Easy Vegan Chicken Salad Recipe Perfect For Meal Prep
This post is all about how to make the best vegan chicken salad recipe.
As the weather gets warmer this vegan chicken salad will be on repeat in my meal prepping schedule. It is incredibly easy to whip up on Sundays when I plan out my meals and I know you’re going to love it too!
Best of all, I look forward to eating my meal prep food when this is on the menu!
If you are looking for a healthy go-to meal that actually tastes good I am so glad you made it to this post to try it out! It’s packed with protein from the chickpeas and almonds but still has bursts of punky flavor from the juicy grapes and tangy cranberries.
Even if you’re not vegan you will love this light and healthy alternative to chicken salad that you can put in sandwiches, wraps, on crackers, or on lettuce wraps!
Take 10 minutes out of your week to make this amazing vegan chicken salad! I promise you’ll thank yourself later!
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Easy Vegan Chicken Salad Recipe
How to make salads more filling without meat?
I love salads but if I’m being honest, there have been way too many times I have finished my salad and have been left still feeling SO hungry.
That’s why I’m obsessed with this filling vegan chicken salad recipe!
So what are good vegan replacements for chicken to make your salads more filling?
- Chickpeas
- Tofu
- Jackfruit
- Soy curls
- Hearts of palm
- Seitan
- Cannellini beans
- Vegan chicken strips
This salad recipe will feature chickpeas as the main protein source but feel free to swap them out with any of the other mock chick options on the list above!
You could even add two vegan chicken replacements if you want it to be extra filling!
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Vegan chicken salad ingredients and substitutions
Chickpeas: The stars of the show! I love to use canned chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) since they are relatively affordable! If you don’t want to use chickpeas feel free to substitute with tofu, jackfruit, soy curls, hearts of palm, seitan, or Cannellini beans.
Red grapes: Grapes make the recipe so refreshing and who doesn’t love adding a bit of extra fruit to their daily meals? I think purple grapes work the best but feel free to substitute with green grapes if that’s what you love most. Switch up your chicken salad to include apples or pineapples for something a bit different.
Cranberries: Dried cranberries add such a nice tangy frill to this salad. The vegan mayo and chickpeas act as a nice base but having a sweet/sour punch from cranberries makes the salad more interesting! You can also use dried raisins, cherries, and blueberries.
Almonds: Classic chicken salads are known for, well, being pretty mushy so it is nice to add a crunchy component to the mix. If you have time, toast your sliced almonds to take this recipe to the next level. If you don’t love almonds you can also go with walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
Vegan mayonnaise: Out of all the vegan substitutes, vegan mayo consistently tastes like the original version! I’m always shocked by that. If you don’t have vegan mayo on hand you can also use vegan yogurt, avocado, hummus, tahini, cashew cream, coconut cream, or vegan ranch dressing. *a dash of vegan chicken broth can be added if you want less of a creamy dressing.
*The vegan mayo I use is from Whole Foods and I really enjoy it! You can get it here.
Lemon: Pick up a fresh lemon which really gives that fresh taste to such a creamy salad. You can use a bottle of lemon juice but try to get a fresh lemon if you can! If you don’t have lemon you can swap with lime.
Celery: The extra crunch the better! I love that celery gives you that with added hydration. Most classic chicken salad recipes use celery but I was trying to brainstorm what else you could use. Cucumber or zucchini may also work! I’ve never tried those but let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Green onion: I love adding as much green variety as I can! You can always use diced red onion or white onion as well (onion powder is ok too). Mix your green onion in the salad or keep some to use as garnish on the top! Other herbs that could work well would be parsley or dill.
Salt and black pepper: The classic seasoning of salt and pepper just makes everything better! A bit of garlic powder won’t hurt either. I have been experimenting with adding things like curry powder and buffalo sauce for something a little different.
Base options: You can always eat vegan chicken salad plain but if you want a more filling option, don’t forget to pick up some sort of base for your salad. I love sourdough bread but you can also use crackers, tortilla wraps, ciabatta, multigrain bread, lettuce cups, or vegan croissants. If you use bread as a base be sure to toast it to balance the cool salad filling.
