mains + sides/ recipes/ summer

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad | Well and Full | #recipe #pastasalad #summer

This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is the perfect dish for a potluck or summer barbecue! With the perfect mix of sweet and savory flavors!


This recipe was inspired by a Facebook ad. Yes, seriously! I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw an ad by Hawaiian Airlines for a Hawaiian macaroni salad. It was meant to be an Instant Pot recipe (which I don’t have), but the combination of flavors sounded so interesting that I knew I had to create my own spin on it! (Recipe inspiration credit here!)

As I have written previously, I am starting to expand into the sweet + savory combination world. So when I saw that the macaroni salad in the Hawaiian airlines ad had brown sugar, mustard, AND Worcestershire sauce, I was immediately intrigued. I had never tried anything like that before, so I knew I had to recreate it in my own kitchen!!

The verdict – this salad was AMAZING. I was so in love with the sweet and savory flavors!! It’s definitely a unique taste, but there’s something about it that seems comforting and familiar. :)


I also wanted to provide a brief update on what’s been going on in my personal life! If you’ve been following my blog for the past few years, you’ll know that I’ve always struggled with my stomach. In the past, my stomach would get upset when I was feeling anxious (which is unfortunately quite often). The way I’m phrasing this is putting it mildly to the extreme. My stomach issues were so bad in the past that I had to quit my job at the time, after having been on medical leave. But now, my stomach issues have gotten to a new level of horrible, and it needs to be addressed.

Back in 2016, when I was on medical leave, I had gotten bloodwork done to see if I had gluten intolerance or Celiac disease. The doctor told me my results were negative. However, now I’m seeing a different doctor, who reviewed my previous bloodwork and told me that I have something different with my levels of IgA inhibitors (I’m not really sure what that means). Long story short, it’s possible that I may have gotten a false negative on my bloodwork due to these IgA inhibitors.

(Also quick sidebar that it’s very upsetting to hear that my previous doctor did not account for my IgA levels in her bloodwork and do further testing on me… it was honestly pretty negligent and I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it.)

Anyways, I have some further procedures and testing coming up to see why I am still struggling with my stomach. Experiencing such debilitating stomach issues at my age has come at a great cost. I feel like I’m 90. I rarely go out or do anything. My stomach dictates everything I do during the day. I’m sick of feeling sick!! I’ll keep you updated as to the results of my tests for sure. Thanks for listening <3

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad | Well and Full | #recipe #pastasalad #summer

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is the perfect dish for a potluck or summer barbecue! With the perfect mix of sweet and savory flavors!
5 from 1 vote
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Hawaiian

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad

  • 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
  • 1/3 Cup Grated Carrots
  • 3-4 Stalks Celery chopped
  • 4 Scallions chopped

Sauce

  • 1 Cup Vegan or Vegetarian Mayo
  • 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond or Regular Milk
  • 1 Tbs Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Tbs Brown Sugar
  • 1 Tbs Rice Vinegar

Optional Toppings

  • Hot Paprika

Instructions
 

  • Begin by cooking your pasta until it's al dente. Do not overcook the pasta, the last thing you want is a mushy pasta salad!! When done, drain the water and set aside.
  • While the pasta is cooking, prep the vegetables and make the sauce.
  • Grate your carrots (or use store-bought grated carrots). Chop your celery and scallions, and set aside.
  • Make the sauce - whisk together all sauce ingredients until smooth and creamy.
  • After pasta is done cooking, immediately toss with the sauce until all the pasta is evenly coated. Then, add in the vegetables and toss. Top with a sprinkling of hot paprika, if desired.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad will keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. 
Keyword fruit salad, pasta salad, sides

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad | Well and Full | #recipe #pastasalad #summer

P.S.

If you make this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and post it on Instagram, be sure to tag me @wellandfull and #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your takes on my recipes :)

8 Comments

  • Reply
    jacquie
    August 8, 2019 at 9:46 am

    I’m sorry you are feeling so poorly. As someone else is striuggling with chronic health issues at way too young an age and has had less than ideal medical care, I can truely empathsis with your experiences. I know that doesn’t help take away the pain of your unique circumstances but I did want to let you know that you are not alone in the dark. I hope you find some ease and healing soon.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      August 12, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      Hi Jacquie, thank you so much for your kind comment, I greatly appreciate it. I’m really hoping that I can get some answers when I get the medical testing done <3 I wish you wellness as well <3

  • Reply
    Liz Mackay
    August 8, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    So sorry to hear you are so sick – do hope things improve soon for you.
    Just one thing I don’t understand regarding the recipe .. I see a bowl of pineapple chunks in the photo, but NO mention of it anywhere in the recipe … was this an error? With the word ‘Hawaain’ in the recipe name, I immediately thought it would have pineapple in it … please let me know! Your recipes are always so great and I have made your Coconut Bacon a gazillion times!! Thank you!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      August 9, 2019 at 9:11 am

      Hi Liz, thank you so much for your kind words! The macaroni salad recipe does not have pineapple in it! The pineapple is just in the photo to add to the Hawaiian theme :)

  • Reply
    Jess
    August 19, 2019 at 7:47 am

    5 stars
    Love the combination of ingredients in this salad Sarah!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      August 21, 2019 at 9:07 am

      Thanks Jess! :)

  • Reply
    Traci | Vanilla And Bean
    August 19, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    Haha… you never know where recipe inspiration will hit! No IP here either… and I’ll never have one in my tiny kitchen anyway.. so I like your slower method. This is fabulous Sarah! So sorry to hear about your stomach issues. Have you given up gluten to see if it helps (I’m sorry I don’t recall if you’ve shared it before )? I wen’t through 9 months of gluten free last year on again off again and loads of testing to see if being off gluten would be more supportive of my hypothyroid. In the end it only improved slightly and I didn’t feel any different… so I’m back on gluten and feeling great! Test results can be so confusing because while one reads one way, you get differing results from another (at least in my case anyway). It can be a tough road especially if your symptoms are severe – mine never were, just hypothyroid. I hope you’re able to get to the bottom of it soon.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      August 21, 2019 at 9:08 am

      It’s interesting that you ask that because I recently found out that I may have gotten a false negative on a Celiac test I received in 2016. I never thought to stop eating gluten because I thought that I didn’t have Celiac! I have a diagnostic procedure scheduled for next week and hopefully that will settle the matter once and for all!

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