faux chicken salad sandwich with tomato and kale

So it’s time for lunch number 2 – faux chicken salad.  I used to love chicken salad.  In my pre-vegan days, it’s what I always ordered whenever I went out to lunch.  However, I was often sorry that I did because not that infrequently, I would bite into a piece of fat from the chicken and I would lose my appetite.  I have to wonder why I kept ordering it, but for some reason I did.  I guess I just liked the taste, even though the occasional pieces of fat grossed me out.  This brings to mind one of my favorite things about being vegan – NO animal fat in my food!!  Now when I eat, I love savoring every single bite, knowing that nothing gross is in it!

It’s not just me that loves this faux chicken salad.  My kids love it so much they eat it as I’m making it, probably because it is just as delicious warm as it cold in their sandwiches the next day.  Tempeh has both a satisfying texture and flavor.  Lots of recipes call for steaming the tempeh first to remove any bitterness, but I never taste any bitterness at all.  I don’t know who could want real chicken after eating this.

Faux Chicken Salad ingredients

Faux Chicken Salad

• 2 8 oz. packages tempeh
• 1 t safflower or canola oil
• 1/2 c vegan mayo
• 1 t dijon mustard
• 1 t bragg’s liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/8 t poultry seasoning
• 1 t fresh dill, chopped, or 1/4 t dried
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1 t fresh parsley, chopped, or 1/4 t dried

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.  Cook the tempeh for 5 minutes per side until golden brown.  Remove from pan.

After the tempeh cools for a few minutes, cube it into  1/4” pieces.  Place the cubes in a bowl and add the vegan mayo, dijon and braggs.  Stir to combine.

cubing the tempeh

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Makes enough for about 5 sandwiches.

With the sandwich in this lunch my family is also getting sliced organic strawberries and my favorite chocolate chip cookies from the Skinny Bitch in the Kitch cookbook.   For the recipe, click here.  Yum!