The basic idea of this vegan salad is chunks of crumbled tempeh with spices mixed with lime juice, corn, peppers, and avocado. I've added jicama in this version, but you could also use finely chopped celery, zucchini, tomatoes, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Jicama adds some crunch and a little sweetness, but make sure you use fresh jicama because old jicama is very starchy. Likewise, adding beans or fresh herbs would also be nice. Basil, mint, or cilantro would all work well here. If you are serving lacto-ovo vegetarians or meat eaters, consider adding cheese, pancetta, or both. However, this dish is just fine without any cheese, herbs, or meat too. I find that using spice blends commonly used on meats with soy produces evokes the memory of that meat and adds a certain heartiness to the flavor. Here, I've used poultry seasoning with tempeh. In other recipes, I've used steak seasoning blends (such as McCormick's) or Old Bay seasoning. I boil the tempeh in this recipe before crumbling it and sauteeing it because some people find tempeh bitter unless it is steamed or boiled.

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