BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Baps with Crunchy Slaw

Name: BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Baps with Crunchy Slaw
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 × 400g tins young green jackfruit in water or brine (not the sweet ripe kind in syrup; drained and rinsed); 1 × 400g tin black beans (drained and rinsed); 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 red onion (thinly sliced); 2 cloves garlic (crushed); 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp chilli powder; 1 tbsp soft brown sugar; 150ml BBQ sauce (check the label — some contain honey or non-vegan Worcestershire sauce); 150ml water; 1 tbsp cider vinegar; ¼ red cabbage (finely shredded, for the slaw); 1 carrot (grated, for the slaw); 3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (for the slaw); 1 tsp Dijon mustard (for the slaw); 4 soft white baps (check they're vegan); to serve sliced pickles or pickled jalapeños

Sticky, smoky shredded jackfruit piled into soft baps with a sharp, creamy slaw.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Serves: 4
Effort: Easy

Vegan

BBQ pulled jackfruit in soft sesame buns with slaw. Photo: Shu-Chun Chuang, CC BY-SA 4.0

Young green jackfruit is the pulled-pork impersonator: simmer it in a smoky, sweet BBQ sauce, pull it apart with two forks and blast it in the oven so the edges catch. On its own it's light on protein, so we pile in black beans too — they soak up the sauce and make it a proper meal.

Ingredients

For 4 servings.

2 × 400g tins young green jackfruit in water or brine (not the sweet ripe kind in syrup; drained and rinsed)
1 × 400g tin black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
150ml BBQ sauce (check the label — some contain honey or non-vegan Worcestershire sauce)
150ml water
1 tbsp cider vinegar
¼ red cabbage (finely shredded, for the slaw)
1 carrot (grated, for the slaw)
3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (for the slaw)
1 tsp Dijon mustard (for the slaw)
4 soft white baps (check they're vegan)
to serve sliced pickles or pickled jalapeños

Method

Pat the jackfruit dry and cut away any hard, triangular core pieces (keep them — they shred fine once cooked). Squeeze out any seeds.
Heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, chilli powder and sugar and stir for 1 minute.
Add the jackfruit, BBQ sauce, water and vinegar. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the jackfruit is soft.
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), gas 7. Use two forks to pull the jackfruit apart into shreds, then stir in the black beans.
Spread the mixture on a lined baking tray and roast for 10–15 minutes until the edges are sticky and slightly charred.
Meanwhile, mix the cabbage, carrot, mayonnaise and mustard with a pinch of salt for the slaw.
Split and toast the baps, pile in the jackfruit, top with slaw and pickles, and serve with extra BBQ sauce.

Good to know

Check the tin says 'young' or 'green' jackfruit in water or brine — ripe jackfruit in syrup is sweet and won't shred.
For even more meatiness, mix in some shredded vegan chicken-style pieces before roasting.

Check every label: stocks, sauces, breads and pastries sometimes contain milk, egg or fish. Cook until piping hot all the way through.