Kitchen tools needed: Aside from the normal kitchen tools like a mixing bowl and spoons you also need a blender or food processor. If you don’t have either of these you can use a spoon or potato masher to mash half of the ingredients.
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How to make vegan chicken salad?
As I mentioned previously, this recipe is super easy so this section will be short!
Grocery shopping and prepping the ingredients will probably take you more time than actually preparing it!
- Wash and dice all of your ingredients
- Mix your ingredients into a large bowl.
- Blend 1/3 of your ingredients. (don’t blend it into a paste. Keep it slightly chunky.)
- Mix the blended version with the mixed version until you get the consistency you prefer.
- Store it, eat it right out of the bowl, or pop it on a base of bread!
Vegan Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Food processor or blender (You can also use a potato masher)
Ingredients
- 1/2-1/3 Cup Vegan mayonnaise depending on preference
- 2 15oz Cans of chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1/4 Cup Dried cranberries
- 2 Sliced green onions
- 3/4 Cup Sliced almonds
- 3 Diced celery stalks
- 3/4 Cup Halved red grapes
- 1/2 Fresh lemon squeeze to flavor preference
- Salt & pepper to tase
- Optional flavorings Garlic powder, buffalo sauce, or curry powder. see notes above
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the vegan mayo, chickpeas, cranberries, green onions, almonds, celery, grapes, and lemon juice.
- Place 1/3 of the mixture in a blender or food processor. Pulse the ingredients a few times. Make sure you don't blend it into a paste. It should still be a chunky consistency.
- Place the blended mixture back in the large bowl with the other ingredients and mix them together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate the salad until ready to serve. You can eat the salad as is or put it on bread, a wrap, a croissant, or in lettuce cups. Enjoy!
Video
Plant-Based Chicken Salad Serving Suggestions
Optional toppings: Dijon mustard, pickles, butter lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices, avocado slices, shredded carrots, sprouts, red bell pepper, vegan cheese, micro greens, balsamic glaze, aioli or jalapeños.
Sides to pair it with: Potato chips, green side salad, sweet potato fries, cornbread, pickles, crackers, or pita chips.
Drinks to pair it with: sweet tea, lemonade, iced herbal teas, or sparkling water.
Storage tips: Aside from meal prepping this recipe, you can also make a large batch for picnics and brunches to feed a crowd.
If you have extra left over make sure to store it in air tight containers so it stays fresh! Make sure to store the salad/filling separately from whatever base you choose. This type of salad will make your bread, crackers, or lettuce soggy if they’re stored together.
FAQ about how to improve your vegan chicken salad recipe
How do I keep my vegan chicken salad from getting watery?
Make sure to use the right ratio of ingredients so that your salad mix doesn’t get off balance and come out watery.
When preparing your ingredients, make sure to pat them dry after rinsing. Excess water on your rinsed chickpeas or vegetables can add up and bring too much moisture to your recipe.
Also, be sure to not put over half of your salad mixture in your blender/food processor. If too much of your salad is blended it will make it more watery.
Can I make vegan chicken salad ahead of time?
Yes! Please do make this recipe ahead of time that way you have a quick snack or lunch to pack for school lunches or work lunches.
Just make sure it is in an air-tight container in the fridge and you’re good to go!
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Can I freeze vegan chicken salad?
Unfortunately, no, storing it in the fridge is best! Technically you can freeze most anything but it probably won’t come out tasting that great.
You can get away with freezing individual ingredients like the chickpeas, bread, and green onion but I wouldn’t freeze the prepared salad itself.
Delicious Vegan Chicken Salad
I hope this mock chicken salad makes it to your weekly meal prep rotation! I love to meal prep at least a few servings of this to section out and enjoy throughout the week.
With all of the toppings and variations that are available, you can keep it from becoming a repetitive salad that you dread to eat.
Salads can fill your cravings, keep you full, and be delicious!
Have any other questions about making this Vegan mock chicken salad recipe? Let us know in the comments below! I’m sure others in the community would love to learn from you as well.
Stay well,
Maggie
This post was all about the best vegan chicken salad sandwich recipe.
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