This submit could include affiliate hyperlinks. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please learn my disclosure.

This Hawaiian macaroni salad options tender macaroni, crunchy carrots, tangy apple cider vinegar, fragrant inexperienced onion, and scrumptious mayo for genuine Hawaiian flavors everybody will love. Gentle, vivid, and creamy, this macaroni salad is a refreshing facet dish excellent to pair with any meal. Plus, it may be made vegan and gluten-free!

Pasta salad is a staple dish for picnics, summer time cookouts, and yr spherical facet dishes for a cause! It’s straightforward to make, and is a splendidly cooling and scrumptious recipe with a creamy texture and the right consistency.

My latest pasta salad recipe, this straightforward Hawaiian macaroni salad, stays true to its island roots with clear components that you just doubtless have already got round your kitchen. It elevates primary macaroni salad by including in crunchy veggies and flavorful seasonings!

Serve this tangy salad as a facet with teriyaki rooster or kalua pork for a Hawaiian plate lunch expertise proper at residence or get pleasure from it as a standalone principal dish for a lightweight lunch.

Whether or not you’re planning for summer time BBQs, a household picnic, or simply want an ideal facet dish to your subsequent meal, this can be a easy recipe you’ll need that’s certain to turn out to be a brand new household favourite at your property. It’s a favourite recipe at our place, too!

Among the best elements? You’ll be able to simply throw collectively this creamy facet dish in simply 20 minutes!

Newest Recipe Video!

🍍What Is Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a twist on conventional pasta salad the place tender macaroni noodles and quite a lot of crisp veggies are tossed in a mix of vinegar, mayo, and spices.

This basic macaroni salad recipe originated within the late 1800s (doubtless within the 1880’s) when the Hawaiian plate lunch started to rise in recognition. In the event you’ve been to Hawaii, you have got most likely seen the Hawaiian lunch plate being served at native Hawaiian eating places, roadside stands, meals vehicles, and hole-in-the-wall eating places.

Plate lunches sometimes include a serving of protein, white rice, greens and a mayo primarily based salad – typically a creamy mac salad! Most plate lunches can have quite a lot of totally different proteins and grilled meat resembling Teriyaki rooster, huli huli rooster, kalua pork, poke, salmon, and spam musubi. You can even make it vegetarian or vegan through the use of grilled tofu for the protein.

So why was this explicit fashion of macaroni salad included in plate lunch? As a result of it was a finances pleasant and satisfying dish for employees on the sugar cane and pineapple plantations on the Hawaiian islands. It makes it some of the standard facet dish in Hawaiian delicacies. 

True Hawaiian macaroni salad is made with macaroni, mayo, milk, vinegar, carrots, salt, and pepper. However you may throw in all kinds of mix-ins — celery, inexperienced onions, potato and even pineapple!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love Hawaiian-Fashion Macaroni Salad

• Plant-Primarily based: This Hawaiian fashion macaroni salad is a dream come true for vegetarians and may simply be made vegan.
• Fast And Straightforward: This straightforward recipe is ideal for these busy weeknights whenever you want a fast facet dish. With a handful of straightforward components and some straightforward steps, you may whip up this dish very quickly.
• Versatile: Not solely is that this Hawaiian pasta salad a vibrant addition to any meal, however it’s also extremely versatile. Serve it as a facet dish at summer time BBQs, convey it to a potluck, or get pleasure from it as a lightweight lunch. It’s a crowd-pleaser any time of the yr!
• Household Pleasant: This creamy Hawaiian mac salad is a success with youngsters and adults alike. It’s a good way to introduce your little ones to totally different flavors and cuisines. Plus, it’s a more healthy different to store-bought pasta salads.
• Crowd-Pleaser: Whether or not you’re internet hosting an enormous household gathering, a potluck, or BBQ, this meals truck fashion Hawaiian macaroni salad is a surefire crowd-pleaser. It’s a scrumptious, creamy, satisfying, and ideal facet dish that everybody will get pleasure from.

🥘 Components

Making this genuine Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe is a breeze, with a handful of components you could simply discover at your native grocery retailer. From the tangy apple cider vinegar to the crunchy inexperienced onions, every ingredient provides a novel taste, making this a scrumptious and refreshing dish.

