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.
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:
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.
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.
- 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.
- Your vegan chicken salad is ready to serve!
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!
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.
More Easy Summer Recipes
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Vegan Kebabs
- Vegan Coleslaw
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Vegan Broccoli Salad
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Chicken Salad
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
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
- 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 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.
- Storing: Keep it stored in a covered container in the fridge for 5 days. Stir well before serving.
- Freezing: You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and give it a good stir before serving.
I recently tried the Vegan Chicken Salad recipe, and I must say it exceeded my expectations in every way.
Awesome! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for your great review!
I substituted vegan chik strips for the chickpeas and it was excellent! I did not use the dill or pecan nuts.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Jeanne!
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!
Awesome Mary! Thanks for sharing your add-ins and for your great review!
Just a tip…. A fork is great but a potato masher to mash the chick peas works really well too.
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
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!
Served with crackers and everyone devoured it. 5 yr old and 7 yr olds also!
Awesome!! Thanks so much for the great review Karen!
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.
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.