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
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
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 :)
Leave a Reply