Vegan Chicken Salad Chick Copycat “Classic Carol” Recipe

Craving a healthy chicken salad recipe? Try this vegan chicken salad recipe inspired by the popular Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol recipe. 

If you want to learn how to make an easy vegan chicken salad recipe you came to the right place. The “Classic Carol” recipe is the base recipe for all the Chicken Salad Chick copycat in this series, making it the easiest of all. Additionally, you can even adapt the recipe and use your favorite plant-based chicken substitute.

Why Go Vegan with Your Chicken Salad?

Presently, more and more people are adopting plant-based diets and vegan lifestyles as they learn about the benefits. Great recipes for classic foods that match the taste and texture of everyone’s favorites make the change easier to adopt and stick with. Therefore, serving a vegan dish that wows and turns heads helps introduce positive change in your circle of friends and family. 

The journey towards a more sustainable and compassionate diet is started with discovering plant-based ingredients that satisfy. Concerns about factory farming, and the health risks associated with meat consumption, cause many to look for an alternative. Now that there are so many ways to recreate the taste and mouthfeel of chicken, it’s time to reinvent this classic recipe.

Choose a Chicken Substitute for the Chicken Salad Chick Copycat

When you think of a classic chicken salad sandwich, you probably imagine the texture of shredded chicken meat. However, there are several plant-based alternatives worthy of consideration to use as a replacement. The artistry of vegan cooking invites us to explore and experiment with these alternatives. 

Many health conscious chefs use chickpeas as the base of their vegan chicken salad recipes. It may not offer the most realistic texture or flavor, but it has other advantages to consider. Canned chickpeas are mostly ready to use, perhaps needing a rinse in a strainer. Additionally, legumes are a great source of plant proteins and most of the amino acids. 

If you want a more realistic chicken salad sandwich, there are other vegetable protein sources to consider. Dehydrated soy curls are a type of textured vegetable protein that resembles strips of meat. When hydrated in a flavorful broth, they have a meaty flavor and chew to them that somewhat works in a vegan chicken salad. Finally, my personal favorite is using seitan as the base for how closely it replicates the bite and texture of chicken meat.

What is Seitan?

Firstly, seitan is a food product made from wheat that mimics the texture and versatility of meat. Crafted from wheat gluten, seitan is celebrated for its remarkable ability to absorb flavors, making it an exceptional canvas for culinary creativity. Secondly its origins, deeply rooted in Asian cuisines, highlight seitan’s long-standing value as a meat substitute. It’s loved for its nutritional benefits and also for its satisfying chewiness akin to that of meat. 

Lastly, wheat gluten is rich in plant protein and is the main ingredient in any seitan recipe. It gives the dough strength through the gluten bonds. When expertly processed, the dough develops shreds that eerily mimic the texture of shredded meat. Therefore, this makes it perfect for including in any healthy chicken salad recipe in place of the expected. 

The Chicken Salad Chick Copycat Classic Carol Flavor

Undoubtedly, Chicken Salad Chick is a popular fast casual chain restaurant expanding in multiple regions in the United States. Specifically, their draw is a simple offering in the “Classic Carol”, which is the base of all the Chicken Salad Chick flavors. It’s a take on the simple Southern US regional staple sandwich. So, just shredded chicken with finely diced celery, generous amounts of mayo, and a secret seasoning blend. 

Subsequently, our vegan copycat recipe takes these core elements and transforms them using plant-based alternatives. It’s a simple swap for the chicken and the mayo. This recipe allows you to recreate the taste of this classic favorite without straying from your vegan principles.

The secret to replicating the Classic Carol is in the selection of meat substitute and secret seasoning. This combination preserves the creamy, rich base that is characteristic of the Classic Carol. The finely diced celery maintains its crisp texture, offering a refreshing crunch with every bite. The seasoning blend is carefully adjusted to echo the original’s savory notes, ensuring a delightful and authentic taste experience.

Related Links

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• Smashed and Dried: The Secret to Delicious Jackfruit Recipes
• Vegan Stuffing Recipe With Big Umami Flavor

Ingredients for this Vegan Chicken Salad Chick Copycat Recipe

• seitan, home made or store-bought Gardein Chick’n Strips or Tofurkey Lightly Seasoned Chick’n both work great
• plant based mayo
• celery
• seasoning mix – garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, poultry seasoning and salt

How To Make this Vegan Chicken Salad Chick Copycat Recipe

1. Pull apart homemade seitan shreds, or bake Gardein chick’n strips for 10 minutes at 350F, or rinse and pat dry Tofurkey lightly seasoned chick’n.
2. Use food processor to chop seitan if not using shreds, more surface area for the mayo makes a better sandwich.

3. Finely dice celery.
4. To a mixing bowl add the seitan, celery, mayo, seasoning and stir to combine.

5. Ready to eat, or chill if you prefer a cold sandwich.

Serving Ideas and Storage Suggestions

• Classic sandwich: Spread your vegan chicken salad between slices of your favorite bread or bun. 
• Wrap: Roll it up in a tortilla or flatbread with crunchy greens.
• Lettuce wraps: Use large leaves (iceberg or butter lettuce) as a low-carb alternative to wraps.
• Stuffed bell peppers: Fill hollowed-out bell peppers with the vegan chicken salad mixture, then bake until tender.
• Pita pockets: Stuff whole wheat or gluten-free pita pockets with your salad. Great for picnics or on the go.
• Crackers or crostini: Spoon your salad onto whole-grain crackers or toasted baguette slices.
• Green salad topper: Serve it over a bed of mixed greens, spinach, or your favorite salad greens. 
• Veggie dip: Use it for carrot and celery sticks, cucumber slices, or other fresh veggies.
• Rice or grain bowl: Add a scoop of vegan chicken salad to a cooked rice or quinoa bowl.
• Stuffed avocado: Halve an avocado, remove the pit, and then fill the hollow with your salad mixture.
• Roll-ups: Spread the salad onto a tortilla or lavish bread, add some fresh vegetables, and roll it up!
• Pasta salad: Mix it with cooked pasta and some veggies for a vegan pasta salad.

More Vegan Chicken Salad Recipes To Try

All of the copycat Chicken Salad Chick flavors are made starting with a base of the Classic Carol plus additional ingredients. I’ve done a copycat recipe for the most popular and interesting variations below. (Recipes will go live and be linked below, coming April-May 2024)

• The Fancy Nancy (with diced Fuji apples, seedless grapes, and pecans)
• The Cranberry Kelli (with dried sweetened cranberries and slivered almonds)
• The Buffalo Barclay (with just the right amount of Buffalo sauce for a kick)
• The Barbie-Q (with a touch of hickory smoked barbecue sauce for flavor)
• The Old South (with tofu egg and diced sweet pickles)
• The Jalapeño Holly (with lots diced jalapeños for a spicy heat)
• The Kickin’ Kay Lynne (with Buffalo sauce, Sriracha, diced jalapeños, and plant-based versions of ranch dressing, bacon bits, shredded cheddar)

If you’re looking for a healthier option made from less processed ingredients, check out the following recipes made with ingredients like chickpeas and jackfruit.

• Vegan Chicken Salad made from Chickpeas
• Shredded Vegan Chicken Salad made from Jackfruit
• Oil-Free Vegan Chicken Salad with Creamy Cashew Mayo

Check out these other recipes for great plant-based meal ideas:

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