Here's What You Need For A Traditional Mexican Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is a picnic and potluck staple. While you can make a simple three-ingredient macaroni salad and even swap out the mayo for ranch dressing, you might want to think about making a traditional Mexican macaroni salad (ensalada de coditos, or sopa fria – "cold soup") instead. It has a few more ingredients than the classic dish popular in the Southern United States, but it's still pretty easy to make, and its different textures and flavors blend together beautifully.

The main ingredient is your elbow pasta, or "coditos" ("little elbows" in Spanish). From there, the salad traditionally uses ham, mayo, corn, and a mixture of crunchy raw veggies. It can go creamy and slightly sweet, or salty and spicy, thanks to the help of pickled jalapeños. Not only can you customize it exactly to your preferred flavor profile, it can last up to a week in the fridge, giving you plenty of time to enjoy it with a variety of meals.

Mexican macaroni salad is typically served at barbecues and larger get-togethers during the warmer months, but it can also be a regular at birthday parties or holiday gatherings. It's the kind of dish people reach for no matter the weather: rich, refreshing, and filled with texture.

Almost any macaroni will work for Mexican macaroni salad, but you'll want something that will hold its shape and not fall apart when mixed. Because it's refrigerated after mixing, the pasta will dry out a bit and solidify, so you want to slightly overcook your noodles when making pasta salad — a couple of extra minutes should be good.

Once your pasta is cooked and drained, mix it with mayo and a bit of sour cream (or Mexican crema) for tanginess, then add your meat. The traditional protein in this pasta salad is ham diced into squares (packaged is fine) — about 1½ to 2 cups should do it. Canned or frozen corn is another staple ingredient; it's hard to find a recipe that doesn't feature this sweet, texture-rich veggie. Diced celery is also often used for its excellent crunch and zestiness; you can roast or sauté it for more flavor. Roasted bell pepper also brings smoky undertones, and pickled jalapeños and their juice give the dish its pleasant kick, though you can certainly omit these.

You can even experiment with shredded carrots, chopped onions, and olives, though these don't typically make an appearance in traditional recipes. Cheese, too, is not a standard ingredient in Mexican macaroni salad, but you're welcome to add chunks of Monterey Jack or any other variety that pleases your palate.