Chicken salad is one of the things I occasionally miss from my youth as an omnivore.

Possibly because my mom’s recipe was so good and so simple that it was a near constant presence in the house in the summer time.

The idea of chicken salad always brings be back to hot summer nights and trying to scarf down a sandwich or two so we can get back outside on our bikes to make use of every last drop of daylight until that dreaded end of August.

This recipe is a little more complex than hers was, but that is a hard one to replicate.

Start out by boiling water. Dissolve the cube bouillon into the water, then combine with the nutritional yeast and Braggs or soy sauce.

Mix this until everything is fully incorporated.

Pour this hot mixture into a bowl with the dried textured vegetable protein (TVP) and mix to make sure all of the TVP is wet.

Allow this to sit for an hour so that the TVP gets rehydrated and takes in the flavors.

While that’s soaking, shred the carrots, slice the celery and chop the pepper and onion.

After the hour is up, pour the TVP mixture into a fine strainer and press out any excess liquid.

The texture is kind of spongey, so it will be possible to squeeze out liquid for a long time, so don’t go overboard, but get a good amount of it out so that the salad isn’t too runny.

In a large bowl, mix together the chopped veggies and the TVP.

Add the salt, pepper, mustard and apple cider vinegar, then stir very well.

This is the turning point for this recipe to go vegetarian or vegan, and it’s an obvious move to go either way.

For vegan “chicken” salad, just use vegan mayo, for the ova-lacto vegetarians out there, use regular mayo.

Add whichever mayo you choose one spoonful at a time and mix in until you are satisfied with the flavor.

This will require sampling, so get your wheat thins ready.

Cover and refrigerate for a little while, since the TVP might still be a little warm. Letting it sit in the fridge will also allow the flavors to come together as well, so if you make this the night before you serve it, you’ll be even happier with the result.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup textured vegetable protein

(TVP)

1 1/2 cup boiling water

2 tbsps. nutritional yeast

1 cube vegetable bouillon (can sub

fake chicken flavor)

1 tbsp. Braggs liquid aminos (or

soy sauce)

5 to 7 baby carrots, shredded

2 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 bell pepper, chopped fine

1/2 red onion, chopped fine

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

(optional)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. mustard

4-6 heaping spoonfuls mayo, according to taste