COMFORTING & HEARTY VEGAN STEW WITH JACKFRUIT

This hearty vegan stew with jackfruit is comfort food at its best, especially during these cold winter days. Whether you’re cooking for your family or a special occasion, this one pot meatless stew will tick all the right boxes among vegans or meat eaters alike.

It’s been so bitterly cold here in England that we’ve had hearty stews and hot soups on repeat for what seems like forever. This vegan stew with jackfruit, chickpeas and potatoes has firmly become one of our family’s favourite recipes and I’ll tell you why.

WHY YOU’LL FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS MEAT-FREE STEW

• It’s hearty, comforting and nutritious
• Although it’s meat free, pulled jackfruit will remind you of the most tender shredded pork texture (just much less coarse and chewy)
• Rich in fibre & plant protein, yet low in fat
• Super easy to make
• Made in one pot
• Can be cooked in the slow cooker, in the oven or on the stove top
• Easily customizable
• Family friendly
• Perfect recipe for a meal prep
• Gets better as it rests

Have I convinced you enough? I really hope so!

And by the way, if you ever wondered about what jackfruit really is and where you can buy it, head over to my post vegan BBQ ‘pulled pork’ buns featuring another delicious vegan recipe with jackfruit.

WHAT’S IN JACKFRUIT STEW?

The key ingredients you’ll need to make this easy vegan stew are:

• Onion
• Garlic (or garlic powder)
• Carrots
• Spices for an injection of flavours. We’re using a blend of smoked paprika, garam masala, ground ginger and chilli powder. Feel free to add your favourite spices here if you fancy.    
• Tinned jackfruit – look out for jackfruit in water, not syrup. I like using this brand.  
• White potatoes to make it hearty and filling
• Vegetable stock
• Ground linseed (or flaxseed) for thickening the stew and also adding more fibre to your diet.
• Tinned chickpeas for a boost of plant protein
• Spinach for a boost of leafy greens.

HOW CAN I CUSTOMIZE THIS VEGAN STEW RECIPE?

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s easily customizable, so you can adjust it depending on which vegetables you like, what’s available in the fridge or what’s in season. If you’re swapping/adding some ingredients, just look out for the ratios of stock to veggies. You might want to add some more vegetable stock to keep the stew ‘saucy’. If you’ve added too much water, just mix in some more linseed or cornflour to make it thicker.

CUSTOM IDEAS:

• Like mushrooms? Add them to your pan after sautéing onion and garlic. They’ll add more meaty texture to this recipe.
• Want to make this recipe low carb? Replace potatoes with cauliflower or a root vegetable of your choice (swede or turnip would work well).
• Tinned jackfruit. This is the only ingredient I’d recommend you don’t leave out, otherwise it’ll change the texture and overall taste of the whole recipe.
• If you haven’t got linseed, use corn flour or regular wheat flour (gluten free if required).
• Instead of chickpeas, you can use other pulses like cannellini beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, green lentils, garden peas. I’d advise to use a tinned version, otherwise you’ll have to adjust the cooking times if cooking from fresh.
• For leafy greens, use kale or collard greens.      

HOW TO STORE

As I’ve mentioned earlier in this post, this stew gets better as it rests, so it’s perfect for a big batch cooking. Once cooked and cooled down, transfer to an air tight container and keep refrigerated. It’ll be good for 3-4 days.

CAN I FREEZE IT?

You can but the only thing I’d advise if you’re going to freeze it is to remove the potatoes or cook them separately from the stew. The reason being is that the potatoes tend to become grainy when defrosted and soak up all the liquid, which impacts the overall taste of the stew. If you’re freezing the stew without the potatoes, it’ll keep for up to 3 months.

LOOKING FOR MORE HEALTHY VEGAN RECIPES FOR THE WINTER SEASON?

Try some of the readers’ favourite vegan winter warmers below:

• Easy one pot vegan broccoli & cheese soup
• The all time family favourite vegan shepherd’s pie
• Healthier vegan mac and cheese
• Vegan mushroom & walnut wellington
• Easy butternut squash & chickpea stew
• The best quick & easy vegan sticky aubergine
• Family favourite vegan cottage pie

I really hope you’ll give this hearty vegan stew with jackfruit a try. If you recreate this recipe, I’d be delighted to read your comments and hear your feedback. Be sure to drop a comment here on the blog, tag me in your photos on Instagram @Fit Foodie Nutter, Facebook or Pinterest so I don’t miss them.

Stay healthy and keep safe.

Healthfully yours,

Tania x

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COMFORTING & HEARTY VEGAN STEW WITH JACKFRUIT

Tania Pilcher | Fit Foodie Nutter

This hearty vegan stew with jackfruit is comfort food at its best, especially during these cold winter days. Whether you’re cooking for your family or a special occasion, this one pot meatless stew will tick all the right boxes amongst vegans or meat eaters alike.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine British, Gluten-free, Vegan

Servings 4

Calories 267 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small white onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 small carrots diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 heaped tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp hot chilli powder (optional)
• 2 400g tin of jackfruit (in water) drained and shredded
• 3 medium white potatoes (300g) peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 400g tin of chickpeas drained (reserve the chickpea water to make this delicious vegan chocolate mousse)
• 1 tbsp ground linseed (flaxseed)
• 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 800ml hot water
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 100 g fresh spinach leaves

Instructions

 

• In a big pot, heat up the olive oil and fry onion and garlic for a couple of minutes until just softened. Add carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Mix in tomato paste, smoked paprika, garam masala, ground ginger, chilli powder (if using).
• To shred the jackfruit, place it in a sieve to drain and then gently pull apart with your hands.
• Add shredded jackfruit, potatoes and chickpeas to the cooking pot. Mix in ground linseed and pour in the stock. Mix to combine everything together and cook for around 5 minutes until the stew is starting to bubble.
• Cover with a lid, turn down the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and jackfruit is tender. You might want to stir the stew half way through to ensure it doesn’t stick to the pot. If it’s too thick, add more hot water*.
• Add the spinach leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Once wilted, mix them into the stew to distribute evenly.
• Serve with fresh parsley and red chilli if desired.

Notes

*See the blog post on how to thicken the stew if it’s too thin. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

COMFORTING & HEARTY VEGAN STEW WITH JACKFRUIT

Amount Per Serving

Calories 267 Calories from Fat 71

% Daily Value*

Fat 7.9g12%

Saturated Fat 1.2g8%

Sodium 395mg17%

Potassium 945mg27%

Carbohydrates 41.5g14%

Fiber 16.8g70%

Sugar 6.4g7%

Protein 8.8g18%

Calcium 56mg6%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword vegan stew with jackfruit, vegan stew recipe, vegan jackfruit recipe, meatless stew

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