Keto Macaroni Salad
Published June 21, 2019 • Updated February 27, 2026
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My creamy keto macaroni salad with crisp vegetables and a tangy dijon dressing that tastes like the real thing. I bring this to every summer potluck and even the non-keto people go back for seconds.
This is the side dish I start making the second it gets warm enough to eat outside. I’ve brought it to every backyard gathering since 2019, and it disappears before the burgers come off the grill. Just like my antipasto salad and potato salad, this one earns seconds from people who have no idea the noodles aren’t regular pasta.
One of my readers, Renee, told me her daughter has loud opinions about shirataki noodles. She just called it ‘macaroni salad’ and didn’t elaborate. Her daughter cleaned her bowl and asked when she was making it again. That’s the test I care about. If someone who doesn’t eat keto finishes the plate without asking what’s in it, the recipe works.
The dressing is where this recipe earns its keep. I use a base of mayo and sour cream, then stir in dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and monkfruit sweetener. The dijon and ACV combo is what makes it taste like the real thing instead of just noodles sitting in mayo. I figured that out after making a batch with just mayo and sour cream early on. It was fine but forgettable. The mustard and vinegar give it that tangy bite you remember from the original. I always mix the dressing first and let it sit while I chop vegetables, giving it 10-15 minutes for the flavors to come together.
I’ve tested this with lupin pasta, shirataki noodles, and wheat-based macaroni. They all work, but each behaves differently in a cold salad. I break down the full comparison below if you’re deciding. The short version: lupin holds its shape best overnight, shirataki is the lowest carb option, and the wheat-based noodles look the most like the original.
For the vegetables, I keep things classic: diced celery, red onion, green bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and fresh parsley. Small dice (about 1/4 inch) so every bite gets crunch alongside the noodles. I’ve tried bigger cuts and the ratio just doesn’t work. You end up with a bite of all onion or all pepper instead of a little of everything. If I’m feeding a bigger crowd, I’ll throw in extra bell pepper or a handful of olives.
This pairs with pretty much anything off the grill. I usually set it out next to coleslaw and broccoli cauliflower salad for a full spread, or alongside caprese salad if I want something lighter on the table.
How to make this pasta salad
- Prepare your noodles according to package directions. If using shirataki, rinse thoroughly and dry-fry in a hot skillet until the squeaking stops. Cool completely before tossing.
- Mix the dressing. Whisk mayo, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, dijon, lemon juice, about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sweetener in a small bowl. Let it sit while you chop. The flavors need 10-15 minutes to come together.
- Dice the vegetables small, around 1/4 inch. You want crunch in every bite, not big chunks that overpower the noodles.
- Toss to coat. Combine cooled noodles, vegetables, and dressing in a large bowl. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
Key ingredients
- Low carb noodles: I cover the full breakdown in the noodle section below, but the short version: lupin holds up best cold, shirataki is lowest carb (needs dry-frying), and wheat-based looks the most like real pasta.
- Bell pepper and red onion: Crunch, color, and a little zing. I keep the dice small so every forkful gets some.
- The dressing: Mayo and sour cream as the base, with dijon, ACV, lemon, and monkfruit for tang and sweetness. Start with 1/2 teaspoon salt and adjust after tossing. The noodles absorb more seasoning than you’d expect.
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Ingredients
8 oz keto macaroni noodles -
½ cup mayonnaise
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3 tablespoon sour cream
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1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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1 tablespoon dijon mustard
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Juice from ½ lemon
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1 ½ teaspoon sugar-free sweetener
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1 cup diced celery
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¼ cup diced red onion
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¼ cup diced green bell pepper
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¼ cup quartered grape tomatoes
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1 tablespoon minced parsley
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Mix the dressing
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt, sweetener, and lemon juice. Set aside.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How much salt goes in the dressing?
I start with about 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt and taste from there. The noodles absorb a lot of seasoning, especially shirataki, so I usually end up adding a little more after everything is tossed together. My rule: if the dressing tastes slightly over-seasoned on its own, it'll be just right once it hits the noodles.
Can I add hard-boiled eggs to this salad?
I've done it and it works well. I dice 2-3 hard-boiled eggs and toss them in with the vegetables. They add protein and make this more filling as a standalone lunch. If you're making it ahead, I'd add the eggs right before serving so they don't get rubbery sitting in dressing overnight.
