White bean jackfruit stew is loaded with protein-rich beans, vegetables, and tender chunks of jackfruit! This hearty, gluten-free stew is easy to make in one pot and it's ready in less than one hour!
This delicious stew is a hearty and satisfying meal that is loaded with vegetables, tender chunks of jackfruit, and protein-packed beans! Jackfruit is the perfect meat replacement to use for stew because it looks just like big, meaty chunks of chicken that are super tender, shreds easily, and tastes absolutely delicious! This stew is so easy to make in one pot and it's ready in less than one hour!
Related Post: 17 Vegan Jackfruit Recipes That Taste Better Than Meat!
What Does Jackfruit Taste Like?
Jackfruit is a large fruit that tastes like a cross between a mild pineapple and chicken or pork. Green jackfruit is used as a meat replacement, but it doesn't have a distinct flavor, so it takes on the flavors that it's seasoned with.
The chunks of jackfruit get so tender once they have been cooked and they shred easily. It really looks like small pieces of meat too. That's why it's perfect to use for this stew recipe!
Ripe jackfruit tastes very sweet and it can be enjoyed straight out of the fruit or it can be used in smoothies or to make dessert.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Onion, Celery, Carrots, and Garlic - The perfect base for any stew (in my opinion!)
- Mushrooms - You can use white, button, cremini, portobello, or frozen mushrooms. I used cremini because they're affordable, readily available, and taste delicious.
- Dried Seasonings - Paprika, Italian seasonings, and chili pepper flakes add so much flavor to this recipe!
- Vegetable Broth
- Beans - Beans are very filling and they add plant-based protein and fiber to this stew. You can use kidney beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, or black-eyed peas. If you don't want to use beans at all, chopped potatoes would be delicious too.
- Jackfruit - I think canned green jackfruit is perfect for this stew recipe, but you could also use crumbled tempeh, soy curls, artichoke hearts, or slices of vegan sausage (I like the Field Roast sausages) instead of jackfruit if you don't have it.
- Spinach - You can use fresh or frozen. Instead of spinach, you can use thinly sliced kale or collard greens.
- Lemon Juice
How To Make It
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, saute the vegetables until they have softened. Next, add all the dry seasonings and the garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Then add the vegetable broth, beans, and jackfruit to the pot.
Bring the stew to a low simmer and then reduce the heat and let it cook for 20-25 minutes or until the jackfruit is tender. Use a spoon to press the pieces of jackfruit up against the side of the pot to break up the chunks.
Next, you can use a stick blender to pulse the soup a few times, or you can remove 1 cup of the soup and blend it in a blender and then pour it back into the soup. Doing this will help to naturally thicken the soup into a stew without having to add flour or cornstarch.
Lastly, add the frozen spinach and a splash of lemon juice. Let it cook for a few more minutes or until the spinach has fully defrosted and you can mix it into the stew. Garnish the stew with sliced green onions, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
I like to make this vegan stew in a dutch oven on the stovetop, but you can make it in a slow cooker too. You can find the vegan jackfruit stew slow cooker instructions below.
Slow Cooker Instructions
If you don't want to make this stew on the stovetop, you can also make it in the slow cooker! Put all of the stew ingredients, except for the spinach, into the slow cooker and then cook it on high for 3-4 hours.
Check the soup after 3 hours to see how tender the jackfruit is, you don't want it to turn to mush by overcooking it. Use a large wooden spoon to press the jackfruit against the side of the slow cooker to break up the chunks. Stir the spinach in 5 minutes before you think it is done.
Serving Suggestions
A tray of roasted vegetables, baked potatoes, a big salad, or a couple of crusty slices of no-knead bread pairs well with jackfruit stew. If you don't want to make homemade bread, I love this vacuum-sealed organic sourdough bread, it tastes delicious and you bake it in the oven so it tastes just like you made it fresh!
