Easy to Make Low FODMAP Tuna Macaroni Salad
Just like our mash-up of macaroni salad and coleslaw in our Macaroni Slaw Salad (one of my fave creations of Summer 2018), this Tuna Macaroni Salad combines canned tuna and cooked macaroni.
It is great for a great lunch or snack dish that we have found is very welcomed at cookouts and potlucks.
Read our All About Canned Tuna article for some background information on buying canned tuna; they are not all the same, and as always, we want you to buy the best ingredients as possible to get the most delicious – and low FODMAP – results.
This Makes A LOT!
This recipe makes a lot of Tuna Macaroni Salad; enough for bringing to a potluck and feeding a crowd. You can halve the recipe, if you like.
I based it on a 12-ounce (340 g) box of pasta, as I have a pet peeve about having half-used pasta boxes leftover, but you might feel differently.
Al Dente? Not Always
For this Tuna Macaroni Salad, which will be refrigerated for storage, cook the pasta a little softer than al dente for best results.
The pasta salad is very lightly seasoned. It is meant to be mild and appeal to kids, adults, FODMAPers and everyone else.
We love this for a take-to-school or office lunch. Make sure to place a cold pack in your lunchbox or bag.
Tuna & Pasta
Check out our other tuna and pasta recipes, such as Low FODMAP Pantry Pasta with Tuna, Lemon & Olives and our Low FODMAP Pasta with Tuna & Sun Dried Tomatoes.
Low FODMAP Tuna Macaroni Salad
This Low FODMAP Tuna Macaroni Salad is a mashup of classic tuna salad and good 'ole American macaroni salad!
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 14 cups!!!!; serving size up to 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 g) low FODMAP, gluten-free small elbow macaroni, such as Ronzoni Gluten-Free Elbow Pasta, cooked a little softer than al dente, drained and cooled
- 3, 5- ounce (142 g cans) of white or light tuna, oil or water packed, drained
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 medium stalk celery chopped
- 1/2 cup (16 g) finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup (32 g) finely chopped scallions, green parts only
- 3/4 cup (170 g) mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Dried or fresh dill optional
Preparation:
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In a large bowl gently fold together the pasta, tuna, chopped green and red peppers, celery, parsley and scallions until combined. Add the mayo, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar and fold everything together very well. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Add dill, to taste, if you like.
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The Tuna Macaroni Salad is ready to serve or may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes:
Tips
- This makes a great summer dish to bring to a cookout or casual party. It makes a lot, packs well and you will know that you have something low FODMAP and hearty to eat.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Make sure to check out our article, All About Canned Tuna, 18 Ways to Use Canned Tuna as well as other salad recipes – such as these
- Low FODMAP Pasta with Tuna & Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Low FODMAP Mediterranean Tuna Salad with Chickpeas
- Low FODMAP Pantry Pasta with Tuna, Lemon & Olives
- Low FODMAP Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Low FODMAP Tuna Pan Bagnat – aka Best Tuna Sandwich Ever
- Low FODMAP Tuna Salad
- Low FODMAP Salade Niçoise
This recipe calls for green pepper, I thought green peppers were high in fodmaps.
Yolanda, please download the Monash University app. Whatever source you are using is not complete enough. They have done the lab testing and 52 g or approximately 1/2 cup of a green bell pepper is low FODMAP and allowable during Elimination.
I like the different things you put with the mayo, I couldn’t remember anything other than the sour cream, that I used to use! In my cold tuna salad I use Edamandes! They are good in it too!
We love this salad too! So glad you found it and thank you for taking the time to let us know your experience. It will help others:)
Classic case of looking up Dédé’s recipe AFTER making my own, but they almost match exactly! I didn’t have red pepper on hand but was thinking it could really use the pop of color and sweetness. One thing, I can personally tolerate moderate amounts of Greek yogurt, which I used about half-and-half with the mayo in this recipe to lighten it up a bit. It’s not very much per serving. Along with the dried dill I added thyme and basil, and a little finely grated carrot. BTW we had a box of Ronzoni GF rotini, and having used a different brand, mostly lentil and legume based pastas mostly, we both agreed we couldn’t tell that one was gluten free. To use up some baby spinach, I lined the serving bowls with it and scooped the pasta salad on top. This is going in our regular rotation – both the non-FOD (partner) and I enjoyed it so much!
Loved this story! It is a great salad – every time I make it I remind myself to not let so much time go between batches! Great for potlucks, too. Loved your tweaks.