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If I am going to have a salad, it has to be worth eating. Meaning, there should be more than just a bed of wilted greens.
In my opinion, here are a few elements to the perfect, balanced salad:
- Variety of textures
- A balance of fats, carbs, and proteins
- Fresh ingredients
- An assortment of vegetables
In this recipe, I am combining my infamously tender and tasty tofu “chicken” recipe with fresh, plant-based ingredients. For this sort of thing, I love to keep a container of previously cooked tofu to throw in a salad like this one, burrito, rice dish, or soup.
Creating tofu that tastes like chicken might sound like a complicated task, but only requires two main ingredients: tofu and 1 piece of Not-Chick’n cubes.
Once you do it a couple of times, it’s seriously as easy as boiling water. Except, it tastes better. 😉
Okay, so let’s chat a bit about this salad recipe. If you’re not into cilantro, parsley will work just as nicely. Additionally, you can switch out the lemon juice for lime juice. Tweaks are allowed, depending on what you have on hand.
For the corn, I used frozen. However, I recommend fusing resh corn for extra crispiness and a bold, sweet flavor.
What Kind Of Salad Dressing To Use
Any creamy salad dressing works well. I like to make a garlicky homemade salad dressing for salads like these, however, feel free to use any kind of plant-based dressing you prefer.
To read the full recipe notes, check out How To Make Tofu Taste Like Chicken.
How To Chill Salad
To store your salad, place in a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Or, store it in a tightly closed container.
Other Ways To Use Vegan Chicken Salad
If a vegan chicken salad sounds great but needs a little oomph, there are other ways to have it. Some ideas include:
- A sandwich
- Burrito
- Pitas
- As a dip with chips
- Lettuce wrap
How To Tell If Avocados Are Ripe
Feeling an avocado is the best way to get a sense of whether an avocado is ripe enough or not. What you want to do is softly pinch the top of the fruit. A perfectly ripe avocado will be able to yield to some pressure, yet still, be a bit firm.
If the avocado is still hard, it’s not ripe yet. If it’s too soft, it’s overly ripe. Once you get it to the perfect ripeness, it should be used that day or the next.
Or, store the avocado in the refrigerator and it should be kept ripe for an additional few days.
Why Freeze Tofu
There are a few reasons why I freeze tofu before turning it into “chicken.” This helps firm up the texture and it opens up the tofu so it becomes more spongelike - making it easier for it to absorb marinades.
Learn more about using frozen tofu with 7 Things To Know About Frozen Tofu.
Cookware Used In This Recipe
Vegan Avocado "Chicken" Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Vegan "Chicken"
- frozen tofu
- 6 tablespoons hot water It can be micorwavesd for a minute or so
- 1 cube Not-Chick’n Cubes
- Oil
Salad
- Cooked vegan "chicken"
- 2 small ripe Hass avocados
- ½ cup corn defrosted, fresh, or cooked
- ¼ cup red onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
Vegan "Chicken"
- Remove frozen tofu block from the packaging. To quickly defrost, microwave block for 10-12 minutes, or until thawed.
- Press excess water from tofu. Cut into 1-inch thick planks, and pat-dry each plank. Mix together water and Not-Chick’n Cubes until cube has dissolved.
- Add oil to a pan over high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 5 minutes. Then, pour in the Mix together water and Not-Chick’n broth. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to cool.
Salad
- In a large bowl, add the tofu, avocado, corn red onion, and cilantro. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Gently toss until ingredients are well-combined.
- Add your favorite creamy salad dressing, or make a homemade garlic salad dressing.
Notes
- If you prefer not to use cilantro, use parsley instead.
- You can switch out the lemon for lime if that is what you prefer.
- I used two small Hass avocado. This means you can also just use one large avocado.
- This recipe yields about 2-3 servings. Or one if you have a large appetite.
Nutrition
Did you try out this Avocado Chicken Salad recipe?
Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it, or tag a picture @plantbasedandbroke on Instagram and hashtag it #plantbasedandbroke. Show off that creation with us.
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Marta
I would be hard-pressed if asked if this was a vegan salad on first glance. This looks so amazing.
plantbasedandbroke
Thanks girl! I had to make a REAL salad and load it up with more than just veggies. 😉
Desirée
Girl I'm all over this! Looks soooo good!
plantbasedandbroke
Yesss!!! It tastes good too!
Jayne Rain
This salad looks so delicious. I would never have guessed that it's vegan without reading the title. I will definitely try it out.
plantbasedandbroke
Let me know how it goes 🙂
Mila
You most definitely would have fooled me. What a great recipe!
plantbasedandbroke
Thank you 🙂
Calysta
This is such a great recipe!!! I’ve never made vegan meat before. I’m looking forward to trying this!!
plantbasedandbroke
Super easy to make! If I am even lazier, there are other meat-free alternatives from brands like Gardein and Beyond Meat. 🙂
Katrina Adams
I love a good salad and I can’t wait to try your recipe!!
plantbasedandbroke
Yes! Yes! Let me know when you try it!
Raine
I'm so excited to find this tip on freezing tofu, I love tofu! It's impressive that the tofu can absorb the marinade better after freezing to become more porous. How insightful! Thank you so much for this great article, recipe, and tofu tips!
Raine
plantbasedandbroke
Yay! Tofu is definitely my #1 go-to for meat-free protein. It's super cheap and pretty versatile, so I use it often. I am glad you love the recipe. 🙂
LaKita
This looks delicious and I would definitely try it in a wrap/burrito!
plantbasedandbroke
Oh yeah - definitely in a burrito!!!
Jazz
Yum! I love the inventiveness of this recipe.
plantbasedandbroke
Thank you 🙂 🙂