Recipes and food fun by Carolyn J. Braden

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An EASY recipe that I reminds me of a salad I made at my very first real job, LC's Deli in Louisville, KY. The deli no longer exists, but the memory of their Walnut Chicken Salad still lingers in my brain. Actually, all their food does, as it was awesome! Being vegetarian now, I created this version of it, which is very similar to the one I used to make at the deli.

Preparation + Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Suggested kitchen tools: medium sized mixing bowl, fork, knife, measuring cup

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

Two 15.5 oz (or comparable size) cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups red grapes, rinsed
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mayo (I used Sir Kensington's Fabanaise, a vegan mayo)
1/2 teaspoon salt

How-To:

Place chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to smash them. No need to smash every single one; just the majority. (See the photo below for a good idea on what they should look like after smashing).
Halve the grapes with a knife. Add them to the smashed chickpeas.
Add walnuts, mayo and salt to the grape and chickpea mixture
Lightly mix until all ingredients are incorporated
Serve with crackers, on a sandwich, on a bagel or eat it by itself

Tips and Tricks:

I found all ingredients for this recipe at Whole Foods
Tailor this salad to fit your tastes. See what other combinations you can come up with! Add in a different fruit, like blueberries or cranberries in lieu of the grapes. Or, try a green grape instead of red. Add almond slivers instead of walnuts. The possibilities are endless!
Did you know that a grape is scientifically a berry, but a strawberry is not? Mind-blown! Check out this article to learn more!