Vegan chicken salad sandwich with seitan

In those moments, I want something fast, convenient, and delicious. And if it can lend itself well to easy leftovers later, all the better.

That's when I turn to vegan chicken salad sandwiches. The whole thing is ready to go in only 15 minutes.

And leftovers keep well for several days, which means I can have nearly instant meals in the days that follow. Perfect for meal prep!

Since I turn to salad sandwiches when time is a premium, I like to use store-bought seitan to simplify things. But you can also use homemade seitan chicken if you have the time!

Vegan chicken salad sandwiches have wonderful texture, bite, and cozy flavor. Plus, they’re packed with protein, which makes them extra satiating.

In this post:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Chicken-style seitan: Upton's Naturals traditional seitan comes in an 8-ounce box. That's exactly the amount you'll need for the recipe.

Or you can make a batch of seitan chicken with vital wheat gluten, vegan chicken broth, and seasonings.

If you're using homemade, about a cup of diced seitan will work here.

Vegan mayo: Vegenaise is my favorite eggless mayonnaise. But feel free to use any kind you enjoy.

Pantry & refrigerator staples: Dill pickles, celery, onions, stoneground mustard, and green leaf lettuce.

Seasonings: Dried thyme, dried dill, granulated onion, and pepper.

Buns: Vegan buns can be a little tricky to find, because of added animal ingredients like honey or dairy.

Just read the ingredient label. Trader Joe’s, Dave’s Killer Bread, Rudi’s, and Ezekiel all have vegan options. Or you can visit your local bakery.

This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Put the following into a food processor:

• Chicken-style seitan chunks
• Diced dill pickles
• Sliced celery
• Diced onion
• Vegan mayonnaise
• Stoneground mustard
• Seasonings: Dried thyme, dill, granulated onion, pepper

Process on low until it's in small, even pieces.

You can easily make this vegan chicken salad your own by varying the ingredients.

• Add salt & crunch with chopped pistachios, pecans, almonds, or pumpkin seeds
• For a sweeter take, omit the diced dill pickles and add sliced red grapes, raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries
• If you prefer a creamier sandwich, add more mayo
• For more tang, use Dijon mustard instead of stoneground
• For more color, add a couple Tablespoons of shredded carrot
• For bolder herbaceousness, use a handful of fresh herbs instead of dried
• For a milder onion flavor, use green onions or chives instead of yellow or red onion

Obviously, mock chicken salad is great on a sandwich.

Here are some other uses:

• Roll it into a tortilla wrap along with a couple lettuce leaves
• Serve it in a hollowed tomato or romaine leaf
• Add a dollop to a green salad
• Stuff it in a pita with spinach, cucumber slices, and tomatoes
• Scoop it onto crackers as a snack
• Enjoy it right out of a bowl with a fork

I usually serve vegan chicken salad sandwiches with a simple bag of potato chips. But here are some other tasty side dishes that work well:

• Potato salad
• Roasted cabbage
• Broccolini with garlic & kale
• Vegan coleslaw
• Roasted cauliflower
• Buffalo grilled corn
• Oven baked french fries
• Vegan cauliflower cheese soup
• Air fryer kale chips (or oven baked)

📖 Recipe

Vegan chicken salad sandwich

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 3 votes

This easy & satisfying lunch is packed with protein and ready in only fifteen minutes. Serve it on a bun, roll it into a tortilla, or enjoy it in a lettuce leaf. Or eat it right out of the bowl! A great option for picnics and packed lunches. Makes about 2 cups of vegan chicken salad.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Sandwich

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: easy lunch, mock chicken, seitan sandwich

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces seitan chicken in chunks
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons diced dill pickles
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons sliced celery
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon diced onion
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise Plus extra for slathering on sandwiches
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon stoneground mustard
• ▢ Pinch of dried thyme
• ▢ Pinch of dried dill
• ▢ Pinch of granulated onion
• ▢ Dash of pepper
• ▢ 4 buns
• ▢ 4 leaves green leaf lettuce

Instructions

• ▢
  Put the seitan, diced dill pickles, sliced celery, diced onion, vegan mayonnaise, stoneground mustard, pinch of thyme, dill, granulated onion, and dash of pepper into food processor. Process on low, until everything is in small, equal-sized pieces. Stop once to scrape down the sides, so that everything is equally incorporated.
• ▢
  Put a thin slathering of vegan mayonnaise onto the cut side of each sandwich bun. Scoop the seitan mixture into the buns, along with green leaf lettuce.

Watch how to make it

Notes

You can use homemade or store-bought seitan chicken for this recipe. For store-bought, Upton’s Naturals traditional style is a good choice. But any chicken or turkey-style seitan will work. If using homemade seitan chicken, you’ll need about 1 cup of bite-sized seitan pieces.

This vegan chicken salad is great on a sandwich. You can also use it wrapped in a tortilla or romaine leaf, on top of crackers, stuffed in a pita, or as an addition to a salad or bowl.

If you prefer a sweeter take, omit the dill pickles. Add sliced grapes, raisins, or dried cherries instead.

For a creamier filling, add more mayo to taste.

The mock chicken salad will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 4 days.

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Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 663mg | Potassium: 44mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 11mg