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 –Â 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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Hey there! My name is Kaluhi and I love food! Through my blog, I am happy to share with you my self-taught recipes, steeped in nostalgia and the happiest of memories. I hope each recipe you try out is as addictive as the previous one and is shared on a table full of love and hearty laughs!
what is the alternative to honey and garlic
Nothing babe. Those two have to be there as core ingredients for the dressing. If you swap honey for sugar (do not do that!!!) or garlic for hoho (do not do that!!!) this will not taste the same at all. Kindly but very firmly, keep core ingredients as they are as those cannot be swapped. Incase you do not like honey or garlic, I encourage you to check out my other salads in my salad playlists that align with what you prefer to taste.
xx
Kenyan in San Fran here! Hosted a couple of my friends for a lunch and I included this as it felt perfect for summer. I used salmon cubes in place of ham because of my muslim friends and my God, si tume-enjoy!!!! It was perfect for flavor and perfect for hot days too.
Ubarikiwe !
Love to see my people for far and wide still active in this community! I am so happy you loved it, Emma. And it was so thoughtful for you to consider your Muslimahs. Salmon was a perfect substitute!
This looks wonderful and I am excited to try this out! I have smoked Turkey, and I wonder if I can use that in place of the smoked ham?
Hey Sally,
Yes, Smoked Turkey would work well 🩷
I am typing this while still reeling from the high I got from the flavors of this pasta salad!!! I followed everything to the letter, only thing I swapped was mac pasta for fussili. This was extremely delicious and each time I have brunch out in the sun, I will ALWAYS include it!
Thanks for sharing this one with us!
Soooo happy you loved it! Fusilli is a wonderful sub for this salad, the way the dressing sits in those coils must have been such a treat!
I was not expecting fireworks, but my god, this was a full blown show! Easy 10stars from me. I loved how balanced it tasted, how fresh it felt, how filling it was and favor that lingered long after consuming
omg love to see it 💙! Cheers to many more recipes that show OUT!!!!
I used pickled onions for the body and added some olives too (couldn’t resist some olivrs 🫒) and it turned out to be the most joyeous bowlful I have had in a long time. Its quick to make, no fuss but concurrently tasted very high end!
Pickled onions is genius! I will use the same when I make this once again soon!
I always have grilled chicken breast in my house and that was my choice of protein for this salad. I put equal parts chicken breast and mac and everything else stayed the same. I made it on Saturday after gym and I was happy how quick it was, and what a tasty way it was to hit my protein goals. That dressing deserves a paragraph on its own, and I think that alone reaaaaaaally elevated the taste of the pasta salad.
I shared the same with my pals in my gym group as something healthy&delish- really excited for them to try it out!
Thank you for trying this and more so, for sharing with your friends. I really appreciate it 💙. Chicken was fantastic for this salad, so happy you enjoyed it. Keep on hitting those protein goals!
I made the salad this past weekend and I made two batches of the dressing (because wow! it is so good!!) The first batch I did use for the salad on Saturday dinner, the second batch I had today as a dip for my sweet potato fries and kuku mshikaki. My head spun with ecstacy- I think this is the closest I will ever get to a dr*g high!! *slaps knee*
And, I think the dressing flavors bloom the longer it sits? Did you notice the same?
I find it so exciting that this dressing found a life of it’s own as a dip outside of its initial intended use as a dressing 💙! And may I say, what a wonderful addiction you have found lol.
To your question: YES. I do think it does got better over time. For this salad, the batch I made was abit big for just me, the remaining portion that I had next day prior to a meeting was indeed positively different. I do think it bloomed as it sat
I am peacefully home alone for the week. Hubby travelled for work, my kids are at their cousins for the week and I am loving the slow pace of the quiet week and I can cook/make/bake what *EYE* like to eat. I made myself this salad for dinner yesterday (Monday), and paired it with a lovely Sauv Blanc. To summarise what I felt in one word: JOY. The flavors felt joyeous! It was such a great way to start my week of solitude, and I’m gonna do one Kaluhi recipe each day just to keep the vibe of my peaceful week uber high!
Thanks for sharing this
I am an extrovert but I looooove solitude and my own company is my most favorite 🤎; so trust me, I understand your elation to having time for yourself! Even more thrilled that what was bourne out of my heart got to contribute to your fantastic peaceful stay. I love it for you and I hope all other recipes your try bring even more joy!
xx
Excited to try this out!! Can I use shell pasta for this recipe?
Hi Peris,
Yes you can. Just ensure it is the small shell pastas so that the dressing get nicely scooped up in its hollows.
xx
I made this for lunch (I work from home) and I am still reeling from the flavor. It was so easy to put together & did not eat into my lunch break and uber delicious too! I made a big batch and the remaining one I’m gonna have for dinner
Music to my ears! So happy you loved it 🩷
Hae Dear,
When you say ham, do you mean the flat ham for sandwiches or another ham?
This is a great question. This would not work well with the flat ham for sandwiches, but need the ham that comes form the hind leg of the pig. While they are both ham, the latter is thicker and goes well in salads while the packed flat ham is wet and thin. You can find honey smoked ham at the Carrefour Deli (not the freezers section, but the Deli). Incase you want to swap ham, you can use: grilled chicken, turkey, salmon
All the best Winnie!