Hearty Jackfruit & Veggie Stew

Total time: 40 mins Servings: 4-6

Have you tried jackfruit?! I learned about it while in Thailand a few years ago but just started cooking with it recently. It's a fruit with very meaty qualities to it so it's often the star ingredient in veggie based 'pulled pork' recipes.

On top of it's meaty texture, it's high in protein, fiber, antioxidants and almost every vitamin and mineral that we humans need. It'll keep you full for hours, which is why I've aptly named this dish: the Hearty Jackfruit & Veggie Stew! On top of jackfruit, this stew boasts onion, garlic, celery, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, mushrooms and swiss chard. Sure, it seems like a lot of chopping but the beauty is you can leave things chunky in a stew! ;)

What you need to make this dish:

• 1 small to medium onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 1 large zucchini, diced

• 1 package of mushrooms of your choice (I used shitake), chopped

• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

• 2-3 medium sized red or yellow potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1 bunch, swiss chard or other green of choice (kale or spinach would work well)

• 1 can of jackfruit, drained (see photo below for brand I used. Most health food stores would carry it).

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVO)

• 2 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Pinch of red pepper flakes or more if you like it spicy!

• 1 box of organic vegetable broth

What you need to do to make this dish:

1. Dice your onion and chop all of your veggies to desired chunkiness.

2. Add EVO to a large soup pot on medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and saute for 5 mins. Add garlic and continue to saute, stirring often for 3 mins.

3. Add S & P along with all of your spices except pepper flakes and stir well, until fragrant (about 1 min).

4. Add the rest of your veggies (except greens) and your drained jackfruit to the pot and stir well to cover in spices.

5. After about 1 minute, add your veggie broth and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a medium simmer without a lid so the stew can thicken.

6. When stew reaches your desired consistency, stir in your chopped greens and add more S & P to taste before serving. Enjoy!

- Lisa xx

If you make this recipe, please take a photo and tag @yourbestlifewithlisa