Vegan Chicken Salad
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Last updated on Sep 16, 2021
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Homestyle vegan chicken salad made with tofu, almonds, celery, onion and raisins tossed in a creamy vegan dressing. This salad is delicious, protein packed and great for sandwiches and wraps. Vegan and gluten-free.
The whole idea for this salad came from a friend. She mentioned that she LOVES the vegan chicken salad from the Whole Foods prepared foods section but that it hasn’t been there in a few months. I have a knack for recreating recipes from my favorite spots so I quickly offered to try recreating it so she could make her fav vegan chicken salad at home.
I’ve actually never had the vegan chicken salad from WF but I’m loving this version SO much. It’s loaded with flavor, has a nice crunch and works great for sandwiches and wraps. I even had two meat-eating guys try the chicken salad and they both said it was great, so boom!
Ingredients Needed for Vegan Chicken Salad
- tofu – the tofu is loaded with plant-based protein so each serving gives you 15 grams.
- celery and red onion – these add a nice crunch to the salad.
- almonds – you can swap for a different nut if you don’t like almonds or have an allergy.
- raisins – for a little sweetness.
- vegan mayonnaise – you could also test out making homemade vegan mayo. If you’re not 100% vegan, you could try using avocado mayo, which I really like as well.
- apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, turmeric, ground pepper and sea salt – we’re using these six ingredients for a lightened up dressing for the tofu mixture.
- parsley and dill – if you’ve never added fresh herbs to your chicken salad you’re missing out! I love fresh parsley, but fresh dill is also amazing!
Substitutions & Notes
Raisins – Not a fan of raisins? You could substitute for grapes instead.
Red onion – Sometimes red onions can be a bit pungent. If this is the case try soaking them in cold water after you cut them for ten minutes and then drain. Or you can swap them for yellow onion if you prefer those.
Additional mix-ins – Feel free to get creative with your mix-ins. This is just a baseline suggestion. You can always switch it up… I often do! Carrots and avocado would be great additions to this recipe.
How to Serve Vegan Chicken Salad
I love how diverse chicken salad is! Here are some serving suggestions:
- Eat as is – It’s definitely a complete meal on it’s own.
- On lettuce leaves – Make lettuce wraps with crunchy romaine or butter lettuce.
- With crackers – Enjoy with homemade crackers or crackers of your choice (I love Simple Mills crackers).
- In a wrap – Scoop into a whole grain wrap and add some greens for a little extra crunch and you have a satisfying wrap!
- On toast – Make a classic chicken salad sandwich with toast and extra greens if you’re feeling fancy
How to Store Vegan Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is the perfect meal prep recipe! Double or triple this recipe for healthy meals and snacks all week long. After mixing all of the ingredients together, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad will keep for 3-5 days.
More Tofu Recipes
- 16 Tofu Recipes That You’ll Crave
- Asian Tofu Tacos
- Tofu Scramble
- Sofritas
- Orange Tofu
- Bok Choy Stir Fry with Tofu
- Tofu Pumpkin Curry
- Mattar Tofu
- Tofu Stir-Fry
- Baked Peanut Tofu
- Crispy Baked Tofu
More Vegan Salads
- 18 Hearty Vegan Salads
- Curried Chickpea Salad
- Curried Tempeh Salad
- Garlicky Kale Salad
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¼ cup silvered blanched almonds, chopped
- ¼ cup raisins
- 6 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon dill
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Prep tofu: Crumble tofu into small pieces in a medium to large size bowl.
- Combine ingredients: Mix celery, onions and almonds with tofu.
- Make dressing: In a separate bowl whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, pepper, salt, dill and turmeric. Toss fresh parsley and dill on top and give the mixture another stir to combine everything.
- Combine tofu + dressing: Add dressing to the tofu mixture and stir well to combine.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately. Leftovers should last 3-5 days in the fridge.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
love that you don’t have to cook the tofu first.
Right?! Makes it so easy, Di! Glad you’re enjoying the recipe.
this has become my “go to” for months. The best recipe for a great salad.
Ah thank you SO much, Carol. I am so glad you are loving this salad and it is a hit for you. I appreciate you sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Thank you for this awesome recipe. I loved this when I worked near a whole foods and could never imagine being able to find the recipe anywhere. When I saw it on your blog I honestly didn’t think it would be right. But oh my goodness, better than whole foods and the closest Whole foods in 3 hrs away.
You knocked this out of the park. Can not thank you enough!
Cheryl
Ahh this is seriously the best, Cheryl, I am glad you found and are loving this recipe. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Yummy! I omitted the raisins and almonds, just personal preference. It is very good! When I make it again, which I totally will, I’m going to use half of the Apple cider vinegar. Otherwise, delicious!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kim! Thanks for the review. I appreciate it!
I wish I didn’t wait this long! This is definitely in my top 3 now!!!
I was quite skeptical making this salad as I have never had this much tofu in my food.
However, after tasting it all my friends and I were absolutely blown away.
Woo!! So glad you loved this recipe, Nadine. Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
First time making it love it!! Taste great thanks
So glad you loved this recipe, Sharon! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
This was easy and it’s very good! Our herb garden is gone for the winter, so I used dry seasonings for the parsley and dill (1 tsp for each tablespoon). It’s still very tasty.Thanks.
Love it! The sauce for this dish is delicious! Wow!
