This fresh and fabulous vegetable packed Vegan Chicken Salad has all the good things in it that make it perfect for eating on hot Summer days. With all the classic ingredients of a chicken salad, and with options for using different vegan chicken substitutes so you can choose what you like best, you and your family will love this recipe!
Although this recipe is pretty good all year round, it really comes into it's own in Summer, when you don't want to cook, but you do want something flavorful and healthy! With it's tangy creamy dressing, and all the fresh veggies , this mock chicken salad recipe will have you making it every week!
Just like my other favourite sandwich filler, Vegan Chickpea'Tuna' this delicious Vegan Chicken Salad is great to eat in sandwiches, rolled up in wraps, scooped up in lettuce leaves or just as a bowl of salad. It pairs really well with other salads too, such as this Potato Salad with Dill and Peas! If you're really into hearty salads, you definitely should check out my Vegan Caesar Salad recipe too.
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🌿Ingredients
- Vegan 'Chicken'- Either make your own high protein seitan chicken or choose your favourite pre-made store-bought brand. Alternatively see the 'Vegan Chicken Variations' section below for other great options such as garbanzo beans or soy curls.
- Vegan Mayo- There are loads of good vegan mayonnaise varieties around now, I like Hellmans mayo. Alternatively or make your own homemade vegan mayo.
- Celery-For subtle crunch and flavour plus a great addition to the crunchy textures needed for this salad.
- Carrots- For a little sweetness and a pop of colour.
- Spring Onions- or green onions. You could also use chives.
- Toasted Almonds- I love the extra crunch that almonds bring to this salad.
- Lemon Juice- for added zest and zip!
- Grapes- for a pop of sweetness. Choose red grapes or green grapes. Or omit them if you're not a fan of fruit in salad.
- Herbs: Tarragon and Parsley- Choose your favourite fresh herbs, tarragon is a natural pairing with chicken.
- Don't forget to season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
This recipe is super easy to make! For the full vegan chicken salad recipe see the recipe card.
1.Shred the vegan chicken into a large bowl. You can choose chunkier or smaller pieces.
2.Grate the carrot, then finely chop the celery and spring onions and add to the vegan chicken.
3.Finely chop the fresh herbs, slice the grapes and chop the toasted almonds. Add to the salad.
4.Finally, add a dollop of vegan mayo, the juice of half the lemon and season to taste. You can add a little chilli sauce to if you like it spicy! Mix well!
Hint: Don't forget to remove the strings from the celery! It makes the bite so much more delicious!
🥗Substitutions & Variations
There are endless ways you can customise this veggie packed vegan chicken salad!
- Spicy- Add your favorite hot sauce for a little extra kick.
- A lighter option- choose a vegan greek yogurt to replace the mayo, or use half and half.
- Extra Tangy- Some dijon mustard (or other grain mustard) would be delicious mixed into the creamy dressing, or why not mix in some dill pickles that have been finely chopped.
- Gluten-Free - choose a gluten-free vegan chicken from the store, or use chickpeas or beans (see below).
- Salad Bowl This great recipe is just as delicious as a salad with some extra leaves. I like to serve it with some larger lettuce leaves to scoop it up with.
- Chicken Salad Sandwich-choose some fresh granary bread or a soft bread roll for the ultimate packed lunch.
- On a vegan croissant- this would make an extra fancy lunch, maybe for a light Mother's Day meal or to treat yourself.
- Other Veggies: Think crunch and flavour: Bell Peppers, cucumber or radishes would be delicious in this salad. Red onion would also be delicious.
- No Grapes- If you don't like fruit in your salad, leave the grapes out. You could also add small chunks of apple instead.
- No almonds: Add extra crunch and texture by adding in chopped pecans or walnuts, or leave out altogether.
Other Vegan Chicken alternatives to try.
Canned Chickpeas or White Beans -instead of using vegan 'chicken' why not try chickpeas or white beans. This is an especially good option if you want to keep to a whole foods diet. To prepare- give them a good mash with a potato masher or whizz them up in a food processor. You can also add in some vegan poultry seasoning and/or garlic powder for added flavor.
Soy Curls- Soak soy curls in some vegan chicken bouillon or veggie stock. Pan fry in a little olive oil until slightly crispy. Use as you would the pre-made vegan chicken strips or pieces.
Tofu: Choose firm tofu and pan-fry after marinading in a 'chicken' broth marinade in chunks or thin slices.
🥗Serving Ideas:
This vegan chicken salad recipe is great as it can be served up in so many ways! It's great for picnics or to pack into school lunches.
