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. 

Vietnamese Jackfruit And Tofu Salad With Tiff’s Vegan Fish Sauce

Prep Time

12 min

cooking time

8 min

Servings

6

total time

20 min

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

1
Salad
2
1 20 oz can of green jackfruit in brine or water (cut into bite sized pieces)
3
4 Thai basil sprigs (leaves picked, cut chiffonade style)
4
4 cilantro sprigs (roughly chopped)
5
1 green onion (roughly chopped)
6
1 green onion (roughly chopped)
7
c5 persian cucumbers (julienned)
8
8 oz fried tofu (You can buy the pre-fried or baked tofu, cut into matchsticks)
9
1 tbsp oil
10
1 tbsp garlic salt
11
1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
12
1 tbsp black pepper
13
2 tbsp sunflower seeds (feel free to add hemp or chia seeds)
14
1 shallot bulb
15
Tiff’s Vegan Fish Sauce
16
2 tbsp sugar
17
2 tbsp soy sauce
18
2 tbsp water
19
2 tbsp white distilled vinegar
20
1 lime
21
5-6 fresh Thai bird eye chili peppers (roughly chopped)
22
4 cloves garlic (finely minced)

Cooking Instructions

1
Step 1
Wash all the herbs thoroughly. The best way to wash the basil, cilantro, and green onions is by soaking in a bowl of water, draining the water, and repeating a 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Thoroughly rinse the cucumbers.
2
Step 2
Prepare the basil, cilantro, green onions, white onion, and cucumber and add it to a bowl.
3
Step 3
Prep the tofu and then heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan. Add the tofu, garlic salt, mushroom seasoning, and black pepper. Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes or until the tofu is heated throughout. Set the tofu aside. *If baking tofu, drain and press a block of firm tofu for 30 minutes. Cut tofu into matchsticks and add to a large bowl with garlic salt, mushroom seasoning, black pepper, and 2 tbsp corn starch. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.* Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in the same pan. Add the jackfruit, salt and pepper. Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes and set aside. Allow the tofu and jackfruit to cool down for a few minutes before adding it to the salad bowl with the other herbs and vegetables.
4
Step 4
While the tofu and jackfruit are cooling down, prepare the vegan fish sauce by combining sugar, soy sauce, water, vinegar, juice of a lime, chili pepper, and garlic in a glass container. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Feel free to adjust according to your preferences. If you like it more sweet, add more sugar. If you like salty, add more soy sauce.
5
Step 5
Combine the tofu and jackfruit with the herbs and vegetables and mix together. Serve with 2-3 tbsp of the vegan fish sauce and shallots. Serve immediately or refrigerate for an hour if you prefer a cool salad. Enjoy!
6
Step 6
Optional: Thinly slice one shallot and pan fry in a 1 cup of vegetable oil until the shallots are golden, about 7-8 minutes. Drain the oil through a fine mesh sieve and lay the fried shallots on a paper towel covered plate to allow the paper towel to absorb the remaining oil. Add the shallots to the salad as needed.
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ABOUT AUTHOR
Hi, I'm Tiff!

Tiff Loves Tofu is a blog all about simple and delicious plant-based recipes, largely influenced by my culture and life experiences. I hope to show people that cooking wholesome, vibrant plant-based meals is not only easy but it is loads of fun. So, let’s get cooking!

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