Jackfruit Stew ~ Vegan Pot Roast Recipe
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Jackfruit Stew
All the flavors of a classic Tuscan Italian beef stew, but actually good for you and most importantly cruelty-free. A jackfruit pot roast of sorts, easy 1 pot wonder and guilt-free comfort food! You need this recipe in your back pocket during the colder months.
To keep it gluten-free and as healthy as possible I used some milled flax and chia mix as a thickener for the stew. You can add it at the same time with the potatoes or just before the stew is done. Let it sit for a few minute before serving.
About the Jackfruit
You must use the green unrip variety that comes in a pouch or a can. I prefer the pouches as there is no liquid so therefor a perfect canvas to soak up all the savory flavors from the stew. If using the canned variety make sure to drain and rinse in a colander first.
Recipe Tips
- Add Ins – Feel free to also add in some of your favorite veggies here: green peas, mushrooms, green beans, spinach, kale, they all pair well with the slow cooked flavors of this hearty stew. If you prefer you could even swap the potatoes in the recipe for gnocchi dumplings as I did here, barley or farro, whatever your tastebuds fancy.
- Dietary Compliance – Although I made this recipe 100% WFPB I found we still preferred it served with a light drizzle of olive oil. However, I only used a cold pressed extra virgin variety so the oil doesn’t get cooked at all. It is simply there to provide that luscious binding of the gravy, potatoes and jackfruit together. Feel free to skip it for WFPB + Plantricious Diest compliance.
- Storage – The stew stores great for a few days in the refrigerator in glass containers and freezes well for up to 4 months. Thaw out in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop for best results.
P.S. The Batman says the stew is AMAZING, so I really think you should give it a try asap. Make sure to also add these favorites to your list: this potato pizza, vegan chicken, these jackfruit ribs, this corned jackfruit, our famous Zuppa Toscana + this hearty soy curl vegetable stew!
Serving suggestions…
how to make vegan potato jackfruit stew
Vegan Potato Jackfruit Stew
Ingredients
- 4 cups young jackfruit pieces -(plain & drained well if packed in water)
- 3 cups potatoes -diced into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 yellow onion -chopped
- 5 cloves garlic -minced
- 1 large carrot -sliced into rounds
- 9 cups veggie stock -low sodium
- 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes -chopped
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3-4 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 leaves bay
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 2 tsp dry oregano
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- sea salt to taste
- 1.5 tbsp flax + chia meal
- 1/3 cup Italian parsley -chopped
- 1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (Optional)
Instructions
- Heat up a medium dutch oven over medium low flame. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of sea salt and a splash of water and sautee until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in the carrots and the garlic and cook another minute or so until it starts releasing its flavor making sure not to burn it.
- Stir in all the spices, thyme and bay leaves then add the jackfruit pieces. Pour in the veggie stock and bring the stew to a good simmer. Cover with a lid and cook 40 minutes.
- At this point you can use a potato masher to help shred the jackfruit into tender little bites. Add the potatoes and the flax meal and simmer the stew for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, taste and adjust seasonings with more seas salt at this point. Remove from heat and discard the bay and thyme sprigs. Stir in most of the parsley reserving some for garnish.
- Allow the stew to sit covered for a few minutes and thicken up before serving with garlic bruschetta, parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.
Video
Nutrition
Finally got around to making this stew. It’s nkr meat but it tastes fantastic, it’s hearty enough even for my husband. I added olive oil at the end before serving as we are not oil-free yet and I feel it really needs it. Perfect combo with garlic bread as suggested. Thank you for a keeper jackfruit recipe, my husband said he can get down with this 😂
This was absolutely delicious, thank you! Even my carnivorous 15 year old son liked it.
This makes me so happy, doing the happy dance for you 🙂
Is there a way to use fresh (ripe) jackfruit in this? I have half of one I need to use (the other half was for smoothies! I know ripe jackfruit is sweeter, but I’m craving some hearty food.
You could try Kendall, this is a savory dish however and not sure how it will work out. I’d love to know If you give it a try with the sweet jackfruit 🙂
I used fresh jackfruit and it didn’t turn out the same. 🙁
This recipe requires unripe green jackfruit in a pouch or a can, not fresh. The fresh ripe fruit is very sweet and more like a mango, the unripe is bland a perfect canvas to soak up the savory flavors of the stew.
