This mouth-watering vegan chicken salad is loaded with big flavours and fantastic textures. With a perfect blend of crunch, sweetness, and creaminess that will have you salivating and reaching for seconds.
This recipe was originally published in May 2020. It has been updated for content, photos, and video.
Roasted jackfruit, walnuts and chickpeas make the base of this incredible vegan chicken salad.
Celery, grapes and green onion add even more flavour and texture, and all of it gets dressed in a creamy and dill-icious cashew-based sauce. YUM! 😋
Like my vegan chicken soup recipe, jackfruit is the star of the show and makes the perfect vegan chicken substitute.
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Reader Feedback:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yet another stellar THK recipe!! Only adjustment I made was: I only had a 14.5-oz can of jackfruit, so I added some rehydrated soy curls. Cut them into small bites and roasted them along with the jackfruit, walnuts and chickpeas. Turned out GREAT! 😍 – Nancy
Why you’ll love it
There is no shortage of vegan chicken salad recipes on the world wide web, but, I think this version is a little unique. 😉
- Roasting the jackfruit, walnuts, and chickpeas adds to the depth of flavour. But if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to turn on the oven try this vegan chickpea salad instead.
- There are so many wonderful textures and distinct flavours, yet they all work well together in perfect, delicious harmony.
- The dressing is homemade, using wholesome ingredients. No vegan mayonnaise is needed.
- This “chicken” salad is not only meat-free but it’s also gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free.
- It’s versatile! Serve it as a side salad, or make it a vegan chicken salad sandwich. This dish is perfect for potlucks, picnics, and gatherings of any kind.
Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this incredibly delicious vegan chicken salad recipe.
For the salad:
- Jackfruit: Use Young Green Jackfruit that is canned in brine or water, NOT syrup. Sweet jackfruit won’t work well in this savoury dish.
- Chickpeas: Cooked or canned both work well.
- Walnuts: For an earthy and nutty flavour. Or try it with pecans, slivered almonds, pine nuts, or macadamia nuts if you’d like. Use pepitas for a nut-free option, or omit the nuts.
- Celery: For crunch and bold flavour. You may sub with fennel or cucumber if needed.
- Grapes: I like red or purple grapes, but you may use dried fruit if you don’t have fresh on hand. Dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins work well.
- Green onion: You may use red onion if a zestier/stronger flavour is preferred.
For the dressing:
- Cashews: Use raw cashews that are unsalted (or omit the salt). For cashew-free, use blanched almonds or try raw sunflower seeds for a nut-free dressing.
- Lemon: For a slightly tangy and citrusy flavour. You may use apple cider vinegar if preferred.
- Spices: A combo of dill weed, garlic powder, salt, and pepper adds incredible flavour to the salad dressing.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Use your hands to shred the jackfruit and place it in a parchment-lined tray. (photo 1)
Add the chickpeas and walnuts to the tray and roast for 15 minutes. (photo 2)
Meanwhile, add all the dressing ingredients to your blender and process until smooth. (photo 3)
Then place all the salad ingredients in a bowl, cover with the dressing, and mix well. (photo 4)
NOTE: If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water for 15-20 minutes first. Then drain and proceed to make the dressing.
Serve the salad straight away or refrigerate for one hour or longer to chill.
How to serve it
- As is, from the bowl. It makes a delicious side salad or main dish.
- Make it a sandwich. Grab two slices of your favourite bread, add lettuce and tomato, and load it up with the salad mixture.
- Use it as a topper. Spoon it on crackers, cucumber slices, or pita bread.
Equipment
A high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, will get the dressing as smooth and creamy as possible.
If you don’t have a powerful blender, make sure to soak the cashews first for 15-20 minutes in hot water to help soften them.
Storage
Your dressed salad will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days.
If you make the dressing ahead of time, it may be kept separately for 4-5 days.
Can I prep in advance?
Yes!
In fact, this salad tastes even better once the flavours have had a chance to meld together. Just refrigerate it until ready to serve or use it for meal prep.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the roasting! This is really what makes this dish so special and flavoursome.