You could also serve and of the following recipes with it:
- Avocado Arugula Tomato Salad
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes Florentine
- Pesto Veggie Bake
- Lemon Tahini Zucchini Salad
- Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwich
How To Store It
Store leftover stew in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. When you're ready to eat it, take the stew out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Once the stew is fully defrosted, then you can reheat it.
Recipe Variations
This vegan stew is delicious eaten just like this, but you could also enjoy it in the following ways:
- Serve the thick stew over creamy mashed russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, or brown rice to make the stew even more substantial and filling.
- Do you ever eat leftover chili with tortilla chips? It's delicious! This chunky stew can also be eaten with tortilla chips for a hearty snack.
- You can stretch this meal by adding 8 ounces of cooked fusilli noodles or orzo pasta to the stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
Slow cooking it in a soup, stew, or slow cooker is the best way to cook jackfruit so it absorbs all the flavors, gets perfectly tender, and shreds just like real meat does.
You can definitely use frozen vegetables in this stew! I've made this stew recipe so many times with different variations of frozen onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and spinach depending on what I had on hand. Frozen vegetables work perfectly!
Yes, you can use frozen jackfruit as long as it's young green jackfruit, not ripe jackfruit.
Success Tips
- Use canned young green jackfruit, not fresh jackfruit for this recipe. Ripe jackfruit is sweet and would not taste good in a savory stew.
- Rinse the jackfruit well to get off as much of the salty brine as possible.
- Don't waste time cutting the core off each piece of jackfruit, removing the seeds, or slicing it. If the jackfruit is cooked long enough, it will become super tender and soft enough to break up easily with a spoon. The seeds are edible and contain protein, so there's no reason to remove them.
- To make the broth thicker, use a stick blender to blend a little bit of the soup to easily thicken the broth and give it a creamy texture.
- Add the spinach to the soup 5-10 minutes before you serve so the leaves stay bright green. If you add the greens too early they will turn a not-so-pretty dark brown.
Want More Vegan Jackfruit Recipes?
- Vegan Jackfruit Stroganoff
- Vegan Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Wild Rice Soup
- Vegan Jackfruit Pork Tacos
- Vegan Beef Stew
Vegan White Bean Jackfruit Stew
Equipment
- Lare Soup Pot or 6-Quart Dutch Oven
- Stick Blender
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 3 medium celery stalks sliced
- 4 medium carrots sliced
- ½ lb cremini mushrooms sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasonings
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp sea salt add more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- (3) 14 oz cans great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
- (2) 14 oz cans young green jackfruit (rinsed and drained)
- 10 oz bag frozen spinach
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup green onions sliced
Instructions
- In a 6-quart dutch oven over medium heat, saute the diced onions, sliced celery, sliced carrots, and sliced mushrooms. Cook the vegetables until the onions are translucent and the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
- Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbsp Italian seasonings, 2 tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp chili flakes, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper. Stir to combine and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, 3 cans of beans, and 2 cans of jackfruit. Bring the stew to a low simmer and then reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook for about 20 minutes or until the jackfruit is tender.
- Use a wooden spoon to gently push each piece of jackfruit against the side of the pot to break it up into small chunks and shreds. If the jackfruit doesn't break apart easily, let the stew cook for another 5 minutes to continue to soften the jackfruit.
- (Optional) To make the broth thicker, use a stick blender to pulse the stew a few times (before you add the spinach) to naturally thicken the broth. If you don't have a stick blender, add one cup of the stew to a small blender and blend it until creamy, and then pour it back into the pot.
- Five to ten minutes before the stew is ready, stir in the lemon juice and frozen spinach.
- Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of chili flakes and green onions.
Notes
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze it for a future meal.
Absolutely beautiful, thank you for sharing this recipe.
It has become a family favourite. X
Thank you, Pearl! I'm so glad your family likes it!
Is very beautiful to eat and will be more tasty, thanks for sharing.
Happy to share! Enjoy!