Creamy Macaroni Salad with Cucumbers and Eggs

Easy macaroni salad with cucumbers and eggs is a twist on the traditional classic American macaroni salad. You will not believe how delicious it is. Perfect with Red wine and berries lemonade or my peachy orange tequila mocktail and southern buttermilk fried chicken.

MACARONI SALAD

This easy macaroni salad screams spring and summer!  And guess what? It contains cool, crunchy cucumbers! This recipe is a great way to use up your cucumbers. 

It’s perfect for warm weather bbq’s, potlucks or anytime really. I know a lot of people are trying to eat healthier, so if you are on a diet then this may not be for you, but there are ways to make it healthier just read below. 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHIER MACARONI SALAD 

You can easily make this macaroni salad recipe much healthier by ditching the mayonnaise and using sour cream. It won’t taste the same but with a couple tweaks, you can still make it taste delicious. I honestly think mayonnaise-based tastes better. You could even do a combo of mayonnaise and sour cream or even try yogurt or ditch the all three and use a zesty Italian dressing. Check the recipe below for a couple of tips.

This salad doesn’t have any celery but feel free to add them if you like. I did infuse some celery flavor into the salad by adding celery salt. You can also use celery seeds. This recipe also contain eggs. I love hard -boiled eggs but if you like soft boiled eggs then go for it.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

It’s a great way to use up your cucumbers. It’s simple and great for picnics and BBQ’s. No need to chop a bunch of veggies up like you normally would do with the traditional one.  For this recipe, just dice the onions, mini peppers, eggs and cucumbers. Easy peasy.  It’s best to make this salad the day before you need it. Check the recipe notes for more info. Seriously, cucumbers is great with macaroni salad. Don’t knock it until you try it!

5 from 2 votes

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Macaroni Salad with Eggs and Cucumbers

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This creamy macaroni salad is not your traditional salad. I ditched the celery and added crunchy cucumbers and hard-boiled eggs.  This is one recipe you'll want to make! So delicious!

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Southern American

Servings: 6 people

Author: April

Ingredients

• 16 oz box of macaroni
• 7 hard boiled eggs chopped
• 1 red onion finely diced
• 1 cucumber diced
• 1/4 cup sweet relish
• 1 cup plus two tbs of mayonnaise I used Duke Mayonnaise
• 1/2 tbs mustard
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 pinch of celery seasoning
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pinch red pepper
• salt for taste if needed
• lots of pepper for taste
• 2 mini peppers finely diced

Instructions

1. Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Make sure you salt the pasta water. Drain and rinse the noodles and set aside to cool.

2. Drain the macaroni then pour it into a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients along with the cucumbers and eggs. Mix well. Add more seasoning for taste if needed. 

3. Cover and place in the fridge so the flavors can meld for up to 4-8 hours or overnight. *See notes. 

Recipe Notes

TIPS TO MAKE THIS MACARONI SALAD 

If you would like to lighten up this recipe you can use yogurt or sour cream or a combo of mayo and sour cream/yogurt or even try avocado mayonnaise. It definitely will not taste the same.

Use the same ingredients in this recipe but you may need to add more seasoning to make it delicious and a bit of sugar since yogurt and sour cream is not as flavorful as mayonnaise. 

Add carrots or bell peppers or whatever add-ins you like. 

MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME - It's best to make this salad the day before you need it. However, do not add the cucumbers to the salad until you are about to serve it. If you add the cucumbers the day before you serve it they may make the macaroni salad watery. 

Leftovers:
Refrigerate macaroni salad within two hours of preparing in an airtight container. Macaroni that is stored properly will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator.  

 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE OTHER GREAT SPRING/SUMMER RECIPES: 

COLESLAW RECIPE

STOVE TOP MACARONI AND CHEESE 

SWEET ONION THICK AND TANGY BBQ SAUCE

STEAK TACO SALAD

STEAK ROLLS STUFFED WITH PARMESAN, SPINACH AND LEMON ZEST

PICO DE GALLO