Vegan Chicken Salad (Printable version)
Plant-based chicken salad with mashed chickpeas, fresh veggies, and a creamy dairy-free dressing.
# What you need:
→ Salad Base
01 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup celery, finely diced
03 - ½ cup red grapes, halved
04 - ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
05 - ¼ cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds (optional)
06 - ½ cup cucumber, diced
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
08 - ⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise
09 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar
12 - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
# How To:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, roughly mash the drained chickpeas using a fork or potato masher, leaving some beans whole for added texture.
02 - Add the finely diced celery, halved grapes, red onion, walnuts or almonds, diced cucumber, and chopped parsley to the bowl with the mashed chickpeas. Toss gently to combine.
03 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vegan mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the prepared dressing over the chickpea and vegetable mixture. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired to balance the flavors.
06 - Serve chilled over a bed of fresh greens, layered in a sandwich, or rolled in a tortilla wrap.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Zero cooking means you can throw this together while still in your pajamas and nobody will judge you.
- The chickpea mash gives you that satisfying chunky texture without ever touching animal products.
- It actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight, which makes it the ultimate make ahead lunch.
02 -
- Overmashing the chickpeas into a paste ruins the satisfying contrast of textures, so stop while some halves are still visible.
- Cucumber releases water over time, so if you are making this a day ahead, consider patting the cucumber pieces dry before adding them.
03 -
- Chill the finished salad for at least thirty minutes before serving because the flavors need time to mingle and settle into something greater than the sum of their parts.
- Toasting the nuts in a dry skillet for two minutes is a tiny step that pays off enormously in aroma and depth.