📋 Healthy Macaroni Salad (with Tuna) Recipe
A simple 4 ingredient Healthy Macaroni Salad with tuna that can be thrown together last minute or made ahead. It's served cold so is perfect for feeding a crowd or bringing along to a potluck, picnic or BBQ! It's also Weight Watchers friendly.
Servings 8 people
Calories 204kcal
Ingredients
- 340 g - box elbow macaroni * I use SMART pasta
- ½ cup mayonnaise * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- ¾ cup green onions, chopped *about 5 green onions
- 184 g -can of tuna, flaked drained
Instructions
- Cook macaroni as directed on box * I add a teaspoon of olive oil to the water I boil it in. This prevents it from sticking.340 g - box elbow macaroni
- Once cooked, drain and cool. Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. * If you are in a hurry, you can rinse the macaroni with cold water to cool it faster!
- Drain tuna and add to cooked macaroni, along with mayonnaise and green onion. Stir until incorporated.½ cup mayonnaise, ¾ cup green onions, chopped, 184 g -can of tuna, flaked
Garnish
- Garnish with additional chopped onion. Serve cold. *You're going to want to refrigerate it for a couple of hours.
Notes
Expert Recipe Tips:
- Cool the pasta completely. Warm pasta will absorb the mayo and make the salad oily and dry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or rinse with cold water to cool quickly before adding the other ingredients.
- Break up tuna thoroughly. Use flaked tuna or break up chunk tuna with a fork before adding it to the salad so it mixes evenly throughout and doesn’t form clumps.
- Chop green onions small. Finely chop the green onions so they blend in well without overpowering the texture or flavor of the salad.
- Season to taste (if needed). Although this is a simple recipe, a pinch of salt and black pepper can enhance the flavor.
- Refrigerate before serving. For the best flavor, refrigerate the assembled salad for at least 2 hours. This helps the flavors meld and makes it extra refreshing on hot days.
- Use a teaspoon of oil in the pasta water. Adding a teaspoon of olive oil while cooking the macaroni can help prevent it from sticking—especially helpful if you plan to chill it for a while before assembling the salad.
- Use a gentle hand when mixing. To keep the texture pleasant and avoid mashing the pasta, gently fold the ingredients together using a large spoon or spatula.
- Serve cold. This salad is best served cold. If it’s been out for a while or at room temp, chill it again for 20–30 minutes before serving.
- Make-ahead tip. If prepping in advance, wait to mix in the green onions and tuna until just before serving for the freshest taste and texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2.1mg
