Vietnamese-inspired Jackfruit and Tofu Salad with Vegan Fish Sauce

Watch how to make it here

This Vietnamese-inspired jackfruit and tofu salad is the perfect light and satisfying meal. It is loaded with fresh herbs and vegetables and topped off with a vegan fish sauce that will make you forget this is even a salad! 

Vietnamese-inspired Jackfruit and Tofu Salad 

Before I adopted the plant-based diet, I had no idea jackfruit could be used in savory dishes. I saw it as the large, spiky fruit with a vibrant yellow bulb that almost tastes like pineapple. I thought to myself, how could this possibly be a vegan meat alternative? Afterward, I went out to my local Trader Joe’s, bought a can of young green jackfruit, and made BBQ pulled pork. From that point on, I was hooked! I started to add jackfruit to most of my meals and added all sorts of seasonings to it. One of my favorite meals to add it to is this salad.

I grew up eating this salad with chicken so naturally, this was on the list of meals to veganize. Jackfruit has a stringy consistency similar to pulled pork or in this case, shredded chicken, which makes it the go-to plant-based meat alternative. I also included tofu, because tofu just goes well with anything. 

As a result, the jackfruit and tofu salad was born and it closely resembles the original flavors of the chicken salad that it was inspired by.

Tiff’s Vegan Fish Sauce Dressing

I did not think it was possible but I have finally developed a vegan fish sauce recipe that not only lives up to the original fish sauce but is made with ingredients you probably already have at home. The soy sauce and white distilled vinegar create the salty base, while the sugar and lime provide a boost of sweetness and acidity to the sauce. The spicy Thai bird eye chili peppers and earthiness from the minced garlic bring all the flavors together. This vegan fish sauce can be whipped up in 2 minutes! 

Tips

1. Please refrain from adding all the vegan fish sauce to the bowl to keep the salad fresh unless you will be eating the entire salad that day. As a pro tip, keep the vegan fish sauce in a separate jar and add only as needed. 
2. It is important to use young green jackfruit in brine or water (not in syrup). You can buy at stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods or online here. 
3. For ease and convenience, I highly recommend using a julienne peeler. This is one of the best tools to use in the kitchen and I can’t recommend it enough! 
4. Garlic salt and mushroom seasoning are the key ingredients to seasoning the tofu. These two seasonings are often seen in Tiff Loves Tofu recipes. 
5. This salad will last 3 days in the fridge, any longer and it will get tired and lose its flavor. 

This Vietnamese Jackfruit and Tofu salad is: 

Herbalicious 

Refreshing

Vegan

Fragrant

Savory

& Finger-licking good! 

Please let me know if you gave this recipe a try. Leave a comment below or tag a photo on Instagram @tifflovestofu. I’d love to see or hear how it turned out for you.