A vegan chef salad is lined in uniform rows of seitan chicken, tomato, cucumber, non-dairy cheddar, and avocado. Finish it with a generous drizzling of vegan ranch dressing.
It’s a satisfying lunch that comes together in a flash.
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.
In this post:
What’s in a chef salad?
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.
Why readers love this recipe
“Made this for dinner and loved it! The kala namak on avocado trick is really genius. Thanks!” – Lucy
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
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.
Avocado: Sliced avocado takes the place of boiled eggs here. Plus its fatty deliciousness is welcome in a salad any day of the week.
To up its egginess, sprinkle it with kala namak. (Or add a dash of Everything But the Bagel seasoning. It’s not eggy, but it is delicious!)
Non-dairy cheese: I especially like a cheddar-style cheese in this salad. It tastes super classic that way.
I used Trader Joe’s cheddar slices made with cashews. (It’s a favorite vegan TJ’s product!)
Use any sliced non-dairy cheese you like, or cube a cheddar block like Daiya home-style.
Seitan chicken: Homemade seitan chicken is packed with protein and super satiating. It includes spices like oregano, basil, and paprika.
With a toothsome bite and savory flavor, it gives this salad oomph and staying power.
(If you don’t have homemade seitan, chopped up vegan deli slices, like Tofurky, are terrific here.)
Cucumbers: Crisp cucumbers add freshness and crunch. I use Persian cucumbers, but feel free to use any type you like.
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
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.
What kind of dressing should I use?
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:
Make it your own
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
Serving ideas
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:
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Vegan chef salad with seitan & avocado
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 medium tomato sliced in wedges
- ½ cup sliced cucumber
- 2 slices vegan cheese cheddar, diced
- ½ cup chopped seitan chicken
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup vegan ranch dressing
- Dash of pepper
Instructions
- Fill a bowl with chopped romaine lettuce. Top the lettuce with distinct rows of tomato wedges, cucumber slices, diced vegan cheddar cheese, and chopped seitan chicken. Finally, top it with sliced avocado.
- Serve the salad alongside vegan ranch dressing and pepper, so that people can top their own salads. Then finish them with a dash of pepper.
Lucy
Made this for dinner and loved it! The kala namak on avocado trick is really genius. Thanks!
Cadry Nelson
Kala namak is magic! I’m delighted that you enjoyed the recipe, Lucy. Thanks for the great feedback!
Shell
This is a fast, filling, nutritious lunch! This recipe reminded me of how much I love romaine lettuce. Great idea for a weekday lunch when you don’t have much time.
Cadry Nelson
Thanks, Shell! So glad you enjoyed it!