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    Home » Entrees

    Vegan Chicken Salad

    Published: May 6, 2022 Updated: May 6, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Chicken Salad

    This vegan chicken salad is quick and easy to make and tastes amazing! It makes the perfect filling for a homemade vegan chicken salad sandwich or wrap and it’s always a favorite at picnics and barbecues.

    Open faced sandwiches topped with vegan chicken salad on a gray plate.

    Chickpeas are so versatile that it’s no surprise they form the main ingredient in this vegan ‘chicken’ salad.

    They were also the main ingredient in our vegan tuna and they worked so well there we knew it would be a slam dunk here too.

    It’s extremely easy to throw this recipe together making it the perfect choice for easy lunches or light dinners. It’s also a perfect choice for picnics and barbecues and it’s always very popular.

    You’ll also love our vegan egg salad and vegan broccoli salad.

    Ingredients For This Vegan Chicken Salad Recipe:

    Ingredients to make vegan chicken salad.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Pecan nuts – are wonderful for adding some extra crunch and texture. You can also use walnuts, or, if you’re nut-free you can omit them.
    • Vegan mayonnaise – should be a creamy, full fat version for the best flavor. Or make your own creamy vegan mayo.
    • Chickpeas – we used one 15-ounce can of chickpeas (drained).
    • White vinegar – distilled white vinegar is simply amazing for flavor. Nothing else is quite like it. You could substitute it for another vinegar like apple cider vinegar, but it simply won’t taste as good.
    • Vegan chicken spice or seasoning – is entirely optional, but if you can get a chicken spice that is vegan by ingredient then it bumps up the flavor nicely.
    Open faced sandwiches topped with vegan chicken salad on a gray plate.

    How To Make Vegan Chicken Salad

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Add drained chickpeas to a shallow bowl with a flat bottom. Use a fork to mash the chickpeas, leaving some crunchy texture.
    Chickpeas added to a bowl and mashed with a fork.
    • Add the mashed chickpeas to a mixing bowl along with the vegan mayonnaise, chopped celery, red onion, pecans, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, vegan chicken spice, distilled white vinegar, dried dill, salt and ground black pepper.
    • Mix together well.
    Ingredients for vegan chicken salad added to mixing bowl and mixed together.
    • Your vegan chicken salad is ready to serve!
    Vegan chicken salad in a mixing bowl.

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve on open faced sandwiches with romaine lettuce and sliced tomato and cucumber, topped with fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.

    Or serve it over a salad or in a wrap. It’s even divine on crackers!

    Open faced sandwiches topped with vegan chicken salad on a gray plate.

    Storing and Freezing

    This vegan chicken salad stores very well in the fridge for 5 days. Stir well before serving.

    You could also freeze it if you wanted to, place it into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and give it a good stir before serving.

    Open faced sandwich topped with vegan chicken salad and sliced in half on a gray plate.

    More Easy Summer Recipes

    1. Vegan Potato Salad
    2. Vegan Macaroni Salad
    3. Vegan Kebabs
    4. Vegan Coleslaw
    5. Vegan Pasta Salad
    6. Vegan Broccoli Salad

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan chicken salad on open faced sandwiches.

    Vegan Chicken Salad

    This vegan chicken salad is quick and easy to make and tastes amazing! It makes the perfect filling for a homemade vegan chicken salad sandwich or wrap and it's always a favorite at picnics and barbecues.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 459kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 15 ounce Can Chickpeas Drained
    • ¾ cup Vegan Mayonnaise (180g)
    • ½ cup Celery Finely Chopped
    • ¼ cup Red Onion Finely Chopped
    • ½ cup Pecans (55g) Finely Chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
    • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Vegan Chicken Spice
    • ½ teaspoon Distilled White Vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Dill
    • ½ teaspoon Salt or To Taste
    • Ground Black Pepper To Taste
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    Instructions

    • Add drained chickpeas to a shallow bowl with a flat bottom. Use a fork to mash the chickpeas, leaving some crunchy texture.
    • Add the mashed chickpeas to a mixing bowl along with the vegan mayonnaise, chopped celery, red onion, pecans, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, vegan chicken spice, distilled white vinegar, dried dill, salt and ground black pepper. Mix together well.
    • Serve on open faced sandwiches with romaine lettuce and sliced tomato and cucumber, topped with fresh chopped parsley and ground black pepper.

    Notes

    1. Pecan nuts – are wonderful for adding some extra crunch and texture. You can also use walnuts, or, if you’re nut-free you can omit them.
    2. Vegan chicken spice – is to add ‘chicken’ flavor. It’s entirely optional, but if you can get a chicken spice that is vegan by ingredient then it bumps up the flavor nicely.
    3. Storing: Keep it stored in a covered container in the fridge for 5 days. Stir well before serving.
    4. Freezing: You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and give it a good stir before serving.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 851mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shaheen says

      October 11, 2023 at 3:10 pm

      I recently tried the Vegan Chicken Salad recipe, and I must say it exceeded my expectations in every way.5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        October 12, 2023 at 8:37 am

        Awesome! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for your great review!

        Reply
    2. Jeanne Jain says

      August 10, 2022 at 5:29 pm

      I substituted vegan chik strips for the chickpeas and it was excellent! I did not use the dill or pecan nuts.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 10, 2022 at 9:25 pm

        Awesome! Thanks for sharing Jeanne!

        Reply
      • Mary G Patton says

        April 08, 2023 at 3:16 am

        I substituted onion powder for the red onion, used white wine vinegar, and walnuts. This salad was absolutely delicious. My husband the meat lover even liked it. Thank you for sharing this recipe!5 stars

        Reply
        • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

          July 14, 2023 at 9:05 am

          Awesome Mary! Thanks for sharing your add-ins and for your great review!

          Reply
    3. Christina says

      July 22, 2022 at 8:04 am

      Just a tip…. A fork is great but a potato masher to mash the chick peas works really well too.

      Reply
    4. Patti says

      June 22, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      Hi, I love the recipe you are amazing. I cooked for Buddhist Monks for 18 years at a retreat, vegan always. I incorporated dried black mission figs with my chile dishes including enchiladas. Trader Joe’s here has a good product. Love your recipes and have cooked and shared many of them. I always look forward to your emails and art with vegan food. Thank you so much for your generous heart! Chef Patti

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 23, 2022 at 9:54 am

        So happy you enjoy the recipes. That’s so interesting, I’m sure you’ve made some amazing food! Thanks so much for the lovely comment Patti!

        Reply
    5. Karen Lemmo says

      May 17, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      Served with crackers and everyone devoured it. 5 yr old and 7 yr olds also!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 17, 2022 at 1:33 pm

        Awesome!! Thanks so much for the great review Karen!

        Reply
    6. Kat says

      May 09, 2022 at 4:21 am

      Why do you call poultry seasoning chicken spice?
      This is confusing.
      Chicken spice makes it sound like something that will add chicken flavor. Poultry spice is generally added to chicken (or turkey, vegetables, etc.), but does Not taste like chicken.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 09, 2022 at 11:44 am

        I actually have a link in the recipe card ingredients to exactly what I mean. It’s called ‘chicken spice’ where I live, but called ‘poultry seasoning’ or ‘chicken rub’ elsewhere. It is to add chicken flavor. There is not one way to name things worldwide, so sometimes it does get confusing, but we have made a big effort to make it as clear as possible. It is also optional in this recipe so you can leave it out.

        Reply

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    5 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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