This Vegan Chicken Salad will blow you away and it’s perfect for picnics! Made with a handful of simple ingredients, you can have it on the table in just 15 minutes.
If you love chickpea salad recipes as much as I do, make sure to check out my Curry Chickpea Salad, Chickpea Salad Sandwich and this hearty Chickpea and Avocado Salad.
This picnic-perfect Vegan Chicken Salad is ready in 15 minutes or less and tastes incredible! It’s easy to make with whole food ingredients, like mashed chickpeas, crunchy almonds, fruit, and vegan mayo. If you can resist eating it by the spoonful, use it as a hearty filling for wraps or sandwiches! Or my favorite – in a vegan croissant!
I was inspired by my Vegan Tuna Salad to replace the meat in this vegetarian chicken salad recipe with mashed chickpeas rather than vegan meat alternatives. They’re a game changer; once mashed, they give the salad a creamy, yet hearty consistency. Plus, they don’t affect the flavor and blend cohesively with the mayo, almonds, and other ingredients.
If you want an even more realistic “chicken” salad, use rehydrated chopped soy curls. Or my vegan chicken.
It’s no wonder why this recipe has over 45 5-star reviews! Just look at what these commenters have had to say:
- Kelly says, “This was a big hit at my home – everybody loved it and couldn’t believe it was vegan. So delicious!”
- Taylore says, “I have made this multiple times now and it’s a staple at our house!”
- Bonnie says, “One of the best chickpea salads I’ve made! Delicious!”
You’re sure to be blown away by the realistic flavors and textures in this vegan chickpea salad recipe. Give it a try yourself!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Raw slivered almonds – Blending nuts into the chicken salad adds a soft crunch to every bite. Head to the Variations section for more nuts you can use and nut free options that work here.
- Chickpeas – Use canned chickpeas to keep this recipe as easy as possible.
- Celery – For crunch! Go ahead and play with the veggies in this salad as much as you like. There are plenty of options to choose from in the FAQs section below.
- Red grapes – Or use green grapes if that’s what you already have on hand.
- Dried cherries – The tart sweetness of dried cherries balances the creamy and rich dressing. Dried cranberries or raisins are a wonderful substitute if you don’t have cherries.
- Vegan mayo – I like the salad best with my Vegan Cashew Mayo, but you can use store-bought vegan mayo or my Tofu Mayo. Plant based yogurt (plain) also works well.
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
How to make vegan chicken salad
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Pulse the slivered almonds in a food processor until they turn into crumbs. Next, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and pulse again until the mixture is flaky (some beans may be left whole – that’s okay!).
Transfer the almond-chickpea mixture to a large bowl and stir in the celery, grapes, dried cherries, vegan mayo, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Place the vegan chicken salad in the fridge for 30 minutes, if you can wait that long, then serve!
Tips for success
- Try not to pulse the almonds for too long in the food processor. You want them to have a crumbly texture. If they’re blended too long, they can turn into a powder or paste that will make the chicken salad taste gritty.
- The same goes when you add the chickpeas. You don’t want to over-process the beans so they’re pasty or smooth. It’s okay if some are left whole!
- If you don’t have a food processor, chop the almonds by hand, mash the chickpeas in a large bowl, then add the rest of the ingredients.
- You can deepen the flavor by toasting the almonds before pulsing them in the food processor.
- If you’re worried about the salad being too creamy, only stir in some of the mayo at a time until the creaminess is to your liking.
Serving suggestions
One of the best ways to serve vegan chicken salad is in sandwiches! Stick with regular sandwich bread or take your vegan chicken salad sandwiches up a notch with vegan croissants, sourdough, or homemade bread.
You can also stuff the salad into lettuce cups or on top of a bed of greens for a healthy lunch.
Did you end up with leftovers? Serve the salad as a dip with crackers or veggies!
Variations
- Instead of almonds – Use any other nut you have on hand, such as peanuts, pecans, walnuts, or cashews.
- Nut free – Use pepitas or sunflower seeds instead of almonds. The nuts can also be left out of the salad entirely, but it won’t have the same soft crunch.
- Oil free – Use vegan plain yogurt, my Tofu Mayo or Vegan Cashew Mayo to keep the chicken salad oil free.
- Herbs – Stir in fresh or dried dill, scallions, or parsley.
- More spices – Add extra flavor to the salad with even more seasonings, like garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasonings, Dijon mustard, curry powder, or seasoned salt.
Frequently asked questions
Fresh veggies are a must-have in chickpea chicken salad because they add a crunchy texture and extra flavor. I love this salad with celery, but you can also stir in shredded carrots, diced red or white onions, diced apples, or avocado.
Vegan chicken salad should always be served cold! The consistency is so much better and more appetizing after it’s been left to chill in the fridge.
You can store vegan chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Want more vegan picnic recipes?
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 celery ribs, diced small
- 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from about 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the slivered almonds a few times until crumbly, but not so much they turn into a powder or paste.
- Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to the food processor with the almonds, and pulse a few times until flaky. You can leave a few beans whole; you don't want to over process and have the mixture become pasty and smooth. Just a few pulses will do.
- Add the almond/chickpea mixture to a large bowl and mix in the celery, grapes, dried cherries, vegan mayo, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve on croissants or bread with lettuce, on a salad or even with crackers. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you do not have a food processor, you can chop the almonds up with a large knife until small. Then, in a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork until flaky, and add the rest of the ingredients. It’s just a bit easier with a food processor.
- Allergic to almonds? Omit them, or sub cashews, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. They add a nice crunch.
- I like this best with my Vegan Cashew Mayo, but you can use store bought vegan mayo or my Tofu Mayo if you like. Plain vegan yogurt also works well.
Wow! This became an instant favorite. So much flavor & such comfort food. I LOVE it on toast. Made this numerous times and keep coming back to it!
