One of my favorite foods before going vegetarian was chicken salad. After going vegetarian, and then vegan I was afraid I’d never be able to enjoy the same flavor, and texture again… but I was wrong. At a local health food store in Boone I discovered a pre-made vegan chicken salad and realized that I could recreate it at home and save a lot of money.

Most people are hesitant about giving up meat, dairy, or eggs because they don’t want to miss out on some of their favorite foods. But once you start to realize the amazing plant-based alternatives out there it makes it a whole lot easier! This recipe is just as easy (if not easier) than your typical animal meat-based chicken salad and it’s also much healthier.

The Beyond Meat chicken strips (and all of their products) are one of the best meat-alternatives on the market. Their ingredients are all plant-based and the texture and flavor of all of their products is mind-blowing. The chicken strips have absolutely no saturated fat, and provide a great source of iron and protein.

Just Mayo is an awesome product to have on hand if you’re trying to eat more plant-based or if you are a mayonnaise lover and want to use a healthier alternative. I found a huge jar at Walmart for only $3.75!               

Now, onto the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. Beyond Meat chicken strips (in the frozen section of most grocery stores
• 1/3 cup Just Mayo (found with all the regular mayo)
• 1/3 cup celery: chopped
  
• 1/4 cup green pepper: chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow onion: chopped
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• salt + pepper: to taste

The first part of this recipe is cooking the chicken strips. Because it’s not actual raw animal meat, you’re basically just warming them through and giving them a quick sear. It takes about 8-10 minutes in a saute pan over medium high heat.

Once the chicken has cooked and cooled, use two forks to pull the chicken and shred it. You can also use a food processor or your hands to make it a little easier.

Once your chicken is shredded, add the chicken and all the other ingredients into a bowl.

Mix all of the ingredients together until full combined, and there you have it!

Store the finished product in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy on crackers, in a sandwich, or just by itself!