I created this vegan chicken salad while working for Nourish magazine and I still make it today. It's such an old school classic, but better because it's vegan. Juicy young jackfruit, chickpeas and a dressing I could eat for days, come together in every savoury bite.
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One of my specialties as a cook is creating plant-based versions of "traditional" recipes. I wrote a whole cookbook dedicated to it. My vegan shawarma, vegan reuben sandwich, vegan Wellington and vegan pot pie recipes all recreate traditional meat flavours without the meat. This vegan chicken salad is my latest meaty but meatless recipe.
Why This Recipe Works
If you are after a versatile salad recipe you've come to the right place.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Jackfruit. Canned young jackfruit is the perfect meat substitute here. You are going to need the canned variety in brine, not fresh jackfruit - it can be found in Asian grocers and many traditional supermarket chains. We are going to drain it and add layers of savoury flavour.
Chickpeas. While I love chickpeas in this salad, you could swap them out for white beans. I always add beans for the protein and texture.
Yoghurt. I like to use yoghurt in the dressing to lighten it a little but if you don't have it, you could swap out the yoghurt portion for more mayo. I always use my vegan mayonnaise but store-bought is totally fine.
Celery, shallots and parsley. Don't skip these! These 3 ingredients - combined with the jackfruit texture - kind of trick the tongue into believing you really are eating a traditional chicken salad. Trust me.
Step-by-Step Guide
You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Steps 1 & 2.
Drain the young jackfruit from the can, give it a good rinse under running water and then pop it into a clean cloth or nut-milk bag and give it a good squeeze to get rid of the extra moisture. Now slice it thinly lengthways.
Step 3.
Combine the sliced jackfruit in a bowl with the chickpeas, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and sugar and stir well. Heat a little oil in a large pan and add the jackfruit mixture. Cook for around 5-minutes, breaking the jackfruit up as you go. Remove from the heat to cool.
Step 4 & 5.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until creamy.
Step 6.
Add the cooled jackfruit/chickpea mixture and stir well.
And that's it! On bread or in a bowl, this vegan chicken salad is just so tasty and easy to make. However, you serve it, it's the perfect little lunchtime nosh. Enjoy, x.
FAQs
Stored in the fridge in a sealed container, the salad will last up to 4 days. Any longer and things get a big juicy and separated.
Totally. A few sliced red grapes and a smattering of walnuts is delicious.
You can swap the soy sauce for tamari for a gluten-free version. If you are making it into a sandwich, just use gluten-free bread or wraps.
How to Serve Your Vegan Chicken Salad
This vegan chicken salad is really versatile.
More Jackfruit and Chickpea Recipes to Try
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Make This Recipe
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the "Chicken"
- 550 grams young canned jackfruit approx 2 x 565g cans, drained
- 250 grams cooked chickpeas 1 x 400g can (drained)
- 2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon raw sugar
- 1 tbsp neutral flavoured oil
For the Dressing
- 1 French shallot peeled and finely diced
- ¼ cup capers drained and chopped
- ¼ cup vegan yoghurt
- ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- ½ cup celery finely diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the "Chicken"
- To prepare the jackfruit, drain the young jackfruit from the can, give it a good rinse under running water and then pop it into a clean cloth or nut-milk bag and give it a good squeeze to get rid of the extra moisture. We don't want the brine-y flavour here. Now, thinly slice each triangle lengthways and pop the pieces in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and sugar and stir well to combine.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot add the jackfruit and chickpea mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. While cooking, break up the jackfruit with a fork to resembled shredded chicken. Remove from the heat to cool.
For the Dressing
- To a large bowl add the French shallot, capers, yoghurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, parsley, and celery. Stir to combine well
- Add the cooled jackfruit/chickpea mixture and mix well to combine before seasoning with salt and pepper.
