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+ servings
Two slices of bread topped with vegan chicken salad.

Vegan Chicken Salad

This vegan "chicken" salad is such an easy and fresh lunch option. Made with young jackfruit, chickpeas and a killer dressing, this classic salad made vegan is simple, quick and completely delicious.
5 from 4 votes
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Course: Salad | Sandwich
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free | Vegan
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Cooling time: 15 minutes
Servings: 5 sandwiches
Calories: 363kcal
Author: Amanda Logan

Ingredients 

For the "Chicken"

  • 550 grams young canned jackfruit approx 2 x 565g cans, drained
  • 250 grams / 1 and ½ cups 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. 

Notes

Ingredient Notes
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.
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.
Celery, shallots and parsley: Don't skip these! These 3 ingredients kind of trick the tongue in to believing you really are eating a chicken salad. Trust me.
How long will this salad keep?
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried This Recipe?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.