This Vegan Chicken Salad Recipe is quick and easy to make, and is ready in just 10 minutes! It's creamy, refreshing, and perfect for sandwiches for an easy summer meal!
I don't say this lightly, this vegan chicken salad recipe is truly the BEST! It has crunchy celery, sweet and juicy grapes, and fresh dill, which gives it so much texture and flavor.
My vegan version of the classic chicken salad includes chickpeas, but I have also included more variations below.
This salad is perfect for spring and summer picnics, potlucks, and barbeques! Enjoy with bread, vegan flour tortillas, and even homemade bagels.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great for meal prep. This salad can last up to 5 days in your fridge and doesn't need to be reheated, which makes it perfect for eating on the go when you need to.
- Takes 10 minutes to make. All you have to do is blend the chickpea and almonds in the food processor, then mix everything into a bowl, and that's it!
- Made primarily with whole foods! Despite the mayo, this salad is still healthy, high in fiber, and plant-based protein.
Ingredients and Notes
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Flaked almonds: You can also use slivered almonds. If you want to make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead.
- Scallions: You can also use red onion.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard is best here.
- Vegan mayonnaise: I am using a store-bought one but you can also use homemade vegan mayo.
- Chickpeas: I am using canned chickpeas to make this recipe quick and easy, but you can also cook your own chickpeas from scratch.
How to Make Vegan Chicken Salad
Step 1: Blend almonds
To a food processor, add the flaked almonds and pulse for 10 seconds to roughly chop them.
Step 2: Blend chickpeas
Add the chickpeas and pulse for a few more seconds, until well combined and roughly chopped. Don't over-blend, you want to have some texture!
Step 3: Add salad ingredients to a bowl
Add the chickpea mixture to a large bowl, alongside the remaining ingredients- diced celery stalks, red grapes, dill, scallions, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.
Step 4: Mix and serve
Mix until everything is well combined. Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt or lemon juice to taste.
We like to refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours and serve it cold but you can eat it right away.
Expert Tips
- Don't over-blend the mixture. I mentioned it above, but I also wanted to include it here because it's a key step. You don't want to blend the chickpeas with the almonds until they turn into a paste, just a rough chop.
- Finely slice the green onions and celery. This way you won't have big chunks of either. If your grapes a too big, you can quarter them.
- Try it the next day! This vegan chicken salad tastes even better the next day when it has had the time to chill in the fridge.
- To make this recipe without a blender, simply use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas and roughly chop the almonds with a sharp knife.
Substitutions
- Soy curls: You'll need to dehydrate the soy curls in some vegetable broth, then drain them and add them to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Tofu: Press your tofu for at least 1 hour by wrapping it in a clean kitchen towel and placing a few heavy objects on top. Then, using your hands, break it down into medium-sized pieces.
- Seitan: Chop it into small pieces or shred it with a fork if possible.
- Jackfruit: If you want to use jackfruit you will need to cook and season it first to give it flavor. I suggest you try this vegan shredded chicken.
- Mock meat: To make a mock chicken salad, you can use store-bought vegan chicken strips.
- Cashew cream: If you don't want to use mayo or want to make your salad healthier, use cashew cream for the creamy dressing.
- Dried herbs: Despite the fresh dill, poultry seasoning, parsley, cilantro, or other fresh herbs are a nice addition here.
Serving Suggestions
Our favorite way to serve this salad is between two slices of bread and a piece of lettuce for a delicious and refreshing sandwich.
You can also stuff it into lettuce leaves and make lettuce wraps with it, or stuff It into pitta and make pita wraps.
If you want to serve it as a side dish, you can serve it next to tofu steaks, vegan burgers, cajun fries, or cauliflower wings.
To eat it as a snack, serve this vegan chicken salad next to crackers or pita chips.
Storage
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Spread onto bread right before serving to avoid the bread getting soggy.
This vegan chicken salad recipe is not freezer friendly.
More Vegan Summer Recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chicken Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup raw flaked almonds
- ½ cup vegan mayo
- 2 celery ribs, diced*
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 scallions, chopped into small pieces (or substitude with red onion)
- 2-3 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup red grapes, halved (or more as desired)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To a food processor, add the flaked almonds and pulse for 10 seconds to roughly chop them. Add the chickpeas and pulse for 10 more seconds, but be sure to not overmix and leave some texture.
- Add the chickpea mixture to a bowl alongside the rest of the ingredients- vegan mayo, diced celery, mustard, scallions, fresh dill (optional), lemon juice, red grapes, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until everything is well combined.
- Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt, black pepper, or lemon juice to taste. We like to refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours and serve it cold, but you can serve it right away!
Notes
- Don't over-blend the mixture. I mentioned it above, but I also wanted to include it here because it's a key step. You don't want to blend the chickpeas with the almonds until they turn into a paste, just a rough chop.
- Finely slice the green onions and celery. This way you won't have big chunks of either. If your grapes a too big, you can quarter them.
- Try it the next day! This vegan chicken salad tastes even better the next day when it has had the time to chill in the fridge.
- To make this recipe without a blender, simply use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas and roughly chop the almonds with a sharp knife.
- Fridge: Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Spread onto bread right before serving to avoid the bread getting soggy.
- Freezer: This vegan chicken salad recipe is not freezer friendly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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