This vegan grilled vegetable and chicken salad is a hearty summer meal with a smoky, zesty edge. Fast and easy to prepare, incredibly satisfying and of course fully plant-based and gluten-free.
It’s early May in the UK, which means we are well and truly headed for summer, but the weather seems none the wiser. It’s still frosty in the mornings, the wind has an icy chill, and we have 10 days of rain ahead.
So I’m using food to propel myself into my favourite season whether the weather wants to co-operate or not. This vegan grilled vegetable and chicken salad is exactly what I crave in summer and all the things I want from a salad. Crisp fresh greens, warm lightly cooked vegetables, a satisfying vegan protein and copious amounts of dressing.
I love smokey flavours in vegan food, and grilled veg or vegan proteins are a great way to give any meal a smokey BBQ edge. This recipe is the perfect example of using grilled elements to elevate a relatively simple vegan salad. Before grilling the plant-based chicken (I used the brand THIS Isn’t Chicken) I tossed it in a zesty lime marinade (which doubles up as a dressing) and grilled sweet baby peppers and red onions while the marinade did its work.
I served the grilled peppers, onion and chicken with a peppery lambs lettuce mix and wild rice, which keeps the salad fresh and satisfying.
What do you need to know before you make this recipe?
This salad is easy to customise to your tastes and what you already have in the pantry or fridge. You can grill any fast cooking veg instead of the sweet peppers and onions, swap the vegan chicken for tofu or tempeh and use your favourite grain instead of wild rice.
I’ve included all the notes for this vegan grilled vegetable and chicken salad recipe at the bottom of the page with the hope of improving your experience here at blue border. If you found this useful, I’d love your support on Instagram, click here to follow.
ingredients
For the dressing/marinade
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 Tbsp. water
For the salad
- 190g / 6.7oz vegan chicken pieces, gluten-free
- 200g / 7oz baby sweet peppers, cut in half and seeds removed
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- pinch salt
- 1 red onion, skin removed and cut into eighths
- 100g / 3.5oz peppery salad leaves, like lambs lettuce or rocket
- 100g / 3.5oz cooked wild rice
process
Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a small clean jar, put the lid on tight and shake to combine.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl, add half the dressing, mix well and set to one side.
Place a grill pan on the hob at medium heat. Toss the peppers with olive oil and salt and grill for 3-4mins on each side. Once you’ve turned the peppers, add the onion segments (they cook faster than the peppers) and grill them for 2mins on each side. Transfer the veg to a serving dish.
Add the chicken pieces to the grill pan, and grill for 3-4mins on each side.
Toss the salad leaves with the cooked wild rice, grilled peppers and onion. Serve the salads topped with grilled chicken and the remaining dressing.
NOTES: Vegan Grilled Vegetable and Chicken Salad
Ingredients Notes
Vegan Chicken
I used the THIS Isn’t Chicken which is vegan and gluten-free and has an incredible texture. You can also use 200g of tofu or tempeh cut into bite-sized pieces instead of vegan chicken.
Vegetables
Any fast cooking veg will work in this salad. Why not try thinly sliced eggplant, courgettes, green beans, asparagus or summer squash.
Wild Rice
I used the Tilda Giant Wild Rice which has a nutty flavour and helps to bulk out the salad. If you prefer swap the wild rice for cooked quinoa.