Hi! I always see this perfectly browned jackfruit in recipes like this, but mine stays a lot lighter / whiter than in these pictures! Do you have any idea why that is? Still need to taste it, it’s almost done!
Hi Marina, this might be because I used the jackfruit sealed in packets not in brine. The acid in the canned version usually keeps the jackfruit from turning brown, so it might just darken a little bit from all the spices.
Did you use the flax/ chia as a thickener?
Both as a thickener and nutritional boost, it works great!
this looks great! my first jackfruit recipe and this looks delicious. question: where is the high sodium content coming from? vegetable broth? thank you!!
Great question Kristin. I believe it is the veggie broth, the nutrition label is calculated based on whatever info is in their system. I make my own veggie broth so I control the sodium going in, I suggest everyone does the same. Just taste as you go and add more sea salt at the end if you must. Enjoy! ~ Florentina
We loved it! Vegetarian husband, vegan older teen and I devoured it with sourdough bread. “Flexitarian” younger teen struggled a little, mostly from the tomatoes, but she ate it. Super good–thanks!
Woohoo, that’s fantastic, doing the happy dance over here 🙂
Can this be prepared using a crock pot?
Haven’t personally tried it yet but I can’t see why not ..?!
I made it in a crock pot and it was awesome! I just threw all the ingredients in and set it on High for about 6 hours – I cut the amount of vegetable broth in half and then added the flax meal about half an hour before it was done. I also shredded the jackfruit pieces with a fork right before serving. It was so easy and good – I’ll definitely be making it with the crock pot again!
That’s awesome, I’m debating on getting a crockpot or instantpot, the struggle is real lol
Now instant pot makes a crockpot as well! Soo you can use them interchangeably:)
I have a big pouch of jackfruit but it’s already shredded. Could I use it? This sounds so good!
Yes of course, less work for you 😉
Where do you buy the pouches of jackfruit? I’ve only found it in the can or fresh
I get them at Sprouts or online, the big pouch is linked in the recipe card 🙂
Delicious! I didn’t use the flax/chia mea or the oil didn’t need ir and added green beans. Tastes like a traditional beef stew.
Would 4 cups of jackfruit be 2 of the 20 ounce cans from Trader Joes? ( drained and rinsed of course)
Sounds about right, I’m sure that would work.
Hi, I always end up cutting half of the jackfruit pieces off, the hard stem parts. It makes for a very small useable amount per can. Do you just throw in the whole piece?
Yes, I just check the seed pod for any tough pieces and that’s all I discard. The hard stem parts will soften in the stew.
Ok I’m definitely gonna try this and it will be my first jackfruit anything so thanks for the extra helpful tips in the comments like where to get the jackfruit. I’ll let you know how this goes. ☺️
How much oil did you use at the end? Also, did you just pour it on? Looking forward to making this recipe!
It’s up to you Aaron, but just a drizzle over the top should be enough to give it that glossy rich finish. Enjoy!
Has anyone used an Instant Pot to make this? How long would you pressure cook it for?
This would make a great addition to my weekly dinner rotation!
Did you try making it in the Instant Pot? How did it turn out if you did?!
I made this this evening in my 6 quart instant pot. Turned out great! I sautéed the onions and garlic in the pot, then added the carrot and sautéed a minute longer. Then added everything else in the same order as provided in the recipe (using 8 cups of broth instead of 9), with the exception of the parsley. Closed the lid and set to 10 minutes on the pressure cook setting. I allowed it to do a natural release for 10 minutes, then quick released the rest.
I found that it was not as thick as I’d like, so I scooped out some potatoes, mashed them, and added them back in as a thickener. I stirred the parsley in at the end, then garnished with fresh chopped chives. Served with garlic bread as others recommend. Delicious!
Oh my gosh. This. Was. Amazing. It reminded me of my mom’s classic Sunday pot roast! Next time my parents visit or I visit them, I’m definitely going to make it for them. I used a smoked jackfruit from Wholefoods instead of plain because that’s all I could find. I also added oil at the end like somebody suggested. Thank you for such a yummy meal!
