Artichoke-Bacon Chicken Salad Sandwiches



There's nothing better than a nice hearty chicken salad sandwich for lunch. It's easy to make, travels well, and can be easily customized to your liking. With a seemingly endless amount of flavor twists and ingredient combinations, this is definitely a newer take on chicken salad than I've seen before...but it's oh-so-delicious.



A word of warning to those watching their sodium levels: this stuff might be a little too salty for you. The combination of briny artichokes and faux meats (which usually are heavy on the sodium themselves) make this a meal you may not want to eat ALL the time, but it's great for a random lunchtime indulgence. (Rinsing the artichokes after draining them may reduce some of the salt.)



However, the rest of the ingredients make for a stellar, truly gourmet-tasting sandwich (of which your non-vegan friends will surely be jealous!). Fresh garlic and peppery arugula cut through the saltiness with spicy pungence, and woodsy aromatic rosemary give the salad a rustic feel (fresh basil or sage would also be great here).



You don't have to use sourdough for the bread choice, but it does add some extra tanginess if you really want to wake up your palate. Just make sure whatever bread you use is toasted: you want to add some nice crunch to the creamy salad mixture. Try a freshly baked herb bread, French bread, or even a tortilla. The possibilities are endless!



Artichoke-Bacon Chicken Salad Sandwiches
(adapted from , August 2007)

  • 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (such as )
  • 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups cooked chopped vegan chicken (such as )
  • 1 cup drained canned artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 4 vegan bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (such as )
  • arugula
  • sliced sourdough bread, toasted
Combine first mayonnaise, rosemary, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, artichoke hearts, and bacon. Place a small handful of arugula on one bread slice, and top with about 3/4 cup chicken mixture and remaining bread slice. Makes enough for about 4 sandwiches.

7 comments :

  1. Vegan gal8/17/11, 8:53 AM

    This sounds delicious! I don't use Vegenaise; I see it as nothing but salt and fat. Hummus has replaced mayo in my vegan life. However, I see a great substitution - mash up an avocado and use that as the mayo!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous8/17/11, 9:13 AM

    This sounds delish. Think I might subsitute avocado for the artichoke, just because I've been on an avocado kick lately! But they both start with "a" so I'm sure it'll be fine. :) Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  3. Vegan gal - sometimes if you whip (in a blender or magic bullet) silken tofu, it's a great replacement for mayo :) just a thought...

    Reply
  4. I was trying to decide on a brown-bag dinner to take to class with me tonight and came across this. So easy and delicious. I didn't have any artichoke or veg-bacon on me, but the basics are just astoundingly good. I added and extra clove of garlic (because I LOVE garlic) and accidentally put in a full teaspoon of rosemary. So much flavor! And finally, the Gardin chicken tastes good. I've not been a big fan of their chicken products (save the orange chicken, that is) until now.

    Chicken salad was the number one thing I've missed since going vegetarian, and this not only delivers me a much missed dish, but takes it up a notch by being VEGAN!

    Great site!

    Reply
  5. The artichoke hearts you get in the freezer section have very little sodium. They might be a tiny bit more expensive, but I think they have a cleaner "artichokey" taste.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous2/19/12, 5:23 PM

    Soooooo good!

    Reply
  7. Eating this as I type! I've been wanting to make this forever ever since I saw it on pintrest. It's so delicious. I have to maintain control not to eat it all at once! :)

    Reply