Vegan chef salad with seitan & avocado

Lately I can’t get enough of vegan chef salads at lunch.

I grew up eating chef salads served in bread bowls, while slid into a booth at all night diners.

Eating a veganized version as an adult really scratches that nostalgia itch.

The salad is ready in only minutes. And it’s easy to tweak depending on what’s in the refrigerator.

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A chef salad is a full meal in a bowl. It’s popular at all-American diners and casual restaurants, especially for lunch.

While it can be a side dish, it’s generally served as a main course.

It has a lot of filling ingredients that make it substantive enough to stand on its own.

A non-vegan chef salad usually includes a variety of lunch meats, boiled eggs, cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers on a bed of lettuce.

The ingredients are typically served in distinct rows on top of the greens.

Dressings vary for chef salads, but ranch is a popular choice.

Even though a chef salad is usually not vegan, it’s easy to veganize with a few simple adjustments.

Romaine lettuce: Romaine is a mild, light, and crisp green that really lets the toppings and dressing shine.

Tomatoes: Wedges of ripe tomato add a bit of sweetness & juiciness. Plus, when they are cut in larger pieces, they don’t make the salad as wet as when they are chopped.

Fill a serving bowl with chopped romaine.

Then add distinct rows of tomatoes, cucumbers, seitan, and non-dairy cheese.

Halve, pit, and slice an avocado. Scoop the slices onto the plate & fan them a little for flare.

Serve with dressing on the side, so that people can drizzle it on top of their individual salads.

Then finish with a sprinkling of black pepper.

I especially like vegan ranch dressing for chef salads, because it feels so classic & old school.

Ranch is creamy & garlicky. And it stands up to the other hearty ingredients.

However, you can use any dressing that you like.

Here are some other good options:

• Creamy cashew dressing
• Vegan blue cheese dressing
• Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• Lemon tahini dressing

Depending on your taste preferences and what’s in your refrigerator, it’s easy to make adjustments.

• Replace romaine with leafy green lettuce, spring greens, or iceberg
• Instead of chicken seitan, use your favorite vegan deli meat(s) like hickory Tofurky or vegan chick’n strips
• For a gluten free option, use roasted chickpeas instead of seitan
• Instead of non-dairy cheddar, use any hard store-bought vegan cheese or vegan feta
• Instead of avocado as the boiled egg replacement, try eggy tofu or vegan egg salad
• Add more vegetables like sugar snap peas, shredded cabbage, carrots, celery, or cauliflower
• Add a row of homemade croutons for extra crunch

A vegan chef salad is filling enough to be a full meal on its own, or it’s a flavorful side dish.

Serve it with:

• Crusty bread
• Smoky corn chowder
• Creamy tomato soup
• Baked potato soup
• Grilled vegetable skewers
• Air fryer asparagus
• Air fryer baked potato, baked fries, or lemony potatoes