Recipe Review: Monkey & Me Kitchen Adventures Vegan Pickle Macaroni Salad

Anyone who knows me knows I just make recipes.  I make things that sound interesting or put a new spin on something we frequently make or challenge me; not things that are "diet" specific.  I wasn't phased by the Vegan part of the title, I was merely intrigued by the spin on a classic.

Recipe:  Vegan Pickle Macaroni Salad
Source:  Monkey & Me Kitchen Adventures
Level of Difficulty:  Easy
Ingredients:  Pantry & Fridge Staples
Rating:  ★★★★

Let's start this review by being completely honest, I did not use all of the ingredients.  I left out the almond butter and maple syrup.  Hubby isn't a fan of sugar in savor dishes and I very often take it out.  As for the almond butter, I just couldn't do it.  I really can't tell you why having never tasted it I can't say it would be bad.  I can only say that I couldn't do it.  The idea was just not something I could get into my head.

Ok, so as for the rest of the ingredients, they were well paired and made for a really good salad.  I did use regular yogurt, as plant-based yogurt wouldn't be an easy find in our small town.  I also added two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors.  The picked relish we buy doesn't have much juice, the apple cider vinegar was a great sub.

I would make this again.  I would experiment with types of beans to punch up the color, maybe some kidney beans next time.  I think I would also add some parsley or chives to add a punch of green.  I really enjoy making recipes that are similar to a classic but put a new spin on it.  The lack of mayo in this salad was refreshing.

Macaroni salads are such a summer staple when it comes to barbecues and backyard picnics.  It the perfect potluck dish.  It's even easy to toss together on a moment's notice because as a general rule all the ingredients are already in the house.