Vegan Jackfruit Stew

This vegan jackfruit stew is loaded with flavors and just beyond delicious. It has "beefy" jackfruit chunks plus loads of veggies to create an incredible bowl of plant-based comfort food.

This jackfruit stew has been a hit with my family from the very first time I made it. It's a plant-based version of a traditional beef stew using canned jackfruit instead of meat.

It's such a delicious stew that everyone I've ever served it to had a hard time believing it was vegan.

Jackfruit is just the perfect ingredient for a vegan "beef" stew because it has a stringy, chewy texture. It also does an excellent job at absorbing flavors, making it the ideal candidate for meat substitution in a stew.

You'll need canned jackfruit for this stew, which has a bit of a sweet and sour flavor. This is a highly versatile recipe, so you can easily add any veggies you want to make it your own.

Why you'll love this jackfruit stew

• It's extra tasty, nutritious and has a vibrant color!
• The jackfruit texture is just perfectly "meaty" and makes the stew extra satisfying.
• The stew is dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - You need a bit of olive oil to saute the veggies in for the best flavor. However, if you're not cooking with oil, you can saute the veggies in vegetable stock instead.

Vegetables - I use a mix of onions, carrots, celery, red bell pepper and parsnip for the perfect aromatic base. You can also add mushrooms, sweet potato or zucchini.

Garlic - The two garlic cloves are just a ballpark number 🙂 Feel free to add as much garlic as you like to this stew.

Red chili flakes - Increase the quantity of red chili flakes if you want the stew to be a bit fiery.

Tomato paste - If you don't think the tomato paste is enough, you can also add a can of diced tomatoes.

Vegan Worcester sauce - Most Worcestershire sauces out there are not vegan because they contain fish sauce. However, there are multiple plant-based Worcester sauce versions available - I used the one from Biona.

Jackfruit - You don't necessarily need to rinse the jackfruit but make sure you drain it well. If the chunks are too big, cut them into 1-2 inch pieces. You need canned jackfruit in brine or water for this recipe.

Baby potatoes - Any kind of potato is great in this soup. If using new or baby potatoes, you don't need to peel them.

How to make jackfruit beef stew

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper and parsnip for 7-8 minutes over medium heat until tender.

Add the garlic, red chili flakes and dried oregano and cook for another minute.

Next, stir in the tomato paste and vegan Worcester sauce, then add the jackfruit, baby potatoes, stock and bay leaves.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Stir in the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

• This vegan "beef" stew keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Leftovers taste amazing because the flavors have more time to set.
• Reheat the jackfruit stew in the microwave or on the stovetop.
• You can freeze the stew for up to 3 months.

Recipe notes and tips

• Jackfruit stew is great with some crusty bread to mop up all that delicious sauce.
• You can thicken the stew by combining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry in the stew at the end and simmer for a couple more minutes.
• It's best to chop the veggies as evenly as you can so they cook evenly.

If you liked this vegan jackfruit stew, you might also like some of my other easy vegan stews:

• Smoky Chickpea and Lentil Stew
• Loubieh (Green Bean Stew)
• Ciambotta (Italian Vegetable Stew)
• Lecsó (Hungarian Pepper Stew)
• Vegan Jamaican Gungo Peas Stew

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