Vegan Chicken Salad

vegan sandwich topped with lettuce and tomato resting on a serving board.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Chill time 1

Total Time 25

Servings:6 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This Vegan Chicken Salad is creamy, tangy, versatile, and too delicious. The combination of chickpeas and lightly seasoned jackfruit is what makes it! 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. Pro tip: it tastes even better the next day!

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

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

Instead of jackfruit, feel free to use additional chickpeas, white beans, or crumbled extra-firm tofu.

Poultry seasoning is easy to find in stores, or make your own with herbs you already have in the pantry! Poultry Seasoning Recipe

Variations

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).

Bump up the protein by using soy curls or store-bought vegan chicken strips instead of chickpeas. See tips in the post above.

Store vegan chicken salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It holds up very well for meal prep and tastes even better after the first day.

Nutrition