My creamy keto macaroni salad with crisp vegetables and a tangy dijon dressing tastes like the real thing, at 4.4g net carbs and 10.5g protein. I whisk the mayo, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, dijon, and lemon juice into the dressing first, and I let the cooked noodles cool completely before anything gets tossed, so the dressing clings instead of melting.
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 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.
Low carb noodles I've tested in this salad
I’ve made this with three different noodle options, and they all behave differently once they sit in dressing for a few hours. Here’s what I’ve found after testing each one in a cold salad specifically.
Lupin flour pasta: My top pick for this recipe. Gluten-free, clean ingredients, and only about 3g net carbs per serving. The real reason I prefer it here is texture. Lupin holds its shape after sitting in dressing for hours, which matters when you’re making something ahead for a cookout. It doesn’t get soggy or fall apart the way some substitutes do.
Shirataki noodles: Almost zero net carbs, which is hard to beat. They don’t have much flavor on their own, so they absorb whatever dressing you use. The catch: if you skip the rinse-and-dry-fry step, you’ll end up with a watery salad. Rinse them under cold water for a full minute, then toss in a dry hot pan for 3-4 minutes until the squeaking stops and most of the moisture cooks off. Cool them completely before adding dressing. I have a full guide on how to prepare shirataki noodles if this is your first time working with them.
Wheat-based keto macaroni: These look the most like real elbow noodles, which matters if you’re serving people who are skeptical about substitutes. They do contain wheat and run a little higher at 7g net carbs per 2 oz serving. I reach for these when I want the look of a classic pasta salad and the carb count isn’t as tight.
Make-ahead tips and storage
I actually prefer this salad the next day. The dressing soaks into the noodles overnight, and the flavors meld in a way that fresh-tossed can’t match. If you’re making it for a cookout, assemble it the night before and refrigerate. I hold the tomatoes back and stir them in just before serving so they don’t water everything down. Give it a good stir before serving since the dressing settles to the bottom.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I wouldn’t freeze it. The vegetables lose their crunch and the dressing separates when it thaws. I’ve tried it and the texture just isn’t the same. This is one of those recipes that’s better stored cold, never frozen.
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.
Prepare noodles according to the package directions. Let cool.
2
Mix the dressing
In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt, sweetener, and lemon juice. Set aside.
3
Toss everything together
In a large bowl, add noodles, celery, red onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and parsley. Mix in the dressing. Stir to combine.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/8 of recipe
Calories
177
Fat
13.1g
Protein
10.5g
Total carbs
24.8g
Net carbs
4.4g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many carbs are in macaroni salad?
Traditional macaroni salad runs about 30 to 40 grams of carbs per serving, which eats up most of a day's budget for me. Mine comes in at 4.4g net carbs per serving because I swap the regular elbows for low carb noodles and sweeten the dressing with monkfruit instead of sugar. I calculated that using lupin pasta, my usual. If you use shirataki the count drops even lower since those are almost zero carb. That gap is the whole reason I started making my own version instead of skipping the bowl at every cookout.
How much salt goes in the dressing?
I start with about 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt and taste as I go. The noodles absorb a lot of seasoning, especially shirataki, so I usually add more after everything is tossed together. My rule: if the dressing tastes 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 works well. The texture's softer than lupin, closer to real pasta, with about 2-4g net carbs depending on the brand. I cut them shorter so they blend with the veggies instead of 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 more dijon to balance it out. Avocado mayo works too if you're avoiding seed oils. Regular mayo still tastes the richest, but both 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 before adding dressing. 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 will notice. 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 get watery. I toss those in fresh when I'm ready to eat.
Can you eat macaroni on a keto diet?
Regular macaroni is too high in carbs for keto, but the salad still works with a swap. I make mine with lupin pasta or shirataki noodles and the whole bowl comes in at 4.4g net carbs per serving. Traditional macaroni salad runs 30 to 40 grams per serving, so the noodle swap is what puts this back on the table for me.
Is there a recipe for a macaroni salad that doesn't contain any sugar?
Yes, this one. I skip sugar completely and sweeten the dressing with 1 1/2 teaspoons of monkfruit, which rounds out the apple cider vinegar the same way sugar does in the classic version. The whole salad comes in at 4.4g net carbs per serving.
Portioned this into lunch containers expecting the noodles to go soft by Wednesday. Four days in and still good. The dijon dressing gets better every day. 4.4 net carbs, it’s in the rotation.
Roberto, the dijon settles in more each day. I notice the same thing when I make a double batch. Four days holding up is exactly what I want from a lunch prep.
I realized partway through my second bowl that I’d spent two whole summers at cookouts just holding watermelon and calling it a day, because when everything is potato salad and macaroni and you’re keto, that’s kind of all you can do. So yeah, this is a bigger deal than it sounds. The dijon and apple cider vinegar together is so specifically right, that’s the tang I’d been missing, the one that makes it taste like actual macaroni salad and not just a mayo situation with vegetables in it. I added extra sour cream and more vinegar because I like things bright and punchy, and every bite tasted the same all the way through. Made it the night before. The noodles held up cold better than I expected, and it was actually better the next morning once everything settled. I don’t usually get emotional about pasta salad but here we are.
The watermelon holding is so real, Rosa. I developed this one specifically because summer cookouts were the hardest stretch on keto. Overnight is genuinely better, the dressing settles into the noodles and it goes from good to actually cohesive.
The sugar-free sweetener in the dressing sounds weird, but don’t skip it. It rounds out the vinegar so the whole thing tastes right instead of just tangy. We had macaroni salad like this at every family reunion I can remember, and I’ve been trying to nail my great-aunt Bette’s version for years. She used dijon. I kept leaving it out. Finding it here is what made this click. Four stars because hers had sweet relish and I’m not ready to mess with this dressing yet.
Cookout tip: make this the night before. The dressing really settles into the noodles after a few hours in the fridge. Night-before version is noticeably better.
Made two other keto pasta salads before this and both were bad enough that I swore off the whole idea. Tried this anyway since I had the noodles, and the dressing actually surprised me. The dijon and apple cider vinegar combo gives it real tang instead of just mayo-coated noodles. This is the one I’m bringing to cookouts.
The thing I wasn’t sure about was whether keto pasta could hold up cold overnight. Regular macaroni salad gets better the next day when the dressing soaks in, but I figured keto noodles would just fall apart or get gummy sitting in the fridge. Made this on a Saturday, tested it Sunday morning, and it was actually better the next day. The dijon in the dressing is doing something I wasn’t expecting, gives it that little sharpness that cuts through the mayo and sour cream. Four stars only because I didn’t rinse and cool the noodles long enough the first time and the dressing got a little watery (learned that the hard way). Once I let them cool fully before tossing, it came together the way it should. Going in the summer rotation.
The cooling step trips everyone up at least once. And that overnight thing is real – it’s actually why I make it the day before when I’m bringing it somewhere.
Really liked this overall (brought it to a cookout last weekend), but I’d pull back on the apple cider vinegar a little. The tang was almost too sharp straight out of the bowl. After sitting overnight in the fridge it mellowed out, so if you can make it ahead, definitely do that.
My husband, who skips macaroni salad at every cookout, ate this and just stood there trying to figure out why he liked it. I told him dijon and lemon juice. He’s still not over it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
