a perfect busy lunchtime or snack companion – something you can make a few days in advance that you and the family can eat and enjoy between morning meetings, sports practices and games, school conferences and concerts, or other evening events.

Put a smile on your face, and one on everyone sitting at your dinner table, and make the recipe now!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Boil and Chill the Eggs

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil on the stovetop over high heat. You want the pot to be large enough for the eggs to have ample space for cooking evenly.

Once at a boil, gently place the six eggs into the water using a heatproof skimmer, a handy tool for safely lifting food out of hot liquid.

Boil them for 11 minutes – this amount of time ensures the whites and yolks are fully cooked, but still leaves a slightly softer yolk. If you prefer a more jelly-like yolk, cook them for a shorter amount of time, about 9 minutes.

While the eggs are cooking, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl next to the stovetop for easy transferring. The ice bath shocks and helps to instantly stop the cooking process, and also helps the shells easily peel off from the whites.

When the eggs have cooked for the full 11 minutes, immediately remove them from the pot using the skimmer and submerge them in the ice bath.

Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before peeling. They will peel very easily while they are still slightly warm. You can dispose of the shells, or save them to add to your kitchen compost.

Place the eggs in an airtight container and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator – this will take about 1 to 2 hours. Roughly chop the hard-boiled eggs, once they have cooled down thoroughly.

Step 2 – Boil the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pour in 1 tablespoon salt and macaroni, and cook according to package directions for an al dente texture – this may take between seven to ten minutes.

Once cooked, drain everything in a colander in your kitchen sink, and rinse the pasta with cold water. Shake off any excess water and set aside as you continue the recipe.

Don’t cause a fuss just yet! While there are differing opinions on this, even in our own article for building a pasta salad, rinsing with cold water serves a few purposes here:

First, it quickly chills the pasta, immediately halting the cooking process. This helps you seamlessly continue your prep work for a chilled dish with pasta that is cooked to the perfect texture and at the right temperature.

Second, it also washes off surface starch – while this starch is beneficial for hot-dish applications, allowing the pasta to cling to hot sauce, excess starch will be a detriment to a cold-dish application like chilled salads.

Excess starch for a cold pasta dish will cause the macaroni to become gummy and clump together – not what you want for a loose, chilled salad!

Step 3 – Make the Dressing

Measure out the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper into a small mixing bowl. Freshly squeeze the lemon juice into the small bowl.

Whisk everything together.

For additional flavor, our garlic aioli would be a delicious substitution for the mayonnaise.

Step 4 – Chop and Slice Ingredients

Using a sturdy cutting board and sharp chef’s knife, dice the celery stalks and bell pepper. Slice the scallions.

Roughly chop the dill and tarragon leaves.

Step 5 – Mix Everything Together

Place the eggs, pasta, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and herbs in a large serving bowl.

Pour the dressing on top, and mix everything together until all of the ingredients are completely incorporated.

A rubber spatula is best for this step. Try to use a gentle folding motion to avoid smashing the ingredients.

Step 6 – Chill and Serve

Tightly cover the bowl with a layer of plastic wrap, and transfer it to your refrigerator. Allow the mix to chill and set for at least one hour before serving.

Do a final taste for seasoning – adjust with salt and pepper, or more lemon juice for extra acidity.

For added color, use any extra dill fronds or tarragon leaves as a final garnish.

Eat the macaroni salad within three days to enjoy it at its best quality. It will continue to thicken the more it sits. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

Your Herbs, Your Way

Feathery and delicate, dill and tarragon are ideal companions to both flavor and aromatize a mayonnaise-based chilled pasta salad.

But they don’t have to be the only ones.

Let’s say your summer herb garden is in full swing, with the likes of parsley, basil, oregano, chives, and more in all sorts of varieties and cultivars.

Use any of them here! Any softer, leaf-like herb that you would associate with more summery flavors will work well in this recipe.