My Favorite Japanese Macaroni Salad

For me, macaroni salad is a classic side dish often served alongside delicious Yōshoku dishes like Hamburg steak, kani (crab) cream croquette, and fried shrimp at a cozy little Yōshoku restaurant.

Strangely, this was one of the few salads my mom didn’t make at home—but I loved it so much that I ended up creating my own version, one I truly enjoy every now and then.

I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

Ingredients

serving for 3-4 people

• 1 cup(about 110g/3.88oz) Elbow Pasta

• 1000ml/4.23 cups water + 1 teaspoon salt for cooking the pasta

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

  
  

• 25g/0.88oz onion slices

• 50g/1.76oz red bell pepper

• 1 stalk of celery

• 1-2 green onions

• 1 hard-boiled egg

For the dressing

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon(about 70g/2.46oz) Kewpie or Japanese Mayonnaise

• 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• 2 pinches of sugar

• 1 teaspoon capers

• salt and black pepper to taste(usually less than 1/8 teaspoon)

Instructions

1. Prep the ingredients:

   • Thinly slice the onion. To reduce the sharp taste, try your favorite method: soak in cold water, massage with salt, or microwave briefly (my go-to!). I microwaved it for about 10 seconds with a lid, then let it sit for 5 minutes.

   • Thinly slice the red bell pepper and pat off any excess moisture.

   • Slice the celery thinly.

   • Chop the green onions.

   • Chop the capers.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil with the egg in it. Once it boils, lower to medium heat and cook for 11 minutes.

3. Transfer the egg to cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes.

4. Peel the egg, mash the yolk with a utensil, and chop up the white. Combine them.

5. Cook the pasta:

   Using the same pot, bring water back to a boil and cook the elbow pasta according to the package instructions.

   Once cooked, drain well and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss to coat evenly.

6. Make the dressing:

   In a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.

7. Assemble the salad:

   Add the pasta and all the prepared ingredients to the bowl with the dressing.

   Mix well to combine.

Cooking Note

• Feel free to adjust the type and amount of vegetables to your liking (just don’t go overboard!)

• I like to microwave the onions just a little—it helps mellow their sharpness without losing texture. (I’m very sensitive to onions!) In this recipe, I microwaved them for just 10 seconds on medium (600W), but the time may vary depending on the amount. If you enjoy raw onions, feel free to simply soak them in cold water for a bit, then drain well!