Description
This vegan tuna salad recipe is made with a special ingredient—jackfruit! Jackfruit has leapt into the vegan culinary spotlight thanks to its versatility. Though indeed a fruit, its cooked texture resembles shredded meat. Jackfruit takes on the flavors in the pot, transforming itself into a vegan stand-in for pulled pork or taco meat or, in this case, a plant-based version of tuna salad.
Ingredients
Scale
Jackfruit
- 1 (20-ounce) can of young green jackfruit in brine
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- ¼ cup of water or low-sodium vegetable broth
Salad
- ½ cup of shredded carrot
- ½ cup of chopped celery
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 cup of vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons of spicy brown or stone ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon of dried dill or 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon of paprika
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
To prepare the jackfruit
- Open the can of jackfruit and drain the brine. Give the fruit a couple of good rinses to wash off as much of the brininess as possible. Put the jackfruit in a bowl and shred it with a fork.
- In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until slightly translucent. Add the shredded jackfruit, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir. Add the water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To prepare the salad
- In a large bowl, toss together the cooked jackfruit, carrot, celery, and scallion. Fold in the vegan mayonnaise, mustard, and seasonings until well combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
- Not sure where to find jackfruit? Many Asian and Caribbean markets carry fresh and canned jackfruit. As it becomes more common in vegan cooking, it’s popping up next to other canned fruits in the grocery store, sometimes in the international or Asian aisle. The spindly fruit can be found in the produce section of some grocery stores and Asian markets but home cooks, beware: it can be a messy challenge to prepare. Keep in mind that young green jackfruit is usually for savory preparations; if you see yellow jackfruit in a can, it’s most likely packed in syrup and not what you want for a dish like this.
Keywords: dairy-free, fish-free, jackfruit, lunch, vegan tuna, vegetarian, vegan