Hawaiian macaroni salad is not the Italian-American version with vegetables and vinaigrette. It is a simple, creamy, slightly sweet pasta salad made with elbow macaroni, mayo, grated carrot, and just enough sugar and apple cider vinegar to balance the fat. It appears on every Hawaiian plate lunch alongside two scoops of rice and a protein. The seed oil free version replaces commercial soybean oil mayonnaise with either homemade olive oil mayo or a quality avocado oil mayo.
The Mayo Problem
Commercial mayonnaise — Hellmann's, Best Foods, Duke's — is made primarily with soybean oil. Soybean oil is the most consumed seed oil in the United States and one of the highest in linoleic acid. For a MAHA plate lunch, the mayo must change. Homemade mayonnaise with extra virgin olive oil takes 5 minutes and tastes significantly better than any commercial version.
Homemade Olive Oil Mayo
One egg yolk, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 200ml extra virgin olive oil emulsified together with a hand blender or by whisking. The olive oil produces a slightly more assertive flavour than neutral oil — which works well in Hawaiian mac salad where the dressing is already quite rich.
Serves 6 · Prep 15 min · Chill 1 hour
Ingredients
- 300g elbow macaroni
- 250ml olive oil mayonnaise (homemade or avocado oil mayo)
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- White pepper to taste
- Optional: 2 spring onions sliced, 1/4 onion finely diced
Method
- Cook macaroni in well-salted boiling water until very soft — slightly past al dente. Hawaiian mac salad uses softer pasta than Italian.
- Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
- While still slightly warm, toss with 1 tbsp of the mayo and the vinegar — the warm pasta absorbs these better.
- Cool completely.
- Add remaining mayo, grated carrot, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Mix well.
- Taste — it should be creamy, slightly sweet, slightly tangy.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. The salad absorbs the mayo as it sits.
The Plate Lunch
The Hawaiian plate lunch formula is fixed: two scoops rice, one scoop mac salad, one protein. The protein rotates — kalua pig, garlic shrimp, shoyu chicken, spam musubi, katsu chicken. The mac salad and rice are constants. For a complete seed oil free plate lunch, pair this mac salad with the kalua pig recipe and plain steamed rice.
Why cook the pasta soft?
Hawaiian mac salad tradition uses softer pasta than Italian cooking — it absorbs more mayo and has a creamier texture. Do not undercook.
Can I use Japanese Kewpie mayo?
Kewpie is made with soybean oil and is not seed oil free. Use homemade olive oil mayo or a brand specifically made with avocado oil.
How far ahead can I make it?
Up to 24 hours ahead — the salad improves as it sits and the pasta absorbs the dressing. Add a touch more mayo before serving if it has dried out.
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