Vegan Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick’s Day

Try my vegan spin on the New England St. Patrick’s Day classic with some Vegan Corned Jackfruit!  

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Vegan Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick’s Day

Growing up in New England (I was born in Boston!), corned beef was a traditional dish served every year for St. Patrick’s Day.  This dish was made popular during wartime rationing, sometimes called a “boiled dinner.”  Traditionally beef is “corned” by soaking it in a brine with pepper corns, allspice, and juniper (can be found in the bulk dried spice bins at the grocery store), along with other spices, for up to TEN days.  My jackfruit version just brines overnight—so much faster, and without the beef! I serve it with roasted veggies, including my new favorite—roasted cabbage.  So yummy!

A Perfect Vegan St. Patrick’s Day Dish

I first made this corned jackfruit in 2015, and it was a huge hit with my family….and still is!  My vegan spin on the traditional holiday dish reminds me so much of the meal I grew up with.  Jackfruit takes the place of the traditional beef—it’s amazing how much flavor it can absorb.  Remember to plan ahead, as the jackfruit needs to marinate in the brine overnight.

What is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit it is a tropical fruit grown in southeast Asia.  Young jackfruit is canned in a brine, or water, and has a very neutral, mild taste (don’t confuse it with ripe jackfruit that is canned in a syrup and is very sweet—same fruit, different preparation!).  It is perfect to use in dishes instead of chicken or other shredded meats.  I also use it in my Taco Soup, and in my Jackfruit Carnitas Enchiladas.  Delicious!  Corned Jackfruit would also make an amazing Reuben sandwich!  

^^^ Remove the pod like pieces shown on the left, you will have the shredded pieces remaining, shown on the right.

What do you serve with Vegan Corned Jackfruit?

I like to keep things pretty simple when I make my vegan corned jackfrfuit.  Just a sheet pan full of roasted veggies does the trick!  If you haven’t tried roasted cabbage I highly recommend it—roasting it gives it a completely different flavor!

Perfect Side Dishes for Vegan Corned Jackfruit

However, if you want to go a bit fancier than roasted veggies, these easy sides will help you pull together a complete meal!  They might not be traditional Irish food, but they’re delicious!

• Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
• Green Beans with Garlic
• Vegan Classic Mashed Potatoes — Dairy Free!
• Easy Vegan Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
• Vegan German Potato Salad with Bacon

Want more GREEN dishes?

Sometimes a color themed meal is just as festive! 

• Peppermint Patty Brownie Cupcakes
• Classic Pesto
• Citrus Explosion Green Smoothie
• Green Beans with Garlic
• Vegan Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo
• How to Make Air Fried Broccoli (3 variations)

Let’s Make Vegan Corned Jackfruit

Give this a try for your St. Patrick’s Day feast—you’re going to love it!  Drop me a note in the comments below and let me know how you like it!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Vegan Corned Jackfruit for St. Patrick's Day

Try my vegan spin on the New England St. Patrick's Day classic with some vegan Corned Jackfruit! (vegan, soy free, gluten free, nut free)

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Brining1 d

Total Time1 d 1 hr

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Irish American

Author: Sarah De la Cruz

Ingredients

For the Brine:

• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt try 2 teaspoons of regular fine grain salt
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar or sub maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries found dried in the bulk spice section
• 12 whole juniper berries found dried in the bulk spice section
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

For the Jackfruit:

• 2 20 ounce cans YOUNG jackfruit in brine, NOT ripe jackfruit in syrup, found in Asian markets or online
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika optional, for color and smokey flavor

For the Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 head green cabbage
• 6 large carrots
• 2-3 pounds Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Brine:

• Place all of the brine ingredients into a small pan on the stove. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. While the brine sets, begin to work on the jackfruit.

For the Jackfruit:

• Open and drain the cans of jackfruit. Using your fingers, shred the triangular shaped jackfruit into meaty shreds, discarding the harder point of each wedge as well as any pods.
• Place the shreds into a container with a lid, and pour the brine overtop.  Allow to brine in the refrigerator overnight.
• The next day drain the jackfruit.  Heat a skillet (I like my cast iron) and drizzle a little olive oil on it.  Add the jackfruit shreds.  Sprinkle with paprika and toss to incorporate. Heat through, allowing the shreds to brown and crisp very slightly.  Remove from pan and serve.  I like to serve my corned jackfruit with roasted vegetables, see below.

For the Roasted Vegetables:

• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Slice the cabbage from top to stem into large discs, about 1/2" thick, discarding core.  Carefully lay them onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Peel and slice carrots on the diagonal, about 1/4" thick.  Dice potatoes into 1" cubes.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Roast both pans of veggies for about 45 minutes, carefully flipping the cabbage discs half way through, and tossing the potatoes and carrots.
• Serve with corned jackfruit.

Notes

* Cook time does not include the overnight brining step. Be sure to plan ahead!

From the Blog Archives, 2016….

Last Friday my mom and I took the boys on a little day trip.  We rode the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island—just a 30 minute ride, but probably the highlight of our trip for Jonathan—”a boat, a boat, a boat!”  Once there we drove to the Bloedel Reserve—a 150 acre estate that has been opened to the public to walk the gardens.  It was beautiful.  Apparently Mr. Bloedel was color blind, so instead of colorful flowers he had plants in varying shades of green.  Washington State is known as the Evergreen State, and the name is quite fitting—because of our seemingly continuous rainfall everything stays green year round, and these gardens were no exception.

^^^ So many beautiful shades of green—my favorite color!