Vegetarian Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Apple

Total time1 hr 10 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time20 min

Vegetarian Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Apple

This bright, chilled salad leans on a creamy dressing built from vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, a touch of honey, and warm notes of ginger and turmeric that give it a golden hue and a little zing. Crisp diced apple and sliced celery add crunch in every forkful, while dried cranberries bring a chewy, slightly tart contrast and sliced scallions add a fresh, savory bite. Everything gets folded together and chilled until the flavors meld, so the finished salad tastes bright, cool, and well-balanced rather than heavy. A sprinkle of fresh parsley right before serving adds a little herbal lift and a pop of color. It's an easy make-ahead lunch or side that spoons beautifully onto crackers, into a sandwich, or over a bed of greens, and it's a solid pick for a vegetarian table.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the chicken

1 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
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Chef's tip
Choose an unbreaded plant-based cutlet and cook it according to its package - ignore the recipe's raw-chicken cooking times and temperatures - then use it where the cooked chicken goes.
1 tsp salt, divided
2 bay leaves

For the dressing

½ cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground turmeric

For the salad

1 medium apple, cored and diced (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
⅓ cup dried cranberries, unsweetened or honey-sweetened
3 scallions, thinly sliced (green parts only)

For serving

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add the bay leaves and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes, until the thickest part of each breast registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
2
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Discard the poaching liquid and bay leaves. Shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

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