The Briny Lemon: Easy Old-Fashioned Macaroni Salad

I used to watch my mom make this many years ago, and I was amazed by how simple and easy something so delicious could be. The key ingredient? Pickle juice. No vinegar, just dill pickle juice straight from the jar.

Actually, mom used to make the dressing in the jar. When there were just enough pickles left for the salad, she’d remove those and pour out some of the juice, leaving just the amount she wanted for the dressing. Then she’d spoon the mayo, mustard, sugar, and seasonings into the jar with the juice, stir it all up, and there it was: the best macaroni salad dressing I’ve had to this day.

Over the years, I’ve made the salad dozens of times but have never measured the ingredients. Of course, I had to do measurements for this recipe, so if they seem a little peculiar, it’s simply because that’s what they turned out to be.

There aren’t many ingredients and they certainly aren’t fancy, but this may be one of the most scrumptious mac salads you’ve ever tasted. Thanks, mom.

Salad Ingredients

Makes 6-8 side portions

Ingredients

For the Dressing

3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp dill pickle juice
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp white sugar
1/8 tsp celery seed
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

6 oz dry macaroni (1-1/2 cups)
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 small hardboiled eggs, finely chopped

Chopped Ingredients

Preparation

For the Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (or a pickle jar).

Ingredients Ready to Combine

Mac Salad Dressing

For the Salad

Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water until al dente, 7-8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Add the dressing to the salad, stirring well to combine.