• Macaroni: The star of this recipe, macaroni noodles add a scrumptious texture to the dish. For a more healthy twist, you should utilize entire wheat macaroni or chickpea macaroni.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This ingredient provides a tangy kick to the salad, balancing out the creaminess of the mayo. 
• Carrot: Grated carrot provides a pleasant crunch and a contact of sweetness to the salad. It additionally brings a pop of colour to this conventional Hawaiian dish.
• Inexperienced Onion: Thinly sliced inexperienced onions present a gentle, but flavorful punch. In addition they add an exquisite colour distinction to the salad.
• Salt & Black Pepper: These primary seasonings improve the flavors of the opposite components, making the salad much more scrumptious.
• Mayonnaise: A essential part on this recipe for Hawaiian mac salad, mayo creates a creamy, wealthy dressing. Good mayo is likely one of the most important elements to creating this genuine Hawaiian mac salad shine. I like to recommend Greatest Meals Mayonnaise, Duke’s Mayo, Hellmann’s, or any natural mayo at your native grocery retailer. It acts as a flavorful binding agent to carry all of your salad components collectively. I used gentle mayo to make this recipe barely more healthy. 
• Milk: A little bit milk helps to skinny out the mayo, making a lighter, smoother mayonnaise dressing. Go for low fats milk for a more healthy alternative.
• Sugar: Although elective, a little bit sugar (granulated or brown sugar) can assist create the right steadiness with the tanginess of the apple cider vinegar, including a barely candy taste to the salad. 

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Vinegar: There’s no direct substitute for apple cider vinegar on this recipe because it provides the salad its distinctive tangy taste. Nevertheless, in a pinch, you should utilize white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or pickle juice. These will barely alter the style, however the salad will nonetheless be scrumptious.
• Carrot: Whereas the grated carrot provides a pleasant crunch and colour to the salad, you may also use grated zucchini or cucumber for a unique taste and texture.
• Onions: In the event you don’t have inexperienced onions available, you should utilize finely chopped crimson or white onions. Nevertheless, do not forget that these have a stronger taste than inexperienced onions.
• Mayonnaise: To maintain this salad plant-based and more healthy, you should utilize gentle mayo or vegan mayo as an alternative of Greatest Meals mayo. These alternate options will hold the salad creamy and scrumptious with out compromising on the flavour. Don’t substitute the mayo for miracle whip! It is not going to end up almost pretty much as good!
• Milk: For a more healthy and plant-based choice, you should utilize almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk as an alternative of standard milk. These alternate options will hold the salad creamy whereas including a slight nutty taste.
• Sugar: If you wish to make the salad sugar-free, you should utilize a plant-based sweetener like Stevia, or simply omit the sugar altogether in order for you a much less candy salad.

🔪 How To Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Are you able to convey the style of the Hawaiian islands to your kitchen? Right here’s tips on how to make one of the best Hawaiian macaroni salad. For a extra detailed information and dietary data, try the total recipe card on the finish of this submit.

Prepare dinner The Macaroni: Begin by following the package deal instructions to cook dinner your dry elbow macaroni, including to a big pot of boiling water. As soon as cooked to al dente, drain the macaroni noodles and switch them into a big bowl. Professional tip: Because the pasta cooks you may prep your veggies!

Combine Components: Subsequent, pour the apple cider vinegar over the nice and cozy pasta and stir till nicely mixed. Add the shredded carrot, chopped inexperienced onions, salt, and black pepper, and provides it one other good stir.

Whisk The Dressing: In a separate small bowl, combine collectively 2 1/2 cups mayonnaise, a little bit milk, and a little bit of sugar to create a creamy dressing.

Mix Macaroni And Dressing: Gently fold the mayo combination into the macaroni, guaranteeing all of the noodles are nicely coated.

Chill The Salad: Enable your Hawaiian pasta salad to chill to room temperature earlier than overlaying it. Retailer it in an hermetic container and place it within the fridge to sit back utterly.

💭 Professional Ideas

• Do Not Overcook Pasta: For this Hawaiian fashion mac salad, it’s tremendous necessary to not overcook the macaroni noodles. This might trigger them to interrupt aside whereas stirring.
• Maximize The Taste With Vinegar: After cooking and draining your macaroni, you’ll pour apple cider vinegar over it and stir. Why can we do that? It provides a tangy taste on to the noodles for the right chunk each time.
• Use Wholesome Alternate options: To make this salad more healthy, think about using gentle mayo or vegan mayo, and low-fat milk. These swaps received’t compromise the flavour however will make your dish lots lighter.
• Chill Earlier than Serving: Make sure that your salad is totally chilled earlier than serving. I like to recommend a minimum of two hours of chill time within the fridge to let the flavors meld collectively completely.
• Meal Prep And Modify: Be happy to arrange this salad prematurely and retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. If made a day or two forward, you may want so as to add a little bit extra milk and mayo earlier than serving, because the pasta tends to soak up the dressing over time.

