Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad (Vegan)
This Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad is simple but delicious, super tangy with just a touch of sweetness! Perfect for a BBQ or Plate Lunch!
Ever since I made some Classic Macaroni Salad last year, I’ve been a big fan of the dish. It’s one of those things that I like better now that I’m vegan than I did before! And this Hawaiian Mac Salad is now one of my new favorites too!
This is a much simpler recipe than the Classic style, but it’s just as good if not better in my opinion. It’s a perfect side dish for a Potluck, Summer Cookouts or BBQ!
We’ll be using just a few ingredients, but they all have a big impact on the flavor!
What is hawaiian style Macaroni salad?
This side dish is super popular among Local Hawaiians, and I know it from chains like L&L out here in California. It’s typically served in a Plate Lunch, which is a super filling and hearty meal featuring white rice, and things like Vegan Beef Teriyaki (or Vegan Teriyaki Chicken) and Vegan Chicken Katsu,
It relies less on adding fresh herbs and crunchy veggies than a Classic Macaroni Salad, and instead employs a good amount of Mayonnaise (typically Hellman’s / Best Foods), some shredded carrots (some recipes call for celery but I wasn’t a fan of the chunky texture) and then a few more seasonings. It’s a very simple recipe, but super dang delicious!
Hawaiian style macaroni salad ingredients
- Pasta – You’re gonna want to get the Classic Elbow Macaroni Noodles for this one!
- Vegan Mayo – Another main component! You can also try adding in some vegan sour cream, or even unsweetened vegan yogurt for something lighter.
- Acid & Sugar – I like adding some Apple Cider Vinegar, along with some Mirin for a subtle Sweet and Sour flavor.
- Fresh Veggies – We’re gonna grate some carrots with the large holes, and some onions for the small ones. Seriously, don’t skip the onions, it makes a big difference!
- Seasonings – I’m using MSG, Black Pepper and a little White Pepper. You can always use some salt instead of MSG, but there’s no reason to avoid it!
How to Make Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad
First, we’ll need to cook the pasta. Simply do so according to the package instructions, salt the water with a couple big grips of salt, and overcook the pasta by about 2 – 3 minutes so it’s nice and soft (but not too soft, we don’t want it mushy!)
Drain the pasta and let it cool on a baking sheet. I didn’t bother rinsing in cold water or adding any oil as I didn’t find it necessary in this instance. The pasta didn’t stick, and I found it held onto the dressing even better!
While the pasta cools, whip up the creamy dressing in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the pasta and dressing and season to taste as needed!
The Macaroni Salad is great right out of the gate! However, feel free to chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours to overnight. You can even add more mayo and stir it in after this step if you want to as well!
tips for Hawaiian style macaroni salad
- Over cook your pasta by a few minutes. This will make them softer and should help them soak up the dressing more too.
- Cool the pasta by spreading it out on a baking sheet.
- Use as much mayo as you’d like! You can always add more after it’s been chilling in the fridge for a few hours / overnight.
storage
Like I said, it’s honestly good right away but you store in the fridge and enjoy for up to 3-5 days.
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Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dried Macaroni
Dressing
- 2 – 3 cups Vegan Mayo
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1 tsp MSG (or salt to taste)
- 3/4 cup Shredded Carrots
- 2 Tbsp Grated Onion
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring 4-6 quarts of water up to a boil. Salt generously with a few big grips of salt. Cook your pasta 2-3 minutes past package instructions for al dente. Check every minute to make sure you don't over cook and make them mushy. They should be soft but still have a bit of chew.
- Once cooked, drain your pasta, then add it to a baking sheet and spread out evenly.
- While pasta cools, combine the ingredients for the dressing. Start with 2 cups of Vegan Mayo for now. Whisk thoroughly and then adjust to taste.
- In a bowl, combine the dressing and cooled macaroni, mix well to coat! Adjust seasoning if needed. It's super good right away, but it's also good after a few hours / overnight in the fridge as well!
- Optionally, you can add up to an additional cup of mayo if preferred the next day.
I’m not a fan of the texture of traditional macaroni salad but really enjoyed the subtle textures of the grated vegetables. I subbed rice vinegar for mirin and the flavor was great – slightly sweet, tangy, and peppery! I would bring this dish to a cookout for sure.
Awesome, glad to hear it! This is perfect for a cookout!
I made this yesterday for dinner – my husband and I love it! I wanted to try something different with the Field Roast stadium dogs we had for dinner. Pasta salad perfection! I will definitely be making this again . Thanks!
This is my first time learning about this dish. I made it again for the 3rd time this morning. It’s super budget friendly too.
haha I love that, I’m the same way when I make something new that I like! Glad you dig it!
I’m going to a Hawaiian party next month. This sounds delicious. Do you think I could add some pineapple chunks to the salad to make it more “Hawaiian”?
You could, but I believe that they don’t really add pineapple to it in Hawaii fyi!
Wife and I went to a Hawaiian dinner and really got a hankering for the mac salad.
Never been lead a stray by any of your recipes so I gave it a shot.
Wife said it was better than the fancy restaurant. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh wow, that makes my day to hear, thank you so much! Glad you both liked it!!
Hawaiian macaroni salad was one of my favorite sides that I first had when I wasn’t vegan. After becoming vegan, I couldn’t find any Hawaiian BBQ places that has a vegan alternative near my area. I decided to try this recipe in hopes of satisfying that craving.
I used a mix of rice vinegar and sugar as a substitute for mirin. I also used a bit (maybe 1/3 tea spoon) of onion powder instead of grated onions as well. One final modification I made was using a vegan Japanese-styled mayo rather than standard US-styled mayos.
Anyway, the dish turned out way better than I expected. It tastes almost identical to what a restaurant would serve. Thank you so much for another amazing recipe!
Oh wow, so glad this worked out for you! Thank you!!