This Vegan Chicken Salad is perfectly creamy, nostalgic, and so flavorful. Made with healthy, whole-food ingredients, the combination of chickpeas and jackfruit gives this mock chicken salad the best texture! And it's fantastic for meal prep since it tastes even better after a night in the fridge. Perfect for snacks, potlucks and quick lunches! Gluten-free, soy-free and oil-free.
You guys LOVE this Vegan Tuna Salad recipe, and so do I! Seriously, the combination of chickpeas, jackfruit, lemon, and oil-free vegan mayo creates the best mock tuna salad.
So I figured why not turn that recipe into a Vegan Chicken Salad? This recipe uses the same base ingredients and method with just a few tweaks to the seasonings.
Now we can't stop eating this healthy meatless "chicken" salad, and I think you'll love it, too! It's perfect for summer potlucks, packed lunches, quick snacks straight from the fridge (try it scooped up with crackers and veggies), and sandwiches, of course.
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Ingredient Notes
I prefer my vegan chicken salad on the savory side, but this recipe is as versatile as any classic chicken salad or chickpea salad.
So feel free to add your favorite sweet ingredients like red or green grapes, dried cranberries or raisins, or even pineapple!
- Canned Jackfruit (in brine, not syrup) - called "young" or "green" jackfruit; I usually buy it at Trader Joe's.
- Cooked Chickpeas - for simplicity's sake, the recipe is written to use one 15 ounce can.
- Vegan Mayo of choice - I highly recommend my oil-free mayo; it's rich and flavorful but made from whole foods and has half the calories of store-bought. For convenience, store-bought mayo is also great!
- Red Onion - make sure it's fresh for the best flavor.
- Celery - adds irresistible crunch and classic chicken salad vibes.
- Poultry Seasoning - this blend usually contains some combination of sage, thyme, onion powder, celery seed, black pepper, etc. If you don't have the blend on hand, substitute a few dashes of the individual herbs.
- Nutritional Yeast - adds a subtle savory and umami quality. I highly recommend this non-fortified one by Sari Foods.
- Dried Dill - I like just a hint of dill in this recipe, but you can omit it if you're not a fan.
- Lemon Juice - adds an extra bit of freshness and acidity.
- Sea Salt
See recipe card below for quantities.
How to Make Vegan Chicken Salad
Vegan Chicken Salad with jackfruit is a breeze to prepare, especially if you have a food processor. But even if you don't it's still pretty darn easy!
- Prepare the jackfruit by draining and rinsing it. Then place on a lint-free towel, gather up the ends, and squeeze over the sink to remove as much brine as possible from the jackfruit.
- Cook the jackfruit over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it appears 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 jackfruit, chickpeas, mayo, dill, and lemon. Pulse 7 or 8 times until mostly combined and the chickpeas are chunky. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lemon, salt, and dill, as desired.
- Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of step 4 because our power went out just as I was blending everything together. Gotta love summer thunderstorms and downed trees. Anyway, imagine folding in the chopped red onion and celery to the processed mixture. 🙂
Substitutions
- Nut-Free - use an oil- or tofu-based mayonnaise to keep this recipe entirely nut and cashew-free.
- Soy Curls - for even more satisfying protein, replace the chickpeas with soy curls. Simply rehydrate them first in vegan chicken broth then cook them on the stovetop. Set aside to cool, and add the soy curls to the food processor with the other ingredients.
- Vegan Chicken Strips - try store-bought vegan chicken strips instead of the chickpeas. Cook on the stovetop according to package directions, then set aside to cool.
Variations
- With Nuts - add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra richness and texture.
- With Fruit - if you enjoy a little sweetness in your chicken salad try it with halved red or green grapes, dried cranberries, currants, or raisins, or chopped pineapple.
- Spicy - add smoked paprika, cayenne, and or diced jalapeño peppers (fresh or pickled) for a bit of kick! Also try it with curry powder, harissa, or cumin.
- Melt - see this Vegan Tuna Melt recipe for more inspiration. A hot and cheesy vegan chicken salad melt sounds pretty amazing!
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.
This recipe can also be mixed by hand if you don't own a food processor. Simply shred and/or chop the jackfruit, mash the chickpeas with a fork, and stir in the mayonnaise and seasonings.
Storage
Store leftover vegan chicken salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I haven't tried freezing this recipe yet, but with the mayonnaise and fresh ingredients I don't think it would freeze well. The recipe doesn't make a huge amount, though, so finishing it within a few days shouldn't be a problem!
Interested in more ways to use jackfruit? Here are a few favorites to try:
- Smoky Jackfruit Burgers
- Award-Winning Vegan Ribs
- Vegan Chicken Wings
- Jackfruit, Mango & Dill Salad
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Top Tip
Don't skip the step of sautéing the jackfruit with nutritional yeast and poultry seasoning. Sautéing evaporates the remaining brine in the jackfruit, and the seasonings add a subtle, chicken-y savoriness.
More Vegan Lunch Ideas
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz.) can green/young jackfruit in brine
- 1 ½ Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 ¼ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 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 to ¼ teaspoon dried dill, to taste
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 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 medium/large saute over medium heat. Saute the jackfruit for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 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 jackfruit to a plate to cool.
- In the bowl of a 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 Aquafaba 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 the vegan chicken salad to a lidded storage container, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Nuts - add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra richness and texture.
- Fruit - if you enjoy a little sweetness in your chicken salad add halved grapes, dried cranberries, currants, or raisins, or chopped pineapple.
- Spicy - add smoked paprika, cayenne, and or diced jalapeño peppers (fresh or pickled) for a bit of kick! Also try it with curry powder, harissa, or cumin.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
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. :-))