Haitian macaroni salad is the perfect side dish for potluck, parties and BBQs. Macaroni is tossed in a spicy vegan buttermilk mayonnaise sauce. Add cherry tomatoes, corn, onions and salty olives for the ultimate vegan pasta salad.
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Everyone needs a great macaroni salad recipe, and this Haitian recipe is next level! It's creamy with spicy and sour notes and packed with crunchy veg. You can also make it ahead, store it in the fridge, and give a good stir before taking it to your next picnic or cookout.
What's In Haitian Macaroni Salad?
- Macaroni: Naturally! But, feel free to substitute any pasta you have on hand. I've used rotini, fusilli and ziti. If you want your macaroni salad to be gluten free, you'll need to buy a gluten free pasta.
- Soy Milk +Lemon Juice: Soy milk plus lemon juice equals vegan buttermilk. It's part of what gives this Haitian pasta salad a unique flavor.
- Vegan Mayo: In classic macaroni salad fashion, this version includes mayo. But, we'll be using vegan mayo, which contains fewer saturated fats than traditional dairy mayo. Plus, it has no cholesterol and is just as creamy as mayo made with eggs.
- Green Olives: Green olives add a nice salty, briny flavor. Be sure to buy pitted olives.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are juicy and sweet, and are a classic addition to pasta salad. But, if you have normal tomatoes on hand, those will work equally as well.
- Sweetcorn: You can use canned, frozen or fresh in this recipe.
- Onion: Onion really balances out the creaminess of this salad. I've used yellow onions, but purple would work as well.
- Onion Salt: Onion salt is a combination of salt and onion powder, so it's different from onion powder.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is the best choice here. I usually like to use fresh garlic, but I find that garlic powder is less aggressive in this recipe.
- White Pepper: White pepper is a key ingredient here. Don't swap for black pepper, or you'll end up with a different flavor. White pepper is commonly used in Chinese cuisine and it has a very distinct flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper: Haitian macaroni salad has a spicy to kick to it that comes from cayenne pepper. Use more or less depending on your heat tolerance.
How To Make Haitian Macaroni Salad
- In a small bowl, combine the soy milk and lemon juice. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. This is your vegan buttermilk.
- Cook your macaroni (or preferred pasta) according to the instructions on the package. Drain well and allow it to cool fully while you make the dressing.
- To make the dressing, combine the vegan mayo with the vegan buttermilk in a small bowl. Stir in the spices.
- Transfer your cooked macaroni to a large serving bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, onion, corn and olives.
- Finally, pour your dressing over the top and toss the salad until the creamy dressing coats the pasta and veggies.
- You can sere Haitian macaroni salad immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Haitian Macaroni Salad
This salad goes well with most picnic foods. Here's a few of my favorite suggestions:
Jackfruit Burger With Guacamole
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Vegan Couscous Salad With Pomegranate
Israeli Couscous Salad With Beetroot
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this pasta salad should stay fresh for 3-5 days.
I don't recommend freezing any salad that contains mayo. The consistency s not the same once it's defrosted.
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Recipe
Haitian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces macaroni dried
- ½ cup soy milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1½ cups vegan mayonnaise
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ½ cup green olives pitted and cut in half
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 cup sweetcorn fresh, canned or frozed
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the soy milk and lemon juice. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. This is your vegan buttermilk.
- Cook the macaroni according to the instructions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool.
- Combine the vegan mayo, vegan buttermilk and spices in a small bowl.
- Transfer the macaroni to a large serving bowl and add the veggies. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss the salad until the pasta and veggies are coated in the dressing.
Notes
- To make this recipe gluten free, substitute any gluten free pasta for the macaroni.
- This salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
nancy
the vegan dressing is a nice spicy sauce. I used it several times this week already! and everyone loves it and not tired of it
Keri Bevan
Hi nancy, I'm so pleased you liked it. Thank you for letting me know.
Jacqui
An interesting and delicious spin on this dish! Turns out super tasty.
Emma
Tastes great
Mediyourway
That's awesome that you made this, I will say that it's a great effort. But YouTube has some great recipes that you can check out for an authentic version of the macaroni salad. Use tri color pasta next time. If you want to make it vegan you can leave out the meat. Awesome try. Keep up the good work. Definitely check out Google or YouTube next time and change the recipe to make it vegan.
Keri Bevan
Thank you for this helpful advice. I'm going to have a look and now and modify this recipe in the coming days!