Vegan Asopao de Jackfruit

This Vegan Asopao is the most comforting #VeganizedPuertoRican recipe, while being nutritious and fully authentic.

Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

Today I’m going to show you how to prepare a delicious homemade Vegan Asopao, ideal for cold/rainy days or for when you just want to pamper yourself a bit. I like to think of asopao as one of those classic recipes that our bodies just ask us for; you know the ones that I’m talking about: homemade mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, mofongo, pizza… Classic comfort food; at least those are the ones for me!

Lately it’s been super rainy and extra chilly where I live, which to me it’s the perfect soup/stew weather. Ideal to lift anyone’s spirits, this simple #VeganizedPuertoRican recipe is bound to take care of such days.

What is Asopao?

You guessed it! Asopao is a traditional Puerto Rican soup/stew that can also be found in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean. Traditionally, it’s a rice-based stew that can be complemented with beef, pork, chicken or seafood. But it can also be made entirely of vegetables, as 98% of the recipe usually consists of veggies.

Asopao has been a traditional dish for centuries and today many people have their own tasty versions. But I promise you, those recipes are nothing compared to the one that I’m sharing with you today.

How to Make Asopao

Just like any stew, asopao is a one-dish-meal, where ingredients vary from family to family and, most importantly, budget. This recipe can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be; but one thing’s for sure, it will always be tasty and hearty.

For this recipe I wanted to make a mashup of asopao de gandules and asopao de pollo. I chose the main ingredients to be rice, gandules (pigeon peas) and jackfruit as a substitute for chicken. Hence: Vegan Asopao de Jackfruit.

After that, you can either follow the recipe exactly as stated below, or go off rails and add whichever veggies you want. The most important thing is that the rice is the last ingredient that you’ll add.

As for the consistency, this also varies depending on preference; some prefer it more soupy/brothy, others prefer it thicker, closer to the consistency of risotto. For me, the perfect consistency is somewhere between those two. With practice, you’ll be able to nail your perfect consistency in no time.

For serving, as this is a one-dish-meal, some sides may include: avocado, tostones and/or garlic bread.

French Baguette with a plate of olive oil

Notes:

This recipe can be an all-in-one pot recipe, where you dump everything (except for the rice) in the pot and when the veggies are done, add the rice and cook for 15 more minutes.
Do I have to use medium-grain rice? Nope, any rice will work but take into consideration their cooking time as this is the last ingredient you’ll add. Medium rice is just the standard here.
What is sofrito and where can I get it? Sofrito is a Puerto Rican condiment that’s usually homemade. However, many store-bought versions exist and live up to the homemade versions. But if you don’t have access to the store-bought version, you can make your own very easily using this sofrito recipe.
Variation: Do you have leftover rice? Awesome! You can prepare all veggies according to the instructions below, reheat the rice and then serve the stew over the rice.

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Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes 40 minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

2 cups gandules (pigeon peas)

2-3 potatoes, chopped

1 carrot, peeled & chopped

1 (15oz) can of jackfruit, de-seeded

3 shallots, sliced (sub for ½ yellow onion)

5 green onions, chopped

3-5 cloves of garlic

¼ cup achiote oil or olive oil

4 tbsp sofrito

1 cup bell peppers, chopped or sliced

¾ cup plum tomato, diced

Optional: ½ cup corn

1 ½ cups uncooked medium-grain rice

2-4 cups veggie broth or water

Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, & cumin.

Optional herbs: recao (culantro), oregano, oregano brujo, rosemary & thyme.

Procedure

Soften rice by placing it in a medium-sized bowl with water.

To a pot add pigeon peas, potatoes & carrot, boil in water for approximately 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a bigger pot, add oil, garlic, shallots, green onions, bell peppers, jackfruit, and sofrito. Season slightly with all of the seasonings mentioned above. Saute in medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

When done, reserve approximately 2 cups of the cooking water, then strain. Proceed to add the pigeon peas, potatoes & carrot to the jackfruit pot, along with the reserved water.

Add tomatoes and corn. Drain and rinse rice, then add to the pot along and mix until well incorporated.

Add approximately 2 cups of vegetable broth, or until the rice mixture is covered with liquid.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender. If the mixture becomes dry, feel free to add more vegetable stock to your liking.

When done, serve in a bowl alongside some bread, tostones, and/or avocado. ENJOY!

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