Honey Smoked Ham Macaroni Salad

You know when people say “If you want something done well you must do it yourself?’ Well, while that statement does not apply in every sphere of my life (because I am human and it is very ok to ask for help too 🩶), it has proven true many times. I pride myself on my ability, and it is such an honour to be able to do things, both big and small. In this instance, making the best macaroni salad proved to be a rewarding journey, as I made it with flavours I knew would set my spirit right. I must say, the concept of a macaroni salad used to rouse a tiny bit of skepticism in me. And maybe someone is reading this equally as skeptical lol. But I need you to trust me today as you have always trusted me in days past. Let me tell you honey, this is the best macaroni salad you will ever have! You know full well that we make the best salads here at KK, and this one is no different!

I hope you fall head over heels in love with this as much as I did!

PREP TIME: 20 min    MAKE TIME: 5 min        SERVES: 1

Ingredients

For the body:

1 cup of cooked macaroni

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 tomato, sliced

1/3 cup of cucumber, cored and cubed

1/2 cup of honey-smoked ham, cubed

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of honey

1/2 teaspoon of chopped capers

1 teaspoon of minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of chopped chives

Salt & pepper to taste

+ extra salad dressing optional

Method

For every salad we always try to make a homemade dressing to make the eating experience even better. For this salad, we want to have the dressing really creamy so that the body does not feel gummy and dense.

For that, a mayo base with ginger, garlic, honey, capers and chives. The capers – which I purchased from Carrefour –  are optional but they do a make a world of difference in flavour elevation. We used some in the guacamole with made for this sandwich, and they do so well in this dressing too.

Mix all the dressing ingredients and set aside. The dressing can be made up to a week in advance, keep it refrigerated to preserve its integrity. While we made this primarily as a dressing for our macaroni salad, this can also be used as a dip for fries and even more magnificently, for fish fingers.

To make this salad dressing even more creamy, you can boost the creaminess by adding some more store-bought salad dressing of your liking. I added some – my favorite heinz salad cream- and it was much welcome.

This however is optional, and the ginger mayo dressing alone is adequate.

Now, let’s move to preparing the salad.

For the body, the macaroni -as the title suggests – is the main ingredient. Be sure to use only this type of pasta for this recipe – if you are thinking about using spaghetti, delete that thought aki! Prepare your macaroni as the packet instructs. Once done, drain the water and run the macaroni through some cold water so that they don’t clump together. Just a reminder, the macaroni should remain room temp for this salad.

The other star ingredient for this salad is my smoked ham. I sourced my smoked honey ham from Carrefour Deli. I bought a portion worth 200 bob and it was adequate for a serving for one. The smokiness and honey notes made for a great addition and an excellent protein to have for this salad too. Regular cooked ham would be fine too, but if you can get the smoked honey variety, get that.

In place of the honey-smoked ham, salmon or grilled chicken would be perfect protein for this too.

To compose the salad body, place the macaroni, along with all the ingredients into your bowl and toss. The red onion should be blanched in some hot water + apple cider vinegar (or just plain salt) to temper the sharp note it carries. Make sure the cucumber in particular is cored (the seeds are removed) so that the salad does not get watery. This is very important.

Once the body ingredients are combined, drizzle the mayo dressing and mix.

It should look as creamy as you want it. Give it a little taste and adjust for any ingredient you feel needs to come to the fore (If you use my quantities, it will be perfect). As I have explained in all my salad videos in this playlist/write-ups- the best salads have a protein, a carb, and an assortment of veggies. Your body needs to receive all food groups even in a salad bowl, and my macaroni salad has ticked all boxes! It delivers both nutrients and flavor. Could you ask for anything more?

This was love at first bite!!! And a sure feast for the eyes too!! I mean, look at this!!

I am smiling as I write this because I am recalling the absolute joy I experienced when I ate this! I loved how the meatiness of the honey smoked ham complemented the soft notes of the ginger and honey in the dressing. It was a beautiful protein that added to the fullness of the macaroni. The dressing seeped into the hollows of the macaroni and made each bite juicy flavorful. The freshness of the cucumber and the tomatoes added much welcome freshness and the warmth of the dressing tied everything together.

This was perfection!

This is for sure the best macaroni salad in the whole world! And I know you guys are going to love it just as much! Whether you choose to make this with grilled chicken or with salmon- or with honey smoked ham as I did, you are going to be hooked on this!

Look at that creaminess!! I am truly excited for you to enjoy this beauty for your picnics, or just at home as you work, or as you relax and watch a lovely series. This salad is definitely one for the books.

I am excited for the joy that this will introduce to your palate! While I know you have already added this to your to-make list, check out my salad playlist on youtube and see which other salad you can give a shot.

I hope this write-up was helpful. I invite you to my channel to watch the wonderful complementary video to everything you have read about.

All my love 🩶!

-K

Get your downloadable recipe here :))

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