Vegan Chicken Salad is a plant-based spin on the classic. It's perfectly creamy, nostalgic, healthy, and so flavorful. The combination of chickpeas and jackfruit gives this mock chicken salad the best texture! Scoop it up with crackers for a quick snack, share it with friends at a potluck, and of course, make vegan chicken salad sandwiches for lunch!
Y'all have really been loving this Vegan Tuna Salad recipe, and so do I! Seriously, the combination of chickpeas, jackfruit, Old Bay, 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 I can't stop eating this healthy, meatless "chicken" salad, and I know you'll love it, too!
It's perfect for summer get-togethers, 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 & Tips
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 if you're into that!
- Canned Jackfruit (in brine, not syrup) - called "young" or "green" jackfruit. I usually buy it at Trader Joe's, but you can find several brands online and in stores.
- 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. Although, for convenience store-bought vegan mayo is also great!
- Red Onion - make sure it's fresh for the best flavor. If it seems really strong when you slice into it, simply soak it iin cold water for a few minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Celery - celery is not only nutritious, it adds irresistible crunch and classic chicken salad vibes.
- Poultry Seasoning - this blend usually contains some combination of sage, thyme, and/or rosemary, plus onion powder, celery seed, and black pepper. If you don't have the blend on hand, substitute a few dashes of the individual herbs.
- Nutritional Yeast - a must for creating chicken-y flavor, it adds a subtle savory and umami quality. I'm a big fan of this non-fortified nutritional yeast 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 the recipe card below for quantities and full step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Vegan Chicken Salad
Even though including jackfruit adds a couple of steps, this vegan chicken salad is still easy to prepare, especially if you have a food processor. But even if you don't it's still pretty darn simple!
- First, 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 looks 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, mayonnaise, dill, and lemon. Pulse just 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, this is when you fold in the chopped red onion and celery to the chickpea 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 fully 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. Note that since these products are fully seasoned, you won't need to add as much salt, if any.
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Chickpea Salad 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!
How to Serve Vegan "Chicken" Salad
Like other types of chickpea salad, this one is just as versatile. Here are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy it:
- On bread - Toast one or two slices of your favorite bread, and spread a generous amount of vegan chicken salad on top. Add fresh lettuce and sliced tomato for a classic sandwich.
- With lettuce - Place a scoop on top of a big green salad or inside a lettuce wrap.
- With whole grain crackers for scooping.
- With raw veggies like carrot sticks, cucumber, celery, and bell peppers a healthy snack.
Useful 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.
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.
Looking for more ways to use jackfruit? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Vegan Ceviche
- Smoky Jackfruit Burgers
- Award-Winning Vegan Ribs
- Vegan Chicken Wings
- Jackfruit "Crab" 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 lend 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.
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. :-))