Jackfruit "Chicken" Salad: Vegetarian and Easy to Make
Drain and rinse canned jackfruit. Gently shred the pieces with your fingers. Mix Greek yogurt, mustard and red chilli paste to make the creamy base. Add the jackfruit and all the other ingredients. Gently mix. and serve with fresh bread for a satisfying meal, or with crackers and crudites for a delightful tea-time snack. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 100 g Green/Young Jackfruit (20 oz can) - drained, rinsed and shredded - about 1/2 can if using fresh jackfruit, see Recipe Notes for details
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or strained yogurt - see directions for how to make; to make it vegan, use a plant-based yogurt or soft tofu, mixed with a squeeze of lime/lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Jicama - peeled and diced if not available, use crunchy apples instead
- 2 tbsp Celery - diced
- 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds - raw preferred if not available, use pumpkin seeds or chopped nuts of your choice: cashews, walnuts, etc.
- 2 tbsp Almond meal to make almond meal: grind 1 1/2 tbsp almonds in a coffee/spice grinder; to make it nut-free, pulse-grind pumpkin seeds instead
- 1 tbsp Capers (in brine) - drained adds a subtle, delightful flavor and texture; if not available, use 2 tsp chopped green olives instead
- 1 tsp Fresh red chilli paste home-made or store-bought (Sambal Oelek is very good); if not available, use another hot sauce you like
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard if not available, use any other prepared mustard available, or use 1/4 tsp crushed brown mustard seeds + 1/2 tsp vinegar and a pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper - freshly crushed preferred
- 1 tsp Garlic - peeled and minced if not available- use 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Raisins
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Water add only as needed to adjust consistency of the salad - you might not even need to add any!
Add these ingredients just before serving for fresh color, flavor and texture
- 3 tbsp Green Onions - thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Red Onions - finely diced if the red variety is not available, OK to use white/yellow onions or shallots, or the white and light green parts of green onions
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary - chopped to release flavor if fresh is not available, use 1/8 tsp dried, or use 1/2 tsp other fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano)
- 1 tsp Lime/Lemon juice- freshly squeezed preferred if not available, OK to use bottled juice
Optional Add-ins to make it more spicy: add at the end while adjusting taste
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper adjust as desired
- 1/2 tsp Green Chilli pepper - Serrano - minced adjust as desired
Instructions
- If you have Greek yogurt, skip this step and go to the next step. However, If you're using fresh yogurt, you will need to strain it for 15-20 min to remove excess moisture. Do this first, then start prepping other ingredients- this way, the strained yogurt will be ready when you need it.Place a double-folded paper towel inside a mesh strainer and transfer about 1/3 cup yogurt on top. Cover with another 3-4 layers of folded paper towels, press down gently to wick away moisture from the top as well. Set aside while prepping the other ingredients. After 15-20 min, collect the strained yogurt - should yield about 1/4 cup - perfect amount for this recipe.
- Meanwhile, start prepping the remaining ingredientsOpen the can of young jackfruit, transfer contents to a colander and rinse under running water. Transfer about 1/2 the pieces to a cutting board.Save the remaining jackfruit for another use (refrigerate and use it in 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 2 monthsTrim the central core from each piece and chop it finely. Then, using your fingers, gently break up the fibrous pieces - see picture.
- Dice the celery: you will need about 1/2 stalk - remove any stringy fibers from thick stalks.Make 2-3 long slits in the stalk lengthwise (see picture), then cut across to dice.
- Peel and dice Jicama if using - see picture
- If Jicama is not available, use a firm crunchy apple instead: peeled and chopped finely
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Slice the green onions and other herbs (if using): use only the dark green tops- (reserve the light green and white parts to use in another dish)
- Finely dice the red onion.
- Wash, trim and chop the fresh rosemary. If fresh rosemary is not available, use dried. Or use another fresh herb - thyme, marjoram.... they are quite strong, so use sparingly (about 1/2 tsp chopped)
- In a medium mixing bowl, place 1/4 cup strained yogurt, Dijon mustard and fresh red chilli paste.
- Stir to mix the creamy and spicy dressing.
- Add the shredded jackfruit, diced celery and jicama (or apple, if using), and black pepper.Mix everything gently with a sturdy spoon.
- Add sunflower seeds, almond flour and capers; mix gently.Add a splash of water if the mixture seems too thick - but don't add too much water, or it will become a soupy mess as the salt in the dressing draws moisture out of the celery and jicama.
- Add raisins, sugar and minced garlic to the salad: stir to mix.Note: If the raisins are stuck together in clumps, separate them gently with slightly wetted fingers., before mixing in.
- Just before serving, add the sliced green onions, diced red onion, fresh rosemary, lime/lemon juice and mix gently. Note: Do not add these too early, or the fresh green color for the green onions, and the bright purple color of the red onions will become dull. Also, the salt pulls moisture from the onions and they start to lose their crispness.Taste-test and adjust salt, spiciness, etc., according to your preference. Note about Salt:Since several ingredients already have quite a bit of salt, you typically don't need to add any more. However, you can certainly add a pinch, if you feel there isn't enough.
- Serve Jackfruit "Chicken" salad: make a sandwich with fresh bread.... spread on crispy rye crackers.... wrap in a crisp lettuce leaf... So many options!Enjoy!
Notes
If using fresh Jackfruit instead of canned:
Cover your work area with newspaper or other paper to protect it from the stick sap of the jackfruit.- Generously oil your hands and knife and carefully slice away the hard and spiky outer shell.
- Cut the jackfruit into quarters and then slice like a water melon.
- Trim away the core from each slice.
- Cut the trimmed jackfruit into small pieces
- Transfer to a pressure cooker insert container and add about 1/2 cup water.
- Prepare the pressure cooker (Instant Pot or stove-top style) for pot-in-pot cooking: place a rack/trivet in the main pressure cooker pot and add about 2 cups water, the level reaching just below the rack.
- Place the jackfruit container on the rack: Cook for 15-18 min at full pressure
- Instant Pot: set timer for 18 min
- Stove-top cooker:
- if it whistles, decrease heat to low after 1st whistle, then wait for 4-5 whistles more before turning off the heat
- if it does not whistle, wait till it hisses loudly, indicating full pressure: decrease heat to low, cook for 15 min more and turn heat off.
- Allow natural pressure release.
- Remove container from the cooker and strain the cooked jackfruit in a colander.
- Note: Reserve the cooking water to use in a soup or curry.
- Use the cooled, cooked jackfruit to make the salad as described.
Advance Prep for party planning:
If you're planning to serve this dish for a large-ish group and would like to do some advance prep, this recipe will work really well. Follow this plan to decrease your-last minute scramble...- Up to 2 days in advance.
- make the salad without adding the ingredients listed under "Just before serving"
- Up to 2 hours in advance: prep the green and red onions and fresh rosemary.
- Up to 1/2 hour or so in advance: stir in the remaining ingredients: green and red onions and fresh rosemary.
Storing Leftovers:
Store leftover jackfruit salad in a lidded glass/ceramic container in the refrigerator.- I do NOT recommend freezing this salad, since upon thawing, the texture of various ingredients in rather unpalatable.
- Consume with 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 107mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 1mg
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