This Vegan Crab Salad uses a combination of shredded tofu and jackfruit to get the perfect crab-like texture. Find out how to make it below.
This Vegan Crab Salad recipe is a delicious dish that incorporates the flavours of the sea for a plant based alternative to shellfish.
This isn't the first time I've just jackfruit to mimic crab. You can see how I used it's flaky texture in these Vegan Crab Cakes. It really is a versatile ingredient that everyone should have in their kitchen.
It's perfect for serving in lettuce cups, as a sandwich filling or even scooped up as a dip.
The original inspiration for this recipe comes from my Crab and Avocado Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing which in turn was inspired by a salad I had in Padstow, Cornwall. I no longer eat shellfish so it seemed about time I created a vegan alternative.
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Ingredients
To make the crab you need quite a few ingredients. Make sure you've got the following on your shopping list:
- Tofu
- Jackfruit
- Dill
- Vegan mayonnaise
- Vegan plain yogurt
- Lemon juice
- Old Bay seasoning
- Nori
- Salt and pepper
For the rest of the salad you'll need:
- Little gem lettuce
- Asparagus
- Celery
- Chives
- Cress
- Red chilli (optional)
Step-by-step Instructions
The ingredients list may be long but making the crab salad couldn't be simpler.
- Step 1: using the largest holes on your grater, coarsely grate the tofu
- Step 2: shred the jackfruit and add to the grated tofu
- Step 3: combine with the dill, vegan mayo, vegan yogurt, lemon, Old Bay seasoning, nori and season to taste.
- Step 4: serve over the little gem lettuce with the celery, asparagus, chives, cress and red chilli (if using).
Substitutions
Don't have all of the ingredients? Don't worry. Just make the following substitutions:
- Swap jackfruit for banana blossom which also has a flaky texture
- Vegan mayonnaise and vegan plain yogurt can be swapped for vegan creme fraiche
- The sheet of nori paper can be swapped for seaweed flakes for a fishy flavour
- Swap asparagus spears for green beans
- Chives can be replaced with spring onions, particularly the green ends
Variations
You can switch things up a bit by making these changes:
- Make it extra spicy by adding a dash of hot sauce to the mix. Old Bay even do their own hot sauce which would go perfectly.
- Prefer things a little more mild? Ditch the chilli altogether.
- To make the dish extra creamy you could add scoops of avocado.
Equipment
To make this recipe you'll need the following equipment:
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Grater
- Mixing bowl
Storage
I don't recommend making the complete dish ahead of time. You can make the "crab meat" in advance (in the fridge for no more than 2 - 3 days) but then assemble the rest of the salad when you're ready to serve.
Top tip
Use extra firm tofu to make sure the shreds of tofu don't disintegrate when you mix the "crab meat". Firm tofu or even silken tofu won't cut it here.
Frequently asked questions
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit with a mild flavour and meaty texture when young and green. This means its a great substitute in vegan and vegetarian dishes like tis Vegan Crab Salad.
You don't tend to see the whole fruit in the UK but you can buy it in tins in the tinned vegetable aisle (despite it actually being a fruit) in most UK supermarkets. It's also available online.
Old Bay seasoning is a blend of herbs and spices that is often used to flavour seafood dishes.
It can be bought online in the UK or in some supermarkets (I bought mine in Morissons). It's actually American so check out the international aisle rather than the spice aisle.
The recipe
Vegan Crab Salad with Asparagus and Chilli
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 grater
- 1 Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the "crab meat"
- 100 g Tofu
- 200 g Jackfruit
- 1 tablespoon Dill finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Vegan mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Vegan plain yogurt
- 1 Lemon juice only
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 sheet Nori cut into small pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 2 Little gem lettuce
- 10 spears Asparagus trimmed, cooked and cooled
- 2 sticks Celery thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Cress
- 1 Red chilli finely diced
Instructions
- Grate the tofu using the large holes on a grater.
- Shred the jackfruit and add to the grated tofu.
- Combine in a bowl with the remaining "crab meat" ingredients.
- Serve over the gem lettuce with the asparagus, celery, chives, cress and red chilli if using.
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