Jackfruit Tuna Salad

5 from 7 votes

This jackfruit tuna salad recipe is so delicious! 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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Michelle Cehn

Ingredients

2 cans jackfruit drained and rinsed
¼ cup vegan mayo
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ red onion finely diced
2 stalks celery finely diced
2 spears dill pickle finely diced
8 cherry tomatoes quartered
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon salt if desired (taste first)
10 slices sandwich bread
5 large lettuce leaves

Instructions

Drain the cans of jackfruit and rinse well to remove any brine. Use your hands to squeeze out excess liquid, then trim away any tough core pieces and place the jackfruit into a food processor. Pulse 8–10 quick times until the jackfruit is roughly shredded and resembles a tuna-like texture. Be careful not to over-blend.
In a medium bowl, combine the shredded jackfruit, vegan mayo, yellow mustard, diced onion, diced celery, diced pickle, tomatoes, and black pepper. Stir with a spoon until everything is well mixed.
Lightly toast the bread. For each sandwich, place a large piece of lettuce on the bottom slice of toasted bread and add a generous scoop of jackfruit “tuna” salad. Top with the second slice of bread, cut in half if desired, and enjoy.

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.

Nutrition