“No-Chicken” Salad
I have been told by many that my no-tuna recipe is one of their favourites and they return to it time and time again. I decided it was time to re-create one of my old go-to’s and see if it worked as well in a plant-based version. I am happy to say that I loved it and I hope that you will too! In true Root to Rise Wellness style, it is simple and easy to put together and you can also add in different ingredients to give it your own flare.
I love chickpeas and find them so very versatile and they are the base for this No-Chicken Salad. I do my best to cook all of my beans from dried. It is much cheaper and you can also control what is going into your food. The Instant Pot is a dried bean’s best friend and makes easy work out of cooking them and the best part is you can turn it on, set a timer, and walk away. You can, of course, use canned chickpeas for this recipe instead. These get pulsed in a food processor with some walnuts and this acts as the “chicken” part of the salad. You don’t want a paste so just pulse it a few times until it is crumbly. I like to leave a few beans whole for some texture too.
In a small bowl combine your vegan mayo, lemon juice, red onion and your choice of add-ins. I used granny smith apple and dried cranberries as that is what I had on hand. The beauty of this recipe is that you can add in what suits you or what is in season. Speaking of that it is mango season right now so I may just whip up a batch and add some mango for a no-chicken mango salad version! Grapes, celery, or even a pinch of curry powder would be a nice addition to this as well. Add your pulsed chickpea and walnut mixture, season with salt & pepper, and stir it all up.
You can serve this in lettuce boats, on top of a bed of mixed greens, as a dip with crackers or chips, or make a lovely sandwich with some nice crusty bread! The possibilities are endless and you can get as creative with this one as you like!
I hope you enjoy this easy and tasty recipe!
No-Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Walnuts
- 2 cups Chickpeas drained and rinsed if using canned
- 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo
- 1 tbsp Red Onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Agave or Maple Syrup optional – some prefer a little sweet in their dressing
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Granny Smith Apple shredded or finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Parsley finely chopped
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Chives finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Put the walnuts in the bowl of your food processor and pulse a few times
- To the walnuts add the chickpeas and pulse to make a crumbly mixture. You don't want a paste and you can even keep some beans whole for texture
- In a separate bowl combine the mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder, red onion, parsley, apple, cranberries, cayenne and agave or maple syrup (if using). Stir to combine to make the dressing
- To the dressing add the chickpea and walnut mixture and stir to mix together
- Season with salt & pepper
- Store in the fridge until ready to serve
- Serve in lettuce boats, on top of salad greens, as a dip or use to make a sandwich
Notes
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
