This Vegan Chicken Salad Recipe is super delicious, easy to make, and ready in under 10 minutes. Mock chicken salad made with white beans and a few simple pantry ingredients is perfect for picnics, BBQs, potlucks and is just the vegan sandwich filling you’ve been looking for.
This post has been updated from the original posted February 19, 2018.
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I love a good vegan sandwich filling recipe…I use this faux chicken salad or my chickpea tuna salad or tofu egg salad for all the delicious sammies and wraps. Sometimes….instead of the vegan mayo, I mix in some dairy-free avocado lime dressing instead. WOW…just WOW!
Ingredient Notes
- Beans: I think softer beans like cannellini, pinto or kidney beans are easier to mash than chickpeas.
- Vegan Mayonnaise: It takes just 5-minutes to make eggless mayonnaise, just do it! You can find the full recipe in the recipe card. Substitute with a mashed avocado.
- Green onions: Minced green onions offer great flavor. If I don’t have the scallions, I substitute red onion or shallots finely chopped.
- Spices: A combination of curry powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt makes a super tasty faux curried chicken salad.
- Optional: Add in chopped cashews, sunflower seeds, red grapes, dried cranberries or poultry seasoning as desired.
How to make it
Rinse and drain two cans of cannellini beans. Place in a large bowl and use a potato masher or a fork to partially mash beans.
Ideally there will be a few chunks of partial beans mixed in with some pasty fully mashed beans for a varied texture.
Add remaining ingredients to the bowl with the mashed beans. Minced celery, parsley and scallions, vegan mayonnaise, dijon mustard, curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric and sea salt.
Mix well. Continue mixing until everything is well incorporated and mixture resembles real chicken salad in texture.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Mash the beans by hand. Do not use a food processor. It will turn the beans into mush and it’s just not necessary. A potato masher works great, but you can also use a regular fork.
- If you’re not a fan of curry, use Italian spice blend instead.
- Put a piece of lettuce on the toasted bread before loading on the bean salad to keep your sandwich from becoming soggy.
How to serve Vegan Chicken Salad
This easy recipe for vegan chicken salad is the perfect meal prep recipe. Make it whenever you have 10 minutes and it will stay good in your fridge all week, ready whenever you need it. I think it tastes even better the next day.
- Make a vegan chicken salad wrap….add in some sprouts, avocado and chopped cabbage.
- Scoop onto a simple green salad. My favorite way to enjoy this is definitely on a bed of lettuce.
- Make a vegan chicken salad sandwich. Perfect for packed lunches and picnics. Don’t forget to toast your bread first!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15-oz cans white beans
- 2 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 stalk celery minced
- 2 green onions minced
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
- ½ tsp curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sea salt optional
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Rinse and drain beans. Place in a medium sized bowl and mash. Use a potato masher or a fork. Leave a few chunks, so it's not total mush.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Kim Nassar
Made this tonight – so easy and so delicious!!!
Debra Klein
AWESOME….especially for someone who “dosn’t cook”!
Elizabeth
LOVE chicken salad and intrigued to try with white beans! Thanks for the recipe!
Debra Klein
You’re welcome….can’t wait to hear what a chicken salad fan has to say about this delicious vegan version!
Gloria
Beans are a great replacement for meat. These look healthy and delicious.
Debra Klein
Exactly!
Elizabeth Elizabeth
Made this for dinner last night and it was so good! Never knew a sandwich filling could be so delicious.
Debra Klein
One of my favorites!
Jessica Formicola
I made this faux chicken salad for lunch yesterday and it was delicious! My new go to lunch!
Debra Klein
Mine too…it’s the best vegan sandwich filling!
Dee Broughton
This looks so healthy and delicious! I love cannellini beans. I can’t wait to make this!
Debra Klein
Oh, you will love this Dee.