This Vegan Chicken Salad is creamy, tangy, nostalgic, and open to all of your favorite additions. The combination of chickpeas and seasoned jackfruit is sure to cure your chickpea salad boredom! Scoop it up with crackers for a quick snack, pile it on top of salads, and enjoy a vegan chick'n salad sandwich for lunch!
Today's vegan chicken salad recipe is a spinoff of my Vegan Tuna Salad. The magic is in the combination of chickpeas and jackfruit for varying textures–but not plain jackfruit!
It's lightly seasoned and then sauteed to evaporate the brine and enhance the other flavors.
Before you scoff at the idea of an extra step, I promise it's worth it! You'll love the creamy, tangy, savory vibes. I also like the extra volume the jackfruit adds, as opposed to using just chickpeas.
And feel free to toss in whatever you like in your chicken salad. Want grapes and chopped nuts? Or how about spices, dried fruit, or fresh herbs? Go for it!
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What You'll Need
- Cooked chickpeas: For simplicity's sake, the recipe is written to use one 15 ounce can. Rinse and drain very well, then pat dry.
- Canned jackfruit in brine: This is often labeled "young" or "green" jackfruit. I usually buy it at Trader Joe's, but you can find several brands online and in stores. It absorbs seasonings really well and lends a creamy texture to contrast the chickpeas.
- Vegan mayo: Any plant-based mayo you like is great. For homemade, I recommend my oil-free mayo. It's rich and flavorful but lighter than store-bought.
- Poultry seasoning: Here's where the magic happens! Despite the name, this is an herb blend and does not contain poultry. It's usually a combination of sage, thyme, and/or rosemary, plus onion powder, and black pepper. If you don't have any on hand, you can make your own poultry seasoning in just a few minutes.
- Nutritional yeast: This adds savory notes to the jackfruit and is key to creating chicken-y flavor. I'm a big fan of this non-fortified nutritional yeast by Sari Foods.
- Herbs: When I don't have fresh herbs, I like to add a bit of dried dill. Easy and pantry-friendly! Chicken salad is also great with tarragon and chives.
- Additions: This is where you make it your own. I like chopped red onion and celery for classic savory vibes. For some crunch, add chopped pecans, walnuts, or cashews. If you enjoy a little sweetness in your chicken salad, try it with halved grapes, dried cranberries, currants, or raisins, or chopped pineapple.
Note: You can find the full printable recipe below.
How to Make Vegan Chicken Salad
Even though the jackfruit adds a couple of steps, the recipe is still really easy, especially if you have a food processor. Even if you don't it's still pretty darn simple!
First, prepare the jackfruit by draining and rinsing to get rid of the briny taste. Then place on a lint-free towel, gather up the ends, and squeeze over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible.
Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it's dry, add the poultry seasoning, nutritional yeast, and a pinch of salt, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large food processor combine the chickpeas, jackfruit, mayonnaise, dill, and lemon. Pulse just until combined, but the chickpeas are still chunky. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more lemon, salt, and herbs, if you like.
Finally, fold in the additions. For me, that's chopped red onion and celery. Enjoy your chick'n salad right away or refrigerate until you're ready to eat.
Subs and Variations
- Nut-Free: Use an oil- or tofu-based mayonnaise to keep this recipe entirely nut- and cashew-free.
- Soy Curls: You can replace the chickpeas and jackfruit with soy curls. Simply rehydrate them first in vegan chicken broth then saute until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Then chop the soy curls by hand or with a food processor and toss with the other ingredients.
- Vegan Chick'n Strips: try store-bought vegan chicken strips instead of the chickpeas. Cook on the stovetop according to package directions, then set aside to cool. Note that since these products are fully seasoned, you won't need to add as much salt, if any.
- Spicy: Add your favorite hot sauce to taste. Or go with smoked paprika, a few dashes of cayenne, or diced jalapeños (fresh or pickled).
- Spice blends: Curry powder, harissa, and za'atar are a few of my personal favorites and work really well in chick'n salad.
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Ways to Enjoy It
- Classic sandwich: Toast one or two slices of your favorite bread, and spread a generous amount of vegan chicken salad on top. Add fresh lettuce and a tomato slice.
- Salad or lettuce wrap: Place a big scoop of chick'n salad on a salad or inside a lettuce wrap.
- As a dip: Scoop it up with whole grain crackers or raw veggies, like carrot sticks, cucumber, celery, and bell peppers.
Helpful Equipment
I use this Cuisinart 14 cup food processor. It makes prep quick and easy, and it perfectly chops the jackfruit and chickpeas for a creamy spread with just enough texture.
If you don't have a food processor, or don't want to drag it out, you can mix this up by hand! Simply shred or chop the jackfruit, mash the chickpeas with a fork, and combine with the mayo and seasonings.
