vegan potato salad (no mayo)

Recipe makeover! Serve a crowd with this one.

We’ve been living in Taiwan for four and a half years. When we moved here, we had a loose plan of staying for two years. Two turned into three, three turned into four, and now four is on its way to five. A pandemic also altered our timeline.

We love living here in Taipei. My husband and I are both from the same small city in Newfoundland, so the bustle and buzz and amenities of big city life appeal to us. We enjoy wandering and exploring and browsing pop up markets and busy downtown shops.

But I have (many) days where I long for my hometown and family. Especially in the summer, that’s when the weather is at its best and Newfoundland comes alive with outdoor festivals and patio gatherings. It’s the optimal time to visit if you’re ever considering it. Food is a huge part of the fun.

Like all cultures, food is a significant part of our heritage and so much of my nostalgia is anchored in traditional Newfoundland meals, even if I don’t eat most of them anymore. The memory of my mom’s potato salad was what inspired this recipe makeover.

When I was making it, I was flooded with memories of my mom peeling potatoes, boiling eggs and mashing over a big steamy bowl. I felt my veganized version honoured the traditions of my family as much as the original.

This version is without paprika.

All of this to say that if you have strong emotional and cultural connections to a dish, you don’t have to fear losing that connection or that tradition by switching to a healthier or more veg-forward diet. We can always adapt, modify, makeover, and maintain the essence of a dish. Food and its connection to our unique ancestry is way more than what’s on the plate.