- Use young green jackfruit canned in brine or water, only. Do not use fresh jackfruit, and do not use jackfruit that is canned in syrup.
- If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in cool water overnight, or in boiling hot water for 15-30 minutes, and then drain. The soaking time will swell and soften the cashews, making them easier to blend.
- This salad tastes great when freshly made, but tastes best when chilled for 1 hour or longer.
More delicious vegan chicken recipes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 20 ounce can young green jackfruit in brine or water, NOT syrup, drained & rinsed
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained & rinsed (or 1.5 cups)
- ½ cup walnut pieces or pecans
- ½ cup celery diced (approx 1 rib)
- ½ cup red grapes halved
- ¼ cup green onion thinly sliced (approx. 1 green onion)
For the Dressing
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice approx half a large lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉/204℃ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Rinse your jackfruit very well to remove the brine and pull apart all the pieces to shred it. Add the shredded jackfruit to your tray along with the chickpeas and walnut pieces. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from the oven.
- Meanwhile, add all the dressing ingredients, starting with ¾ cup of water to a high-speed blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining two tablespoons of water if needed, to thin out your dressing and reblend.
- Place your jackfruit, chickpeas, walnuts, celery, grapes, and green onion in a serving bowl and pour the dressing on top. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use young green jackfruit canned in brine or water, only. Do not use fresh jackfruit, and do not use jackfruit that is canned in syrup.
- If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in cool water overnight, or in boiling hot water for 15-30 minutes, and then drain. The soaking time will swell and soften the cashews, making them easier to blend.
- This salad tastes great when freshly made, but tastes best when chilled for 1 hour or longer.
- For nut-free: Omit the walnuts or sub with pepitas for the salad. For the dressing use raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews with similar results.
- For a mayo-style dressing, use store-bought vegan mayo or my homemade oil-free pepita mayo.
Nancy W.
Yet another stellar THK recipe!! Only adjustment I made was: I only had a 14.5-oz can of jackfruit, so I added some rehydrated soy curls. Cut them into small bites and roasted them along with the jackfruit, walnuts and chickpeas. Turned out GREAT! 😍
Rosa
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed the salad, Nancy. Thanks very much for the review. 🙂
Kristan
Delicious! Great combo of unique flavours and textures that came together really nicely and was so easy to make.
Rosa
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks very much for taking the time to leave a review.
MARY
It’s very good but the quantities are a lot for one person. Can this freeze well?
Rosa
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried freezing this one, but I believe it will alter/soften the texture from the roasting.
MARY
Thank you. It’s going faster than I thought anyway. Nice recipe💖
Lor
The BEST WFPB no oil recipe that I have made in a year. It’s absolutely delicious! I love it. Thank you so much!!!
Rosa
You’re very welcome Lor. Absolutely thrilled you loved it so much! 🙂
Jennifer
Double the recipe! Sooo good!
Put it on crackers, in a wrap or by itself.
Rosa
Thrilled you enjoyed Jennifer! Thanks for the review. 🙂
Caryn
So yummy! The dressing is simple and creamy. Love the texture. Added to my favorites!
Rosa
So happy you enjoyed Caryn. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Grace
Hi, would this recipe taste good using white beans instead of cashews?
Rosa
Hi Grace, I haven’t tried this with white beans. I think the flavour would be great, but perhaps a little less rich tasting. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Marcus
This Salad is definitely a Keeper!!! Tastes just like chipotle salad to me. Thanks for sharing!
Rosa
Thrilled you enjoyed Marcus. Thanks so much for your feedback. 🙂
Colleen
This salad is a winner! I couldn’t stop eating it. I’ll definitely add this to my repertoire. It’s healthful and delicious.
Rosa
Thanks very much Colleen! Thrilled you enjoyed. 🙂
Alex
This is so delicious – and you would never know it was vegan. I love the use of the jack fruit here – so clever!
Rosa
Thanks very much Alex. Glad you liked it. 🙂