That’s awesome Julie! I’ll have to try the smoked jackfruit myself next tome, it sounds like it be perfect in this stew.
Would this recipe work using diced can tomatoes or fire roasted can tomatoes. Since I have never used Jackfruit which brand of Jackfruit do you recommend?
Thank you for responding.
Yes it would, only use the diced tomatoes and not the sauce they come packed in.
I just finished my first bowl of this, and it was delicious! I added kale, and I didn’t have any tomatoes, but I’ll add them next time. I added too much salt so I’ll cut back on that a little, too. So comforting and flavorful, I can’t wait to make it again.
Took this to a potluck everyone loved it. I used fresh jackfruit
Woohoo! that’s so exciting, definitely one of our faves too!
I made this yesterday using Teriyaki flavored jackfruit. It was all my local grocery store had in stock. It worked excellent with all the other flavors. I also had to substitute chipotle chili powder, and that gave it some extra heat. My husband came in from outside and asked what smelled so good! He is getting some stew packed in his lunchbox for work today. Really great recipe, and I love how the jackfruit breaks up into the stew. Thanks for sharing and will definitely make this again.
Local supermarkets are out of flax and chia meal; what do you recommend using as a substitute?
Hi Carol, you can just use ground flax or scoop out some of the potatoes and puree withe some broth. Add back into the stew and it will naturally thicken.
Hi, can’t wait to try this! Would like to make it for a dinner party- do you think it would be good made the day before and reheated? When I was a meat eater I always felt stews were better the next day but I’ve never tried that with jackfruit. Thanks!
Definitely better the next day in my opinion, the flavor just gets deeper and permeates the potatoes, really delicious!
Just came across this recipe and want to sub barley for the potatoes. How much barley should I use?
3/4 cup to 1 cup of barley depending how thick you like the stew. Report back! ~ Florentina
What kind of potatoes did you use? Would russet work?ok??
I used Yukon gold potatoes, i love how buttery they are but also stay together. If you wanna use russets make sure to peel them and keep a close eye on them as they have the tendency to fall apart quickly and become mashed potatoes. Still delicious!
This recipe was delicious! It was my first time cooking jackfruit, and I was a bit intimidated, but what a tasty introduction! I halved the recipe and still came out with 4 large servings. Used a 20 oz. can of young green jackfruit from Trader Joe’s and shredded it with a fork before adding the potatoes. I also needed to add more veggie stock before adding the potatoes because there wasn’t enough liquid left at that point. I will definitely be making this again! Thanks!
So good!! I added nutritional yeast and its delicious!
I have ground flax meal and ground chia could I just use half of each instead of the flax + chia meal?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Hello! I just made this last night in my crock pot and Lordy it is delicious! Also I didn’t add the flax or chia but did add some sage to it. I also used veggie broth that I make from left over veggies in my kitchen. I added all the spices to the jackfruit in a bowl and mixed them all around and basically dumped everything into my crockpot to cook on high for 8 hours. It’s incredible!! Thanks for sharing this recipe. ❤️
Hi. I got round to making the stew. I used tinned ready pulled jack fruit. variations of the herbs as in dried. Thickened off at the end with flour mixed with water, which worked fine. I added the chia flax mix but found it didn’t thicken. Lovely flavour with a slight kick of spice. Will make again. Accompanied wirh oat cakes. Thanks for sharing. Sandy
I was so happy with the stew. Very flavorful. I purchased the bulk jackfruit in the link and broke that into smaller packages, vacuum sealed and placed in the freezer. That jackfruit I liked more than the canned in water. It worked nicely for the “beef” in this stew. The first time I made it I used canned jackfruit, skimmed over the recipe and while it turned out good, following the recipe really makes a difference … HAHAHA!! I am trying to cook more and add variety to the quick and easy beyond meat products.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve been looking for a plant based “beef” stew. I’ve discovered that using mushroom broth gives a meatier flavor than veggie broth. It’s what I use in my jackfruit chili and my meat eating friends can’t tell the difference. Super yummy!
