Sonora Style Macaroni Salad
Sopa Fría de Pasta
Recipe Yield
6 to 8 servings
Cooking time
25 minutes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked macaroni noodles
- 1 cup fresh peas
- 1 8-ounce jar roasted red peppers drained
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema
- 2 tablespoons sauce from sweet chipotles in adobo
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces thick cut ham
- 2-3 ears fresh corn husked
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1/2 cup muenster cheese or your favorite cheese, diced
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
To Prepare
- Bring salted water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add macaroni noodles and cook according to package instructions, adding in the peas in the last minute of cooking. Drain the macaroni and peas into a colander and rinse with cold water until cooled.
- Add the roasted peppers, mayonnaise, crema, chipotle sauce, yellow mustard, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, set aside.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Add the ham and corn to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing and flipping occasionally, until the ham is browned on all sides and the corn starts to char. Remove the ham and corn from the grill. Chop the ham into 1/2-inch cubes and cut the corn from the cob. Transfer the corn and ham into the mayonnaise mixture. Add in the cooked macaroni and peas, along with the onion, celery, cheese and scallions. Toss everything together until coated. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Comments
42comments inSonora Style Macaroni Salad
Elayne Greenberg
Sep 22
Two suggestions: It would be great to include a picture of the dish when printing out the recipe.
We diabetics live and die by the nutrient counts in recipes. Please consider added these at the end of the recipes.
Pati Jinich
Oct 05
Thanks so much for your suggestion Elayne, passing it on to my team.
Brad Watson
Sep 12
Hola Pati! Tried this salad and it is a winner. My husband’s new favorite.
One question though – is 2 ounces of ham a typo? I used a LOT more than that.
Love your show!
Pati Jinich
Oct 04
Hola Brad! So glad you guys enjoy the salad; by all means add as much ham as you like 😉
Woody Mosgers
Sep 09
Patti,
I love your shows especially the more recent ones but I have take exception to what’s on the shows and what shows up in the recipe page. The lovely thick slices of ham that you used twice in the show for the salad must weigh in at 6-8 oz each yet the recipe only calls for 2 oz which would get lost in the salad. Quite a bad typo.
Pati Jinich
Oct 03
Thanks for pointing this out Woody, I’ll double check the recipe 🙂
Marylou Sanchez
Aug 22
I would like to make this salad
But can’t find sweet chipotle in adobo
Can you give a brand name
Pati Jinich
Sep 18
My favorites are from La Costena, try your local Walmart or hispanic market Marylou 🙂
Isela
Jul 29
Patti, I love your show, I love your family! The way you passed down the love of cooking simply by including your kids, in the cooking process is beautiful! I am so glad yooour cooking is on TV! Thank you!
Pati Jinich
Aug 11
Thanks to you for tuning and and for your kindness Isela 😉
Jill bonilla
Jul 03
Making this amazing salad for 4th of july!!
Pati Jinich
Jul 04
Yay, enjoy Jill!
Hilda
May 12
Great recipe!! My daughter commented “this macaroni salad is dangerous” as she served herself a second helping. Found all ingredients except for the sweet chipotles in adobo so added 2 traditional chipotle peppers from a can and that was fine. This recipe will definitely be our contribution for any family gathering. Thank you Pati for sharing you love of Mexican cooking and history with us!
Pati Jinich
May 23
Dangerous is a compliment I will take anytime when it comes to my food haha, thanks Hilda! Hugs to you and your daughter 🙂
Marlene
Apr 21
I found all of the ingredients and made this today. It’s delicious, with just the right amount of heat from the chipotles. We’re having it as a complete meal tonight but I’m anxious to serve it with bbq fare this summer. At times I will omit the ham for a vegetarian family member. Thanks for another wonderful recipe Pati!
Pati Jinich
Apr 25
So glad you liked it Marlene, the vegetarian version will be yummy as well 🙂
Karen Gradington
Apr 18
Pati I just love your show and your excitement about your cooking!!! I am going to try your Sonoran Macaroni salad
Thank you so much!
Pati Jinich
Apr 25
Thanks for your kindness Karen, enjoy the Salad 🙂
Nicole
Feb 07
Hi, Pati!
I watch you all the time on PBS and decided to try this pasta salad for the Superbowl. I really love the mix of flavors and how hearty it is. I will make this again and again.
Pati Jinich
Feb 10
So happy you liked this pasta Nicole, gracias!
Maria M
Jan 27
Pati, my oldest daughter and i made this the other day and it literally brought tears to my eyes because it reminded me so much of the macaroni salad my mother made for me as a child. She passed last summer and her loss was very difficult for all of us. But just eating that macaroni salad brought back happy memories. Thank you for that.
Pati Jinich
Jan 31
Gracias Maria for your very sweet message, so glad this recipe brought back the memories of your mom’s kitchen. Un abrazo!
Tim
Jan 16
This is a winner! A new favorite. ¡Bien hecho! Pati
Ryan
Jan 08
Just saw your episode, this salad looks delicious. Im gonna add some diced seranno chilies to spice it up!
Pati Jinich
Jan 17
The salad has already a bit of spice because of the chipotle sauce Ryan, but of course some serranos will be yummy!
Rica
Jan 05
I don’t like mayonnaise what can I substitute it with????
Pati Jinich
Jan 05
Hi Rica, you may want to try cottage cheese, olive oil or maybe some avocado crema, good luck!
mts
Jan 11
I have found avocado mayonnaise has gotten me past that issue.
Tom
Dec 11
Hello Pati,
I have tried to find those sweet chipotles in adobo and have even looked for them in the brand you mentioned in comments below, the “La Costena” brand. But I can not find any that are specially marked as “sweet chipotles in adobo.” The only ones I find are marked in the usual way, as plain old “chipotles in adobo”, instead of labeled as a sweet kind. I searched almost everywhere else on internet I could think and could not find them.
Are the ones which you use in the recipe actually labeled as “sweet chipotles” on the packaging?
Thank you for your wonderful new season.
Pati Jinich
Dec 11
Just go ahead and use traditional chipotles in adobo Tom, this pasta salad will be equally delicious 😉
Darren
Nov 16
I will definitely be trying this, the ingredients are so interesting!!
Pati Jinich
Nov 22
Thanks so much Darren, hope you like it 🙂
T
Nov 02
Hi Pati,
This sounds really yummy, but I am wondering about the 2 Tablespoons of sauce from sweet chipotles in adobo. I have not had any luck finding sweet chipotles in adobo, can you recommend a brand. Thank you for all the great recipes, techniques and information you share, we have liked/enjoyed every recipe we tried.
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Thanks so much for reaching out T. My favorite brand is La Costena, you can find it online 😉
T
Nov 03
Thank you for your reply and information. I actually have that brand on the list for my next mexgrocer order. Thank you again. Looking forward to the next cookbook. You are so awesome!
DEBORAH K OLIVEIRA
Oct 29
Where do you find sweet chipotles in adobo?
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
In Latin or Hispanic Markets Deborah, also you can try online from La Costena 😉
Robert Macias
Oct 29
Now that looks good.
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
It is good Robert, hope you will give it a try 😉
Aidee Navarrete
Dec 23
This salad is simply delicious. The kids love it and I have used it in our family get togethers and everyone loves it. Thank you very much Pati!
Anirudh
Oct 29
As a vegetarian, what can I use instead of ham?
Pati Jinich
Nov 03
Just leave the ham out Anirudh, it will be equally delicious 😉