Fresh and Herby Gluten Free Macaroni Salad

Fresh and Herby Gluten Free Macaroni Salad

Fresh and Herby Gluten Free Macaroni Salad is perfect for summer holidays, pot lucks, and picnics.  It’s a breeze to throw together, travels easily, and the gf pasta holds up well. It’s not mayonnaise-y and heavy like so many other macaroni salads. Rather it’s light, fresh and herby…just like the recipe name. How about that😉!

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Ingredients

ingredients - gluten free elbow macaroni, dill, parsley, dill pickles, celery, capers, scallions, lemon, mayo, sour cream, dijon mustard, and sugar (not photographed)

Organize all of the ingredients – gluten free elbow macaroni, dill, parsley, dill pickles, celery, capers, scallions, lemon, mayo, sour cream, dijon mustard, and sugar (not photographed, whoops!).

Cooking the GF Pasta

Cook the elbow macaroni in boiling water for 6 mins and then drain and let cool slightly

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes (if using the GF Barilla pasta). Don’t overcook! Drain pasta well and let cool for a few minutes.

The Dressing

While the water comes to a boil, prepare the dressing in a medium sized bowl. Mix together pickles, celery, scallions, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, dill, capers and brine, mustard, lemon zest and juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

Fresh and Herby Gluten Free Macaroni Salad

Fresh and Herby Gluten Free Macaroni Salad

Once pasta has cooled, toss macaroni with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled. Top with extra scallions and dill to garnish just before serving.

FRESH AND HERBY GLUTEN FREE MACARONI SALAD

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Capers, celery, dijon mustard, Dill, dill pickles, gluten free elbow macaroni, lemon, mayonnaise, Parsley, scallions, sour cream
Servings: 10 servings
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • cup kosher dill pickles chopped
  • 2 large stalks celery ends trimmed and then chopped
  • 4 scallions ends trimmed and thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • cup Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh dill chopped plus small sprigs for garnish
  • ¼ cup drained jarred capers chopped, plus 3 tablespoons caper brine
  • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 4 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
  • 12 ounces 1 box gluten free elbow macaroni, I use Barilla

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
  • While the water comes to a boil, prepare the dressing in a large bowl. Mix together pickles, celery, scallions, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, dill, capers and brine, mustard, lemon zest and juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
  • Cook the macaroni in the boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes (if using the GF Barilla pasta). Don't overcook! Drain pasta well and let cool for a few minutes. If using other GF brands of macaroni pasta, check package instructions for cooking times.
  • Once cooled, toss macaroni with dressing. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled. Top with extra scallions and dill to garnish just before serving.

Notes

You can use low-fat mayonnaise and sour cream…if you insist!
If you are a macaroni salad traditionalist, feel free to use bread and butter pickles instead of kosher dills.
This recipe can easily be doubled or halved. 
If there’s any leftovers, adding a splash of water helps revive the silky sheen. Mix before serving.

Recipe from NYTimes Cooking and modified by me.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Salmon with Creamy Dill Dressing, Baked Risotto with Kale, Spinach and Peas, and DIY French Onion Dip.

Gluten Free Disclaimer

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.    



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