Vegan Chicken Salad with Chickpeas

Vegan Chicken Salad with Chickpeas

Creamy, crunchy with a hint of sweet, this Vegetarian and Vegan Chicken Salad recipe (aka chickpea salad with pecans and grapes) is a twist on the classic. Like my Smashed Chickpea Salad, it’s delicious on a bed of greens shared with crackers, as a sandwich, cute little tea sandwiches or stuffed into pita bread. Versatile and such a delight, this recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

This recipe was first published in 2017 and has been updated September 2022 with additional recipe notes. The original recipe is unchanged.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chickpea Chicken Salad

No chicken here! Just classic ingredients in a not so classic mash-up. But I love this reinvented version even better. Here’s why you should give it a go:

Let’s DO this!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Quick Guide: How to Make Vegetarian Chicken Salad

Get your potato masher out for ease of making and snappy clean up! Here’s how to pull this delicious vegetarian chicken salad with chickpeas together (see recipe card for details):

See all the ways to share vegan chicken salad below!

Variations on Mock Chicken Salad

There are delicious ways to switch up this vegan and vegetarian chicken salad. Try em’ all to see which one curls your toes! Here are some ideas:

Apples – Instead of grapes, try adding diced apples instead. Chop em’ small for best texture.

Cherries – fresh pitted bing cherries subbed for grapes are a delight when in season.

Dried Fruit – This is another sweet component. So sub the grapes for dried cranberries or dried cherries. It’s such a nice surprise.

Walnuts – Try subbing walnuts for pecans. They’re fabulous with apples!

Technique: Food Processor vs Potato Masher

You may be thinking, why not just throw all the ingredients in a food processor? Just like in my other chickpea salad smash-ups, I’ve tried it and the texture of hand mashing is superior to a food processor.

Here’s why: the food processor creates little sharp edges from the slicing action of the blades resulting in a less creamy texture. Mashing the chickpeas offers a much softer mouthfeel, almost creamy yet still with good texture.

This mini masher is similar to the one I use. It’s fantastic for things like this Creamy Guacamole Recipe too!

How to Share Vegan Chickpea Chicken Salad

A Few Recipe Tips

Servings:3 Servings
Author:Traci York | Vanilla And Bean
Creamy, crunchy with a hint of sweet, this Vegetarian and Vegan Chicken Salad recipe (aka chickpea salad with pecans and grapes) harnesses the power of chickpeas for a twist on the classic. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

See blog post for variations and how to share this chickpea salad. *This recipe doubles with ease for six servings. See recipe notes for lemon adjustment.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice (add a little, then more to taste). Smash with a potato masher just until creamy with some whole peas left. The mixutre will be pretty loose at this point but will thicken once the remaining bits get added in.
Fold in the red onion, celery, grapes, chives and parsley. Generously add fresh ground pepper then taste for seasoning/lemon adjustment. 
Rest salad in the refrigerator for at least an hour if you can, then assemble as a dip, on a sandwich, tea sandwiches, or simply on a bed of lettuce. 
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. 
*If doubling the recipe, hold out half the lemon juice and zest and add to taste after mixing all the ingredients. 

This recipe is sooo good on any of my bread recipes: Multigrain Bread, Multigrain Sourdough, Gluten Free Sourdough or Sourdough Pita Bread

Recipe adapted from my Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich . 

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 424mg | Potassium: 431mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!

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