Cranberry Walnut Vegan "Chicken" Salad

creamy vegan salad with celery, walnuts, and herbs served with a cracker

Cranberry Walnut Vegan "Chicken" Salad

This vegan twist on classic chicken salad features a delightful combination of flavors and textures. Made with tender chickpeas, tart cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and crisp celery, this dish is elevated with a creamy vegan dressing, typically crafted from plant-based mayonnaise or tahini, and seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken salad, dairy free, gluten free, high protein salad, plant based, vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 207kcal

Author Jackie Akerberg

Equipment

Oven

Ingredients

½ cup walnuts
15 oz canned chickpeas drained, roughly mashed
⅓ cup plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt
2 tbsp roasted tahini or vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
2 tbsp dill pickles finely chopped
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp sea salt plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper
2 stalks celery finely chopped
3 green onions finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup red grapes halved

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spread your walnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool for a few minutes and finely chop.
Add the chickpeas to a bowl and use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash. Add in the yogurt, tahini or mayo, vinegar, pickles, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add in the remaining ingredients, including the roasted walnuts. Stir to mix and season to taste. Serve as a sandwich, salad, wrap or as a dip with veggies or crackers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and enjoy as an easy grab and go lunch!

Nutrition