Vegan Chicken Salad

posted: 03/22/22 — updated: 03/27/23 by Deryn Macey Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

This vegan “chick’n” salad recipe is made with tempeh and vegan mayo for a veggie twist on classic chicken salad.

Vegan chicken salad made with tempeh on a sandwich with lettuce.

This vegan chicken salad recipe is made with tempeh for a high-protein plant-based alternative to chicken.

If you’re not familiar, tempeh is similar to tofu in that it’s made from soy, however, instead of being processed the way tofu is, the beans remain whole and are fermented and then pressed into a firm “cake”.

Tempeh has a nutty, earthy flavour and chewy texture. If you’ve never tried it, it’s a bit of an acquired taste but once you get used to the earthiness, it’s delicious.

Close up of a spoonful of tempeh salad on a large wooden spoon.

Aside from the tempeh, this recipe features chicken salad favourites like almonds or pecans, celery, cranberries, onion and lemon.

It’s super easy to whip up for a quick meal and extra tasty served on your favourite bread to make a sandwich. You’ll love this creamy, refreshing, versatile and easy-to-make salad!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Easy to make in 10 minutes.
High in protein and fiber.
Enjoy as is or in a sandwich or wrap.
Delicious, refreshing flavour and creamy but hearty texture.
Great for BBQs, picnics and get-togethers.
Works well for meal prep as flavours only improve with time.
Gluten-free, vegan (dairy-free and egg-free!), can be nut-free if you omit or substitute the nuts. For dietary restrictions, be sure to check the ingredients of the mayo you use.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Image of the ingredients needed for making a vegan chicken salad sandwich with tempeh and mayo. Each ingredient is labelled with text.

Tempeh: Use plain tempeh. This is beige in colour though don’t worry if it has a few black spots, that’s normal due to the fermentation process.
Nuts: You can use slivered almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts.
Celery: Use fresh celery.
Cranberries: If you can find unsweetened or juice-sweetened cranberries, that’s great, otherwise any kind of dried cranberries work. If you don’t have cranberries, raisins work too. If you don’t like cranberries, you could also substitute chopped red grapes.
Onion: Yellow or white onion works.
Mayo: This recipe calls for vegan mayo. You can use any variety you enjoy. If you’re not vegan, any mayo works.
Mustard: You can use whole grain or dijon mustard.
Tarragon: If you don’t have fresh tarragon, you can use 1 tsp dried tarragon or omit this ingredient.

How to Make Tempeh Chicken Salad

Step 1: Prepare the tempeh.

You can either chop the tempeh into cubes or crumble it up using your hands.

Step 2: Mix the “wet” ingredients.

Combine the mayo, lemon, salt, pepper and mustard until fully mixed.

Quick Tip: Sometimes I like to add a little pickle juice or some finely chopped dill pickle for a briny, tangy flavour that’s super tasty.

Mayo, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. — Mix the mayo with the lemon, salt, pepper, and mustard.

Chopped tempeh on a cutting board with a knife. — Mix the mayo with the lemon, salt, pepper, and mustard.

Step 3: Mix and enjoy!

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix it all up to coat in the mayo mixture.

Overhead view of a bowl of tempeh chicken salad with celery, tarragon and cranberries. — Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Once you’ve mixed up the salad, enjoy immediately, as is or in a sandwich, or store in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy.

The flavours get even better with time so no worries if you store for later!

Open faced tempeh salad sandwich with lettuce on a cutting board. — Enjoy your salad as is or in a sandwich, wrap or green salad.

Serving Suggestion

Tempeh salad can be enjoyed on its own but it’s also delicious:

On your favourite bread with lettuce and tomato.
Wrapped up in a tortilla.
Served on a green salad as the protein source.

FAQ

What else can you add to tempeh salad?

This recipe is versatile. Other ingredients you might find in chicken salad are apple, grapes, grated carrot and green onion so feel free to give those a try!

You can also play around with the herbs and try things like fresh dill or chives.

Do I have to use tempeh?

Nope! This recipe would also work with mashed chickpeas or shredded jackfruit or hearts of palm.

Two halves of a tempeh chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato stacked on top of each other on a cutting board.

Storing Tips

Store any leftover salad in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The assembled salad is not suitable for freezing but you can freeze plain tempeh in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container until you’re ready to use it. It should keep for 3-6 months in the freezer. Thaw before using.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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