Posted on October 23, 2018 by Kate Halsall

The jury is still out for me and Jackfruit. This plant is often used as a meat alternative and has sprung onto the scene this year. It kinda freaks me out that people often rave about it because of it’s meat-like texture; as a meat alternative that’s not what I’d personally want. I want something high in protein, natural and full of good stuff like fibre and vitamins! Other than not being that high in protein, Jackfruit certainly ticks the other boxes. You do need to flavour it though (otherwise it’s really really bland), so this recipe is great! I can’t claim credit for this spiced black beans and Jackfruit recipe however, as it came from mindfulchef. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

This makes 2 portions. It was supposed to be served with Buckwheat Pancakes, but I didn’t make those.

  • 250g Jackfruit (you get this in tins, and this is the weight once drained)
  • 240g Black Beans
  • 120g Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Lemon
  • 2 Spring Onions
  • 2tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 2tsp Harissa Paste
  • Fresh Parsley

Method:

  1. We prep! Boil a kettle, slice the spring onions, chop the parsley (keep the stalks), drain and rinse the jackfruit and black beans
  2. Heat 1tsp oil in a pan and add the parsley stalks and half off the spring onions. Cook for 2 mins before adding the Jackfruit with 150ml of boiling water. Add the tomatoe puree, harissa paste and blackbeans. Cook with a lid on for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes. Pull the Jackfruit apart with two forks.
  3. Make a tomato salsa by quartering the cherry tomatoes. Add the remaining spring onions to the tomatoes, parsley leaves and a squeeze of lemon.
  4. Put it in a bowl and eat!

There are loads of Jackfruit recipes out there. I even made burgers with it the other day! If you’ve not tried it yet, give it a go – what’s the worst that could happen?