Can I use hearts of palm noodles instead?
I've tried hearts of palm pasta in this and it's a solid option. The texture is softer than lupin and closer to real pasta, with about 2-4g net carbs depending on the brand. I cut them into shorter pieces so they mix evenly with the vegetables instead of sitting in long strands.
What can I substitute for mayonnaise?
I've swapped in Greek yogurt when I wanted something lighter. It makes the dressing tangier and a little thinner, so I add a bit more dijon to balance it out. Avocado-based mayo works too if you're avoiding seed oils. My preference is still regular mayo for the richest flavor, but both substitutes hold up fine overnight.
Do shirataki noodles make the salad watery?
They can if you skip the prep. I rinse mine under cold water for a solid minute, then toss them in a dry hot pan for 3-4 minutes until the squeaking stops and most of the moisture cooks off. I cool them completely before adding dressing. When I follow those steps, my salad stays creamy even the next day.
Will picky eaters know it's not real macaroni?
Depends on the noodle. When I use the wheat-based keto macaroni, nobody notices. With shirataki, the texture is different enough that a pasta purist might catch on. One of my readers served this to her daughter without saying what the noodles were, and the kid cleaned her bowl and asked for it again. The dressing does most of the convincing.
Is this good for meal prep?
I make a double batch most weeks in the summer and portion it into containers for the fridge. It holds up well for 3-4 days. My one tip: I skip adding the tomatoes to the batch I'm storing since they release moisture over time. I toss those in fresh when I'm ready to eat.
Cold keto pasta going rubbery or mushy is what kept me from trying this for months. These held up. The dijon and ACV give the dressing that sharp bite that makes it taste like actual macaroni salad, not just dressed noodles. Still dialing in the sweetener, but this is going to the next cookout.
The sweetener is the part that changes by brand. I use monk fruit and start at 1 tsp, then taste after the salad's been cold for an hour. Sweet reads different once it's chilled.
Been making this on repeat since spring started, and on batch four I finally tried bumping the dijon to two full tablespoons. The dressing gets sharper and a little less sweet (I was already backing off the sweetener anyway), and it cuts through the mayo in a way the original ratio didn't. Tastes way more like the deli macaroni salad I grew up eating. This is my potluck default now.
Brought this to my sister's for Sunday dinner and her husband, who actively refuses to eat 'keto stuff,' asked twice what brand of macaroni salad I bought. When I told him I made it, he went quiet. The dijon in the dressing is doing something.
'Went quiet' is better than a five-star review. That's the one.
I've tried probably four or five keto pasta salads at this point and they all have the same problem: the dressing tastes like something's missing. The dijon and apple cider vinegar in this one actually gives it that tangy bite every other version was missing. I'm not a big cook and I was nervous about the keto noodles holding up after sitting in the fridge overnight, but they were fine the next day. Brought this to a cookout last weekend and set it right next to the regular macaroni salad. People were going to both bowls. I've made other versions where I end up eating half and tossing the rest. This one's gone by day two.
Side by side with the regular macaroni salad and both bowls going. That's not something people do out of politeness. Mine actually gets better on day two.
Added a heaping spoonful of dill relish to the dressing and it is SO much better. The apple cider vinegar + pickle brine combo tastes exactly like my mom's macaroni salad from every summer. Do this.
Stealing this. That mom's-recipe tang is exactly what I was chasing when I built the ACV and dijon combo. Dill relish would take it all the way there.
My husband has been burned by keto pasta before, so I didn't say anything about what I was making. The dijon and sour cream in the dressing do something that tastes familiar in the right way. He came back for more about ten minutes after finishing his plate, which is the tell. He now asks for this by name, which has not happened with a single other keto dish in this house.
Asking for it by name is the win. Most keto substitutes just remind you of what you're missing. This one doesn't do that.
My daughter has opinions about shirataki noodles (loud opinions), so I just called it 'macaroni salad' and didn't elaborate. She cleaned her bowl and asked when I was making it again before we'd even finished eating. The dijon and apple cider vinegar in the dressing are doing serious work.
Ha. The 'didn't elaborate' method is peak parenting. And yes, the dijon and ACV are the reason it actually tastes like the real thing instead of just noodles in mayo.
How much salt? Thanks
About 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt in the dressing, then taste after you toss everything. The noodles absorb a lot so I usually end up adding a little more.