Hi there! Very excited to try this recipe later today.
I’m wondering if anyone here has adapted this recipe to slow cooker, and how long that might take.
Thanks!
Has anyone done this in the slow cooker yet? If so, how long and when did you add the jackfruit?
Thanks!
As a Brazilian who has gone vegetarian in the past couple of years, I’ve been really missing all the delicious stews I grew up eating. This is the first vegetarian/vegan stew I’ve made since not eating meat and it immediately became a household staple. I did use oil to saute the veggies in the beginning, and also left out the flax/chia seed mixture in favor of a regular cornstarch slurry to thicken. I also find to cook the potatoes to a point where they are tender I have to add them in immediately after getting the stew to simmer. This recipe is so delicious and feeds us for days. I like to eat it on top of Brazilian toasted jasmine rice and add some green onions, fresh tomatoes and pickled beets to the bowl. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Loved the recipe! I added 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast and 3 oz of tomato paste. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes freezing the leftovers works well!
Delicious soup! I was skeptical about this recipe, but I had a can of jackfruit that I didn’t know how to use. The jackfruit had a nice texture and the flavor of the soup was perfect. I added a parsnip because I love them. My husband always says he doesn’t like soups but he ate several bowls of this one. I agree with others that it tastes even better the next day. The flavors are richer.
I did this in the instant pot using a prior commenters guidance. (8 cups of broth). It was more of a hearty soup than a roast BUT it was so good I wouldn’t change anything. Fantastic recipe
Looks like a recipe that I would love to try! Any idea of how much dried thyme I should use instead of the sprigs? Thyme sprigs is just not something this is readily available where I live.
Hi Carol, i’d use a couple of teaspoons dried thyme and adjust mid way. It all depends on the freshness of the dries herbs you are using and it’s really hard to tell as they vary from brand to brand.
Should I use canned young jackfruit in water if I can’t find the kind in the packets?
yes canned jackfruit in water or brine will work fine, make sure it is green unripe and rinse well.
I’ve been cooking vegan food for 8 years. I doubled this recipe to make for 7 men going on a wellness retreat and it was AWFUL. The spices are too varied, it’s bitter, it’s too smoky. ONE carrot for a recipe that serves 6?! 5 CLOVES of garlic? (double the recipe, which i did, that makes it 10 CLOVES OF GARLIC?! HAHAHA. Nah, just nah. 2 LITRES of broth? (again, 4 if you double it?) The ratios here are just wildly off. I started to make this recipe and against my better judgement I thought I’d give it a go. I tried adding sugar, more salt, lemon.. nothing could remove the absolutely awful taste. I ended up having to completely dump the broth out, add canned tomato and passata to completely change the consistency, and then it was ALMOST salvageable. I have no idea how you have positive reviews on this recipe. So disappointing.
Hi Kristen!I wish you would have tried the original recipe as that is the one with the many great reviews, it’s really a great recipe people enjoy! This is a big pot of stew, by making the changes that you did it completely turned it into a different recipe. There is a video tutorial for this recipe and you can see how hearty and thick the stew turns out. You mention bitterness which is strange, I suspect you might have used a bitter smoked paprika…? This could totally be the culprit, I only use sweet smoked paprika, no sugar, definitely no lemon, with that much liquid of 4 liters I would imagine it would take another hour of cooking just to reduce and concentrate the flavors. Again, I’m sorry you didn’t try the original recipe and didn’t get to enjoy it. ~ Florentina Xo’s
I used a whole bunch of different root vegetables, such as parsnip, sweet potato, turnip rather than potato and carrot as that’s what I had. I also added fresh mushrooms towards the end of the cooking time. I also used canned tomatoes, which I added at the same time as the vegetable broth. So I did make quite a few significant changes to your original recipe, but it was ABSOLUTELY delicious, the mixture of herbs and spices was perfect, and I think that’s what was so important in achieving the final result. I just ate it as it was, with no bread or other carbs, and it was really filling and satisfying. I’ll be using it as a staple of my cooking in the future!
I am so over the moon about this, thank you for reporting back Eileen, this made me so happy! ~ Florentina Xo’s