Name: Vegan Chopped Chick’n Salad — a Classic Goes Plant-Based
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Plant-based
Ingredients: 8 to 10 ounces vegan chick’n or baked tofu (see Note); 2 celery stalks, finely diced; 1 scallion, thinly sliced, or a few chives, minced; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried; 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon yellow mustard; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon all-purposed seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash) or poultry seasoning; Salt and freshly ground pepper to tasted; 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

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There’s absolutely no reason to use actual bird to make the classic chopped chicken salad. Making it a vegan chick’n salad is the kinder way to go! With so many plant-based chicken alternatives on the market, there are many ways to recreate this classic.

Chicken salad — whether on a sandwich or mounded on greens — is an American classic. It’s so easy to veganize chicken-style recipes, so let’s leave the poor bird alone!

Vegan “chicken” options

Of course, you can also use baked tofu instead of vegan chick’n. It will be just as tasty, though many of the latter have a more meaty, chewy texture.

Go with one that’s on the simpler side — that is, no breading or special seasoning. See 12 options for plant-based chicken alternatives here.

For this batch, I used Improved Nature® Prime Slices. This product has exactly one ingredient — soy protein — and cooks up to a meaty texture that omnivores, especially, will appreciate. See more about Improved Nature® products, which are economical, high protein, and contain almost no sodium.

Enjoy this chopped chick’n salad on a bed of salad greens, or dollop onto fresh bread lined with dark green lettuce or baby arugula and sliced tomatoes. You can also combine this with lots of chopped leafy greens for an easy wrap.

Yield: 4

Vegan Chopped Chick’n Salad — a Classic Goes Plant-Based

There’s absolutely no reason to use actual bird to make the classic chopped chicken salad. Making it a vegan chick’n salad is the kinder way to go!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

8 to 10 ounces vegan chick’n or baked tofu (see Note)
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced, or a few chives, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon all-purposed seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash) or poultry seasoning
Salt and freshly ground pepper to tasted

Optional ingredients

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish

Instructions

Place the vegan chick’n or baked tofu in a food processor. Pulse on and off until finely chopped. Don’t overdo it!
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add rest of the ingredients, including the optional nutritional yeast and/or pickle relish.
Mix well. If time allows, let stand for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve on a sandwich (open-faced or with both slices) or dollop onto a green salad.

Notes

If you use an Improved Nature® product, as I did in this recipe, 8 to 10 ounces is the cooked weight you'd use, as the product comes in dehydrated form. To explore other plant-based chicken options, see 12 Plant-Based Chicken Alternatives.