📖 Variations

• Add Extra Contemporary Veggies: If you wish to make this wholesome Hawaiian macaroni salad much more nutritious, add a few of your favourite greens. You’ll be able to add candy onion, corn kernels, cucumber, celery, olives, tomatoes, crimson onion, broccolini, or bell peppers. This is not going to solely add a crunch to your salad but additionally make it extra colourful and interesting.
• Italian Fashion Mac Salad: Swap up the essential flavors of your pasta salad by including totally different spices. Create an Italian-style salad by including garlic powder, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. You can even swap out the mayo for a tangy dressing like an Italian fashion salad dressing! This can give your salad an Italian twist.
• Potato Mac Salad: For a extra filling choice, chop up one cooked baked potato into small cubes and toss it into this salad. The potato will present a unique texture and make the salad extra substantial.
• Protein Packed Mac Salad: Serve this native dish with a protein to make it an entire meal, or add protein into this wholesome Hawaiian mac salad recipe for a one-pot meal! You’ll be able to add grilled rooster, tofu, hard-boiled eggs, and even some white beans for a protein enhance.
• Add Toppings: Get inventive along with your salad toppings. A few of my favourite issues so as to add embody parmesan cheese, cubed avocado, diced pineapple, toasted breadcrumbs, additional veggies, crunchy chow mein noodles, contemporary herbs, a squeeze of contemporary lemon juice, or sunflower seeds. I even love drizzling a little bit of sizzling sauce to the highest of my macaroni salad.

🍽 Serving Strategies

This can be a versatile facet dish that pairs nicely many principal programs. Listed below are some serving ideas:

• Conventional Hawaiian BBQ: Serve this tangy macaroni salad alongside plant-based grilled meats, steamed veggies, and scoops of sticky rice for an genuine Hawaiian plate lunch. Don’t overlook the contemporary pineapple slices for a candy end!
• Vegetarian Mains: This macaroni salad makes an ideal facet dish for vegetarian principal programs like lentil falafel burgers or tofu Thai yellow curry. It provides a creamy, tangy distinction to the hearty flavors of those dishes.
• Summer time BBQs: This salad is a good addition to a summer time cookout. Serve it with grilled plant-based burgers, vegan sizzling canine, or skewered veggies or tofu skewers for a basic BBQ plate.
• Pair With Different Sides: You’ll be able to serve this creamy macaroni salad alongside different facet dishes like stuffed zucchini flowers, vegan bruschetta, or miso mushrooms for a well-rounded meal.

🙌 Dietary Variations

This recipe could be simply tailored to suit varied dietary wants. Right here’s how:

• Vegan And Dairy-Free Choice: This recipe requires actual mayo and milk, which aren’t vegan-friendly. For a vegan Hawaiian mac salad, use a vegan mayo and a plant-based milk of your alternative. There are various nice vegan mayos accessible available in the market, and almond milk or soy milk might work nicely on this recipe.
• Gluten-Free Choice: To make this Hawaiian pasta salad gluten-free, merely change the common macaroni with a gluten-free selection. There are various gluten-free pasta choices accessible, together with these made out of rice, corn, or quinoa. Simply be sure to verify the package deal to ensure that it’s licensed gluten-free.

🫙 Storage Instructions

• Refrigerating: After permitting your salad to chill right down to room temperature, switch it to an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge. It’ll keep contemporary for as much as three to 4 days. Keep in mind, whether it is been sitting for a day or two, you may want so as to add a little bit extra milk and mayo earlier than serving, because the pasta tends to soak up the creamy dressing over time.
• Freezing: Sadly, this Hawaiian pasta salad doesn’t freeze nicely because of the creamy dressing and the smooth noodles. The feel of the pasta and the dressing can change when frozen after which thawed, making it much less interesting.
• Reheating: This salad is greatest loved chilly, as is conventional with Hawaiian mac salad. Nevertheless, for those who favor it barely hotter, you may let it sit out of the fridge and attain room temperature the subsequent time you go to serve it. Keep away from reheating it in a microwave or on a stovetop as it may well alter the feel of the salad and make it much less pleasant.

❓Recipe FAQs

🥗 Extra Flavorful Facet Salads!

Love this vegetarian facet dish recipe? Please go away a 5-star ranking 🌟 within the recipe beneath and/or a overview within the feedback part additional down the web page!

You can even FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see extra scrumptious, wholesome, family-friendly meals, and in case you have any questions, I’m right here to assist!

📋 Recipe Card