It's Not Chicken Salad

For a while after becoming a vegetarian, I missed chicken salad. Not anymore! Try this combination, and then alter it to your own preferences. Even without embellishments, this salad makes a wonderful sandwich. Here are a few ideas for excellent additions: diced ripe avocado, mashed ripe avocado with a sprinkle each of salt and lemon or lime as a vegan substitute for the mayonnaise, diced hardboiled egg, chopped roasted lightly salted almonds, raisins, about one quarter cup of left-over rice. However you make it, try this salad on whole wheat bread, toasted lighter or darker as ever you prefer, with a little mayonnaise on the toast and a good layer of your favorite sandwich lettuce. M-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m. Or, simply have this as a plated salad with accompaniments such as an "in season" tomato, sliced or diced as you wish. My husband, who is not a vegetarian, enjoys this salad very much.

Ingredients

1   CucumberCut into small cubes, about one quarter inch. Find a little one, not very mature without much seeds; alternately take the seeds out. You should have about a half cup.
1   ScallionsSliced thinly, even into the greener portion
¼ cup CelerySliced and diced into small cubes, about one quarter inch
¼ cup PecansChopped with your fingers as you're adding to the mixture
2 tsp MayonnaiseFor binding and according to taste: Hellmann's highly recommended
1 pinch White PepperOr to taste
1 pinch Bell's SeasoningOr poultry seasoning
1 pinch SaltOr, just a sprinkle will do

Directions

1 In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, scallion, celery and pecans. Add the salt, white pepper and poultry seasoning. Gently stir in the mayonnaise.
2 It's ready for your sandwich, or for enjoying on a plate with some other vegetables.
3 Do consider trying this salad with one, or more of the above suggested additions, altering the amount of mayonnaise as needed to bind the ingredients.
4 This recipe makes plenty for two generous sandwiches.