Super yummy! I wish I can post pictures! I added some grapes & blackberries instead of cranberries and it turned out wonderful! 😋 Just thought I’d show some love & appreciation for sharing your recipe. I’ll be making this again!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Shanel! I’m so glad you loved this salad. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it! <3
Instead of raisins I use halved seedless grapes or dried cranberries and often use walnuts in place of almonds.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Janie. I so appreciate it!
I too love WF chicken salad. For vegetarian I used Quorn chicken cutlets and shredded them. I will be adapting my recipe with your dressing.
THX
i made this having never done anything with tofu before and it was f%$&cking delicious!
LOVE hearing this. So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Can the oil be left out? What do you think the result would be?
I think it would be okay with the oil. Not as creamy, but it will still taste great. Try it and let me know what you think!
This looks wonderful, love the ingredient list and that it works so well with tofu. Thanks!
Inspiring! I like the combinations and the use of firm tofu. Looks delicious!
This looks amazing, me boyfriend won’t even be able to tell it’s vegan! Can’t wait to add this to my weekly meal plan.
I would love a repeat of the salad challenge this summer! That was fun. I love chicken salad, but this looks like a yummy and easy alternative, because you know, you don’t have to cook the chicken ????
WOuld love another Salad Challenge! Your last one was so great!
I don’t like tofu but have to make a vegan meal this Sunday so this is perfect timing. Thank you so much. Here is a silly question. Is the tofu in this salad really not cooked?
There’s no need to cook the tofu! It’s already cooked and ready to enjoy when you buy it. Just be sure to press it to remove any excess water (http://urbanvegan.net/tofu-pressing/). 🙂
Well this looks delicious, I think I will make a batch for lunches next week. I would totally be down for a salad challenge!
Do it! I’ve been eating a batch all this week! So good!
Wow, this looks and sounds great! As a vegetarian, I’m always looking for easy, healthy, meal ideas and I love the easy ingredients this has in it! Plus, it looks super flavorful!
Thanks Melissa! I hope you get a chance to try it. 🙂
I haven’t tried it yet, but I can tell you right now, without mayo it ain’t chicken salad–so I’m going to adapt it. I like the idea of the chopped almonds for extra crunch. (Disclosure: I’m not vegan, not even vegetarian; I just like good food.)
what is wrong with veganaise, someone tell me please, I bought that WF chicken salad yesterday and ask that lady that was promoting it and did not want to share the receipe, this sounds awesome, I have to give it a try. thank you
I’ve never tried the WF mock chicken salad, but I LOVED Elwood’s when I lived in RVA. I usually make my own now. Can’t wait to try this recipe out!
THANK YOU for not using veganaise, I was looking for one that used tofu (just because thats what I have on hand) and this is the only one i’ve found so far. Can’t wait to try it!
I have tried Whole Foods salad before and I’m eager to try this recipe! This looks so good…and I’m so glad that my arm is better and I can visit and comment again! Thank you for being such an inspiration. Your words, recipes and photos…yum, yum, yum! Blessings from Austin
You or your friend might want to ask if they might give you the recipe or if they will bring it back and then you can use the ingredient list on the side. 🙂 At the whole foods I frequent they are pretty good about responding to shoppers’ questions and comments. This sounds tasty though I might opt for vegan mayo since chicken salad to me usually means yummy, creamy mayo. I think this could also be interesting with chunks of chicken-style seitan.
I thought about adding veganiese but decided against it. I’m sure it would make it more stick together better and more like traditional chicken salad though. Might have to try that next time. 🙂
This has gotta cost less than $8.99/lb!! yUM!!!
I love when you recreate the Whole Foods menu…they are too far away for me to go their to eat often so I need an alternate. Thanks for posting this!
That looks really refreshing. Adding it to my list!
How have you been? I’ve been so out of the loop with blog reading – but I’m back and raring to go now 🙂 I’ve missed reading your posts – glad I visited today.
I’m doing well. Your new blog looks great! Thanks for visiting Rose.
I want to try this!! Ill have to scope it out at whole foods. Britt, Im vegetarian now! I will eventually be going vegan but I still cant seem to give up milk and cheese yet 🙁 I am trying out some vegan things now to prepare me for the transition…this recipe will surely help!
No way – that’s so awesome that you’re vegetarian now. Send me an email if you need any going vegan tips. I have some good cookbook recommendations. 🙂
Hope you are doing well. xoxo
I like your version but I had to tweak it to make it more like my traditional upbringing.
I added 2/3 c. Vegenaise, 1/3 c. Tofutti Sour Cream, and 1 t. Altius Greek Chicken Seasoning. I also changed the texture of the tofu by freezing it after pressing it. It was great!
I think in the future I’ll cut the scallions in half and add grapes!
Great recipe, thanks so much!
I make mock chicken salad with chickpeas and it’s great!
I was never a big fan of chicken salad unless it was curried (and with grapes!). Do you think this could be made into a curried version? Thanks for the recipe, it will be fun to try, and it’s always great to have recipes that are good for several days’ lunches!
Definitely, just add curry powder and grapes!
i always loved this dish in college – i’d throw in some raisins too!
YES!! I totally wanted to add in some apples or raisins but didn’t have either on hand.
LOve it! So simple I fresh 🙂
*and fresh… 🙂
Love this mock salad! 🙂 It looks just as good, but it is made at home and cheaper! Gotta love that!
I’ve never had the Whole Foods version – but with your recipe I won’t have to! I do miss chicken salad from my poultry-eating days.