- Lettuce Leaf Wraps: Serve scoops of the chicken salad in lettuce leaf cups or wrapped up in lettuce and secured with a toothpick.
- Pita Bread Halves: Halve pita breads and open out to serve with scoops of chicken salad.
- As a salad in a bowl with some warmed tortillas chopped up to scoop up the salad.
- As a large fresh salad to serve at a potluck. Make sure to decorate with some extra grapes or fresh dill and herbs for maximum impact.
🥫Storage
Store leftovers of this veggie-packed vegan chicken salad keeps up to 4-5 days in the fridge. This recipe is a great way to meal prep for the week ahead. My favorite way to prep is to make the salad, then have lettuce leaves washed and dry ready to go. In the morning I prep my bento lunch box by making a bed of lettuce, then adding the chick'n salad to the lettuce. Pack a side of crackers and use them to scoop up the salad to eat! .
❗Top tip
If you want to make vegan Chicken Salad Sandwiches, make up to 5 hours in advance and keep in the fridge if you can. 'Buttering' the slices of bread with some vegan spread, edge to edge will prevent them from going soggy.
❓FAQ
This is a veggie packed vegan or vegetarian version of the classic chicken salad. It uses vegan faux chicken or alternatively, chickpeas to make the filling.
You can choose to make this recipe with white beans or chickpeas instead. It will taste just as nice.
Parsley and chives are great. You could also add some chopped thyme or fresh dill.
If you use a pre-made vegan chicken, check the packaging. Most will not need cooking. If you use the basic vegan seitan chicken recipe from this site, it is already cooked. You can choose to add extra flavour to it if you like.
📖 Recipe
Best Vegan Chicken Salad / Sandwich
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 160 g (⅔ cups) vegan chicken (seitan or shop bought)
- 2 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
- 2 tbps fresh tarragon
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 80 g (½ cups) celery (1 stick )
- 80 g (½ cups) carrots (1 medium)
- 80 g grapes (red or green.)
- 30 g (¼ cups) toasted almonds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely Shred the vegan chicken and add into a large bowl.160 g vegan chicken
- Finely dice the celery and grate the carrots. Add into the bowl.80 g celery, 80 g carrots
- Slice up the grapes and roughly chop the almonds. Add into the bowl.80 g grapes, 30 g toasted almonds
- Finely chop the herbs and add into the bowl.2 tbps fresh tarragon, 3 tablespoon fresh parsley
- Now mix in the mayo and lemon juice and season to taste.2 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
- Serve with lettuce leaf cups or on a sandwich!
Notes
- Don't forget to remove the strings from the celery! It makes the bite so much more delicious.
- If you want to make vegan Chicken Salad Sandwiches, make up to 5 hours in advance and keep in the fridge if you can. 'Buttering' the slices of bread with some vegan spread, edge to edge will prevent them from going soggy.
🥗Substitutions & Variations
There are endless ways you can customise this veggie packed vegan chicken salad!- Spicy- Add your favorite hot sauce for a little extra kick.
- Extra Tangy- Some dijon mustard (or other grain mustard) would be delicious mixed into the creamy dressing.
- For a curry chick
- Gluten-Free - choose a gluten-free vegan chicken from the store, or use chickpeas or beans (see below).
- Salad Bowl This great recipe is just as delicious as a salad with some extra leaves. I like to serve it with some larger lettuce leaves to scoop it up with.
- Chicken Salad Sandwich-choose some fresh granary bread or a soft bread roll for the ultimate packed lunch.
- On a vegan croissant- this would make an extra fancy lunch, maybe for a light Mother's Day meal or to treat yourself.
- Other Veggies: Think crunch and flavour: Bell Peppers, cucumber or radishes would be delicious in this salad. Red onion would also be delicious.
- No Grapes- If you don't like fruit in your salad, leave the grapes out. You could also add small chunks of apple instead.
Tayler Ross says
I love this idea! A great change to incorporate "chicken salad" into my meatless Monday routine!
Kris says
This was so easy and tasty! My kids loved it, too!!
Amy Nash says
Scrumptious and easy to throw together for a cool meal while it's hot. The tarragon was such a nice addition!
Beth says
This salad is so yummy. We ate it as a salad and as a sandwich. Perfectly tasty.
Cam says
YUM! The first time I ate this I tried it as a sandwich and then I used the leftovers for a salad. I definitely prefer it as a sandwich (I love bread haha) but its really so delicious and was so easy to make!