Dressed Up Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

If you've ever had a Hawaiian Plate Lunch, you know that one of the accompaniments is Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. It's usually a simple salad added with Macaroni, of course, along with grated Carrot and Onion. That's about it. I know some recipes call for a bit of Vinegar and some Sugar added to the Mayonnaise, but then to me it tastes like Miracle Whip which I had way too much of in my childhood. Years ago, I had a Hawaiian friend at work and she made this all the time. She would bring it for lunch and often added Ham to it to make it a more complete meal. She was adamant that you should only use Best Foods Mayonnaise (Hellman's on the East Coast) and only a tiny bit of Sugar. So, that's the way I've been making it ever since. The only change I made to her recipe is the addition of some minced Green Onions for color and a little extra flavor. I also used a smaller Gluten Free Pasta - Le Veneziane Ditalini and I love how the size of the Pasta is the same as the minced Ham, Green Onions and Carrot - that's a Chinese thing. My son Stephen makes his Hawaiian Macaroni Salad with Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise and that's delicious too and then you can leave out the Sugar. If you are serving this as a side dish, you can leave out the Ham and you can add in anything else you like. For example, Celery is a good addition as is Red Pepper. The recipe is for a small amount of Macaroni Salad, but you can easily double, triple or quadruple this recipe for crowd. This is a delicious Hawaiian Macaroni Salad any way you make it!

Dressed Up Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

1 cup small Pasta (Macaroni or Ditalini) 

½ large Carrot grated

1 Tablespoon grated Onion

1 Tablespoon Green Onion tops, minced

1/2 cup of Best Foods/Hellman’s or Kewpie Mayonnaise

½ teaspoon Sugar (don't use if using Kewpie)

small pinch fresh ground Black Pepper

Optional: ¼ cup minced Ham
Optional:  1/4 cup diced Celery or Red Pepper

Cook the Pasta in boiling, salted Water according to the package directions. Drain.

In a serving bowl, add in the Carrot, Onion, Green Onion and Ham, if using. Then add in the Mayonnaise, Sugar and Pepper along with the cooked Pasta. Stir to combine thoroughly and refrigerate until time to serve.

Five Element Analysis

It depends on what Pasta you use to make this Salad as that will determine the main ingredient. Wheat Pasta belongs to the Wood Element, while I used Corn Pasta, which is part of the Earth Element. The Carrot adds more Earth, while the Onion, Green Onion and Mayonnaise contributes the Metal Element. The Ham contributes the Water Element and there's just a hint of Fire with the Pepper. So, adding in some Celery (Wood) and Red Pepper (Fire) would make this Salad a bit more balanced, but it as a side salad, it adds some important Elements to a meal.