SO good OMG!! Since going meat-free I have desperately missed chicken salad sandwiches, and this satisfied my craving and more! Love it — just like the real thing!
That’s great to hear!
Not a huge chicken salad lover, yet I found myself craving it the other day. Stumbled upon this recipe and it was SO DELICIOUS and simple to make. Made lettuce wraps with it and I was sad to reach the bottom of my container. It was so quick and simple that I’m sure it will be a staple in my house.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
YUMMMM this was so good!! I added Dijon mustard the second time and loved that too! Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re welcome!
I have never tried cooking Vegan before but have been seriously thinking about making the transition from eating meat to eating Vegan. I don’t tolerate dairy very well and have found it challenging to find recipes that don’t contain any dairy. Chicken salad is one of my favorite meals for lunch so I was really interested to try this out. I wasn’t sure about the Vegan mayo but followed the cashew recipe and it was fantastic. I was really happy with the outcome of the “chicken” salad too. It was delicious. I look forward to enjoying the leftovers over the next couple of days. Tomorrow I’ll be trying your sesame tofu and am super excited about that one. I have a serious love of tofu. Thanks Nora for these recipes!
You’re welcome!
Delicious!! Plus super simple ingredients and quick to make. We did use vegan mayo versus cashew mayo.
I have been trying all of your recipes (relatively new vegan) and loving them! This recipe is so delicious and I especially love the homemade mayonnaise! Delicious! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome!
Home run in my Fam. Added 1 green onion sliced and used raw chickpeas instead of canned. Will be making it again. Thank you!
I love chicken salad and have been sad not to have it when I started eating WFPB. I was super skeptical this was going to be close to a substitution. Boy was I surprised! It is SO GOOD! I honestly might not even know it wasn’t real chicken salad. LOVE IT! Will be making this one often.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much! I can never get enough when I make it. Thank you!
My husband and I love this recipe and make it all the time! I’m vegan and he’s non-vegan but this dish showed him how amazing vegan food can be! He always raves about it. We eat this on top of salads but it’s so good on a grilled sandwich too. Thanks for sharing Nora!!
I’m so glad you are enjoying it so much! Thank you!
This tastes exactly like the real thing, already made it twice. Perfect meal in the hot summer.
Thanks for the comment!
This is really delicious!
Thanks!!
Just made this and it is so good. I need it cold to really enjoy. I will be making this weekly. Awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing.
You’re so welcome!!
Well – another great recipe that you’ve shared, Nora! I had doubts about this one because of the very limited number of seasonings in this recipe — but! Wowser – amazing. I altered the recipe in the following ways: Had no sliced almonds so used whole raw unsalted almonds and they worked great ; I had no grapes or cherries on hand although I would not add cherries in chicken salad; I used Vegonaise bc of time restrictions for making Nora’s cashew mayo and I added nutritional yeast (after I tasted it without it and definitely like NY in this recipe.) We ate it on Arnold’s Oat bread with raw spinach and tomatoes – truly a great meal! Think it would wonderful on toasted bread too or definitely great as the “stuffing” in a tomato . Also, I followed Nora’s instructions about the pulsing to the letter – those kind of tips are such a big help. So, again, thank you, Nora, for a great meal and wonderful new recipe we will enjoy many, many times no doubt.
You’re so welcome!! So glad it was good! Thanks for the comment!
Wow – Wow -Wow! Served over a bed of lettuce and red onion. Absolutely delightful!
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have almonds, so used walnuts chopped up instead. Will definitely make again! I ate it with crackers, and my daughter ate it as a sandwich. Thanks again Nora for another winner!
You’re so welcome!
I make this for myself and my non-vegan husband all the time! We both love it and usually eat it on bread or on a salad. Tonight we made “tuna melts” with this without the grapes for the first time and they were so good!! I make the vegan mayo for this recipe, double the salt to the salad and add a little bit more lemon – and it’s perfect! Thanks for sharing with us! ❤️
You’re so welcome!
I thought this recipe was great – but I’ve been a vegetarian most of my life. My boyfriend who has not was indifferent. Regardless I will be making this all of the time as it is so good to pack for lunch! Thank you:)
So delicious! Mayo (even vegan mayo) just isn’t my fave so I subbed plain unsweetened vegan yogurt…tangy perfection! Thanks for another great recipe with lots of room for little adjustments. I served it in a warmed tortilla wrap. Yum!
Sounds delicious! Glad you liked it.
Oh my gosh, I loved this recipe. I ate it on sour dough bread, delicious!!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you.
Awesome! I added scallion and omitted the cherries but added more grapes. DELICIOUS! ?
So good. We eat this a few times a week. I’ve made this before using a tahini recipe for the mayo but the cashew mayo hands down is so much better. Can I freeze the cashew mayo?
Thank you! Yes, I have frozen it before, as well as other cashew based creamy sauces. It works pretty well, it’s just not as smooth when it thaws, but you can whisk it or re-blend to make it smoother once thawed if you need to.
Fantastic, quick, and easy recipe. Great served on toasted bread with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a little mustard. Definitely will make again!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
A wholesome, simple, and delicious recipe. I left out the celery and dried cherries (I didn’t have the dried cherries and I personally hate celery) and I also added some pecan halves because my favorite chicken salad when I still ate meat had those and red grapes. Next time I will probably add some fresh dill or some other herbs because I think it would benefit from a little extra freshness, but all in all I think this is a great recipe and I will definitely be making it often.
Do you know the break down of carbs, sugar etc?
Sorry, I do not have that information. You can use a site like Cronometer to get detailed information. I am considering putting full nutritional information in for all my recipes, but I may need to hire someone as it would be incredibly time consuming. Thank you, hope that helps!