This Cold Tuna Macaroni Salad is easy to make, so creamy, so delicious, and loaded with goodness. Tossed in with a homemade dressing, this easy macaroni salad is perfect for potlucks and BBQs.
Enjoy your classic macaroni salad with a twist! Add some Protein and enjoy it as a complete meal or as a side dish. Made with whole wheat pasta, fresh bell peppers, peas, celery, canned tuna, and tossed in with a homemade dressing. This healthy tuna macaroni salad is loaded with flavor, and for spring or summer entertainments. They make for a perfect addition to your kid’s lunch boxes or take as a lunch to work.
Why you will love this macaroni salad
- Quick and easy to make: This tuna macaroni salad is so easy to make. With a handful or veggies mixed into a bowl, the pasta, and the dressing, this pasta salad is ready 30 minutes.
- So creamy and good: Made with a creamy homemade dressing with a combination of light mayo and Greek yogurt. Perfectly creamy.
- Versatile: Can be served as a side dish, at pot lucks and parties, or for lunch. Delicious and filling.
Ingredients you will need
These are just a list of ingredients you will need to make this tuna macaroni salad. The full measurements are listed further down below.
whole wheat macaroni
canned albacore white tuna, packed in water
celery
red bell peppers
red onions
frozen peas
For the Dressing:
light mayonnaise
plain Greek yogurt
white wine vinegar
fresh parsley
salt and pepper
How to make this Tuna macaroni salad from scratch
Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and allow it to cool.
In a salad bowl add all the remaining ingredients for the salad.
In a small bowl whisk well the dressing ingredients.
Once the pasta is chilled, add it to the salad bowl together with the dressing.
Toss to combine, then serve.
Recipe notes and tips
- Pasta: Use your favorite pasta, gluten-free, whole wheat, or lentil pasta
- Mayo: you may use light or miracle whip. You may skip the mayo and only use yogurt.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- This tuna macaroni salad is best served cold. The dressing will soak in and get absorbed better.
- Rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta down. Chilling the pasta before adding the dressing will help prevent the pasta from absorbing the dressing and drying out.
- Add in other veggies that are crunchy like pickles, carrots, or corn.
Frequently asked questions
The key is to chill the pasta/macaroni completely before adding the mayo or dressing. This will prevent the pasta from absorbing the mayo or dressing being added to the macaroni salad and thus drying it.
Classic macaroni salad lasts up to 5 days when stored in the fridge in a sealed container. But for this Tuna macaroni salad, we recommend eating it within 3 days because the tuna to be on the safe side.
Macaroni salad should not sit out for more than 2 hours at most. Be sure to chill the macaroni salad first before setting it out. If serving it outdoors, keep it in the shade and aw.
Other pasta salads to try
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
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Tuna Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole wheat macaroni
- 8 oz canned albacore white tuna packed in water, drained
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and allow it to cool.
- In a salad bowl add all the remaining ingredients for the salad.
- In a small bowl whisk well the dressing ingredients
- Once the pasta is chill, add it to the salad bowl together with the dressing.
- Toss to combine, then serve.
Notes
- Pasta: Use your favorite pasta, gluten-free, whole wheat, or lentil pasta
- Mayo: you may use light or miracle whip. You may skip the mayo and only use yogurt.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- This macaroni pasta salad is best served cold. The dressing will soak in and get absorbed better.
- Add in other veggies that are crunchy like pickles, carrots, or corn.
- Serves about 6-8. Serving size is about one cup
K says
If serving it outdoors, keep it away from the shade. – it doesn’t make sense 🙂
Rena says
Fixed that. Haha. Sometimes the hands don’t type what the mind is thinking. Thanks for brining it to my attention.