FAQs
Absolutely. Cannellini beans or other white beans are an easy swap. They're a little bit softer and creamier but just as tasty and healthy.
Store leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Interested in more ways to use jackfruit? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Vegan Ceviche
- Jackfruit Burgers
- Award-Winning Vegan Ribs
- Vegan Chicken Wings
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Pro Tip!
Don't skip the step of sautéing the jackfruit with nutritional yeast and poultry seasoning. This dries out the jackfruiit and develops the savory flavors.
I hope you love this vegan chicken salad as much as we do. If you give it a try be sure to comment below and let us know!
Recipe
Vegan Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz.) can green/young jackfruit in brine - see Notes for subs
- 1½ Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1¼ teaspoons poultry seasoning - see Notes
- 3 ribs celery, chopped - about ¾ cup
- 1 small red onion, diced - about ⅔ cup
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 batch Oil-Free Vegan Aquafaba Mayo - or ½ to ⅔ cup vegan mayo of choice
- ⅛ teaspoon dried dill - or more to taste
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Drain the jackfruit and rinse under running water. Place on a clean, lint-free towel. Gather up the ends of the towel, hold it over the sink, and squeeze the jackfruit VERY well to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the jackfruit for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it looks dry, add the nutritional yeast, poultry seasoning, and a generous pinch of salt to the pan and stir. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- In the bowl of a large food processor combine the cooled jackfruit, chickpeas, ½ cup mayo, ⅛ teaspoon dill, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Pulse 6 or 7 times. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add more mayonnaise, if desired (I usually use the entire batch of homemade mayo to make it extra creamy). Pulse to combine. Taste again and add more dill, lemon, and/or salt.
- Add the red onion and celery to the food processor, and pulse to incorporate. Transfer your vegan chicken salad to a lidded storage container, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Nuts - add chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
- Fruit - if you enjoy a hint of sweet in your chick'n salad add halved grapes, dried cranberries, currants, raisins, or chopped pineapple (just be sure to drain very well).
- Spicy - add a few dashes of hot sauce, or smoked paprika, cayenne, and or diced jalapeño peppers (fresh or pickled) for a bit of kick! Also try it with curry powder, harissa, or za'atar (my favorite).
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Sheri Anne
Hi Lori!! I was in food heaven when I took my first bite of this today!! The texture was perfect! The flavor was delicious with your mayo! I served it up on toasted Ezekiel bread with lettuce and tomato slices. My future plan is to buy cases of the young jackfruit in brine now!! Thank you soo much!!
Patty
Thank you for this yummy recipe! I also made it into vegan ham salad by adding a mustard pickle relish and a few drops of liquid smoke!
Lori
What a great idea, Patty! Thanks for sharing. I'm going to try that soon.
Kelly
Delicious! I made a different recipe and it tasted too briny and not like chicken salad so I searched for another version and yours was exactly what I was looking for! Love how you cook off the brine and add seasoning before mixing. The only thing I am going to do differently next time is hand shred the jackfruit and mix that in with the food processor stuff by hand so it has more of a chickeny texture instead of tuna (my food processor is old so it may just over process!)
Patricia
I am about to buy a case of jackfruit so I can always make this recipe! YUM!! This was just like chicken salad and I have been missing it so much as it used to be my favorite sandwich! Thank you soo much for this yummy recipe...so good with your mayo recipe of course!!
Mary
This is absolutely delicious! I prepared it exactly as the recipe was written. I had never eaten jackfruit before, and it was kind of an adventure since I had no idea what to expect from this strange and exotic fruit. I couldn't believe how good it was. The Vegan Chicken Salad is now in my A-list rotation of tastiest dishes. I am SO glad I found My Quiet Kitchen a few months ago. It has made me excited about cooking and trying new recipes. Thank you Lori, you are a vegan food genius!
Trina
This sandwich is delicious, I was doubtful of adding them lemon and dill, however, I was concerned over nothing. I’ll be making this again.
Thank you,
Trina
Stacey
I feel like a broken record but Lori, I can't say enough wonderful things about your recipes! I honesty can't decide which mock salad I like more sometimes. This tastes and feels exactly like chicken salad. The jackfruit with the chickpea texture is spot on! The poultry seasoning and nutritional yeast work perfectly to mimic the flavors I crave from salad the "old way." I added red grapes and will try one in a tomato for one of my lunches this week, and on toasted Ezekiel bread with sprouts & cucumber the rest of the week. I had to restrain myself to not eat a bunch after making it, it was that delicious. Thank you again for another recipe of perfection💗
Marie
This is great! I used granulated onion in place of the red onion as I do not like raw onion but my husband does. I will have to make it for him with red onion next time and pull out some for me before I do. Thank you for this recipe and all you do for people wanting to be vegan. :-))