This vegan goulash with jackfruit recipe will blow your mind!

It’s super easy to make and quite cheap as well (at least, in the Netherlands it is). Besides, it’s the perfect autumn/winter meal to warm you up from the inside out.

Even though I’ve always liked goulash, I’ve only ever eaten it so many times in my life. According to my parents, it took a long time to cook and when I went vegan, I had trouble finding meat substitutes that resembled the pulled effect of the beef.

Fortunately, I like learning and improvising (especially improvising). Because of that, it didn’t take me too long before I found out that jackfruit is the perfect ingredient to add to a big pot of Hungarian goulash. Now, it’s time for me to share this recipe with you. It’s not hard to make, and this big pot will last you a few days (unless you are like me and eat the whole pot within two days…oops).

To me, goulash is an incredibly versatile recipe. While the basis will always be bell pepper/paprika, you can add other ingredients as you please. Some people enjoy using soy texture protein or seitan instead of jackfruit, others prefer to leave out the potatoes. I sometimes add a bit of celery for an extra bite, but this is entirely optional as well.

Don’t let the ingredient list intimidate you. It may look like a lot, but I promise it won’t be as much work!

Ingredients

• 1 big carrot
• 2 onions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 4 medium potatoes
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 500 ml tomato sauce
• 2 cans of young jackfruit in brine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 4 tbsp paprika powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne or habanero chili if you like it spicy
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• a handful fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp (balsamic) vinegar

The preparation

1. Chop all veggies in small pieces with a maximum size of 2 cm.

2. Open the cans of jackfruit and pull apart each piece till you have something that resembles pulled pork. Set aside.

3. Heat some oil in a big pot and add the onions and cook them till they get glazy.

4. Add jackfruit, spices, and cook for another 3 minutes before you add the rest of the veggies. Let it cook for another 1 or 2 minutes.

5. Pour in the broth, tomato sauce, and bay leaves and let it simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat.

6. Stir in the soy sauce and vinegar and let it simmer for another 15 minutes till the vegetables are soft.

7. Add the coconut milk, let it simmer for 10 minutes, and serve with freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy the easy vegan goulash!

8. Let the goulash rest for 10-24 hours to give it more flavour. This is not required, but I found that it’s tastier this way.

9. Serve with potatoes, pasta, or eat as a soup.

You can freeze the goulash for about a month, or store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend you to freeze it in portions, as it makes it easier to thaw once you feel like eating goulash again. Enjoy!

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