Vegan Chicken Salad
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Published Apr 05, 2017, Updated 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
How to Store Vegan Chicken SaladChicken 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
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- Tofu Pumpkin Curry
- Mattar Tofu
- Tofu Stir-Fry
- Baked Peanut Tofu
- Crispy Baked Tofu
More Vegan Salads
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- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup silvered blanched almonds, chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 6 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dill
- pinch of 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.
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. 🙂
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
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’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!
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 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.)
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. 🙂
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!
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/). 🙂
WOuld love another Salad Challenge! Your last one was so great!