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Image courtesy of Cruz Valdez.
Whenever New York-based photographer Cruz Valdez visits her California hometown, she looks forward to grabbing a bite at Loving Hut. Her favorite dish? Jack fruit salad served by her friend, Chi. “It’s my go-to from the vegan restaurant up the street from the house I grew up in,” says Valdez.
Ingredients
- 1 can/17 ounces young green jackfruit
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ pound oyster mushrooms cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ medium carrot finely cut
- ½ small white onion sliced very thinly
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Fried onions and peanuts for garnish (optional)
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons sugar or sweetener
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 fresh Fresno chile pepper, seeds removed and chopped very finely
- 1 clove garlic chopped finely
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit and gently squeeze out any excess water. Cut or tear it apart into bite-size pieces, removing and discarding any tough parts. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and season them generously with salt and pepper.
- Wait 2-3 minutes before moving the mushrooms at all, to get a nice brown blister on the bottom.
- Flip the pieces and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the other side is browned as well. Transfer the mushrooms to a large salad bowl to cool.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stir well until the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are well integrated. Set aside.
- Add the jackfruit, carrot, onion, cilantro, mint and basil to the bowl with the mushrooms.
- Add half the dressing, stir well, and taste. Add more dressing as needed.
- Garnish with fried onions and peanuts on top.
