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Any occasion is just right for a garden veggie macaroni salad. A colourful rainbow pasta salad boasting the best veggies and a creamy avocado dressing, this makes a great lunch or satisfying side dish. The pasta and veggies combine beautifully with the garlic, horseradish and avocado dressing. This fresh vegetable salad will get rave reviews!

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

Try this macaroni salad with vegetables the next time you’re in a pasta mood. A fresh vegetable salad is always a healthy option but when you elevate the appeal with tender pasta shapes and a homemade dressing, nobody can resist a second helping!

If you love Italian food, you might also want to try these ricotta beef stuffed pasta shells, this pink pasta sauce, vegan mushroom ragu, or any of these baked pasta recipes.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

Garden Veggie Macaroni Salad Ingredients

Let’s take a closer look at what goes into this fresh vegetable salad with pasta shapes. I like to use cavatappi noodles for this, although pretty much any pasta shape would work. Cavatappi is like corkscrew-shaped macaroni. The twisty shape is especially good at holding the creamy avocado dressing.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

As for the best veggies for pasta salad, I used bell peppers, celery, onion, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber broccoli, radishes, and shallots. You can use any vegetables in this colourful rainbow pasta salad.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

Corn kernels, cauliflower, poblano peppers, edamame beans, and green onions are just a few examples. This is a nice recipe for using up leftover vegetables or those almost past their prime.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

Creamy Avocado Dressing Ingredients

Such a tasty garden veggie macaroni salad deserves the best dressing! To make it you will need a fully ripe avocado. In fact you could even use one that’s slightly over-ripe with dark patches. You don’t need a pretty avocado for this, since everything is going to be beaten together anyway and the over-ripe kind blend better anyway.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

The creaminess comes from Greek yogurt and sour cream and then you will add in two kinds of vinegar, mustard, horseradish, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. The final ingredient is hard-boiled eggs and these help thicken up the dressing and add a rich flavour to the creamy avocado dressing.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.
Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.
Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad and creamy avocado dressing. You will love this fresh vegetable salad.

How to Make Garden Veggie Macaroni Salad

So how do you make macaroni salad with vegetables? First of all, cook the cavatappi (or whichever pasta shapes you want to use) following the directions on the package.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

Next dice all the vegetables finely. You don’t want them to be too chunky but nor do they have to be all exactly the same, so cut your vegetables more or less the same size. I usually chop the onion last (less chance of tears that way!)

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

Remember you can use vegetables other that what’s listed if you want – anything goes in this recipe! The best veggies for pasta salad are simply the ones you like best.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

Now toss them with the drained pasta to make this pasta and fresh vegetable salad. Beat all the dressing ingredients with a mixer and toss with the pasta and veggies.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

How to Serve Macaroni Salad with Vegetables

This is a versatile recipe. It makes a nice side dish or you can whip up a batch for a potluck dinner or any kind of gathering. If you want to have this as a main dish, mix in some cooked chopped chicken or shrimp before serving perhaps.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.
Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

How to Store Leftovers

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This recipe doesn’t freeze well because the dressing separates and the veggies go a bit mushy.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

Colourful Rainbow Pasta Salad FAQs

What type of pasta is best to use for pasta salad?

Cavatappi, macaroni, penne, and rigatoni are just some options. You can use pretty much any pasta shape you want for this garden veggie macaroni salad. Follow the directions on the package and cook the pasta to al dente.

Can you use a store-bought dressing instead of making it?

You can use any creamy dressing you like. To change the flavour up, consider a rich blue cheese dressing or even peach and poppy seed which is one of my favourites! If you still want to include the boiled eggs, simply dice them and add them to the pasta with the vegetables, before tossing the salad with the dressing.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for garden veggie macaroni salad. It has all the best veggies for pasta salad and a tasty avocado horseradish dressing.

Garden Veggie Macaroni Salad and Creamy Avocado Dressing Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Garden Veggie Macaroni Salad and Creamy Avocado Dressing

Any occasion is just right for a garden veggie macaroni salad. A colourful rainbow pasta salad boasting the best veggies and a creamy avocado dressing, this makes a great lunch or satisfying side dish. This fresh vegetable salad will get rave reviews!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 9

Ingredients 

  • 1 Pound Pasta, cavatappi
  • 2 bell peppers, Diced
  • 3 Stalks celery, diced
  • 1 red onion , diced
  • 1 Cup baby carrots, diced
  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1 Cup broccoli, florets, diced
  • 1 Cup radishes, thinly sliced and quartered
  • 3 Tablespoons shallot, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons dill, fresh

Dressing

Instructions 

  • Prepare the noodles according to the package. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
  • Finely dice the vegetables. Add to a large bowl with the noodles and toss.
  • Prepare the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) and beat on medium speed until smooth.
  • Pour dressing into the macaroni salad and toss to coat.

Notes

  • To save time, use store-bought hard boiled eggs.
  • Macaroni salad can be eaten right away, but is best after being refrigerated for a couple hours
  • Make sure to pick an avocado with brown flesh that slightly gives when you press it- it will be much easier to blend into the dressing this way

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 654mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3529IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Combine your favourite pasta with the best veggies for pasta salad and your reward will be this delicious macaroni salad with vegetables. Making this colourful rainbow pasta salad simply involves beating the dressing ingredients together and tossing it with diced veggies and drained, cooked pasta.

Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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