Vegan White No-Chicken Chili with Pulled Jackfruit

Vegan White No-Chicken Chili with Pulled Jackfruit is rich, hearty, and ultra-creamy.  This bowl of plant-based goodness gets tons of flavor from onions, garlic, poblano pepper, green chiles, and classic spices like cumin and chili powder.  The shredded jackfruit adds a satisfying meatiness to every bite, and the white beans add plenty of protein.  Enjoy this steamy, one-pot, comforting chili with lots of toppings like dairy-free sour cream, avocado, jalapenos, and crunchy tortilla strips!

Ingredients

• Onion
• Garlic
• Poblano Pepper
• Green Chiles
• Jackfruit – Canned or from a pouch like Upton’s Natural. You could also use vegan chicken instead of jackfruit.
• White Beans – Navy or Cannellini
• Corn – Canned or Frozen
• Vegan Chicken Stock or Vegetable Broth
• Dairy-Free Cream Cheese or Sour Cream – We like Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese
• Spices like Cumin, Chili Powder, and Mexican Oregano

Preparing the Jackfruit

Place the drained jackfruit on a clean kitchen towel. Fold the bottom half of the towel up and over the jackfruit. Now, squeeze all of the water out by pressing down on the towel. This will break up the jackfruit, and that’s ok because we’re going to shred it anyway. Once dry, remove any seeds and shred the rest with your hands or a fork, so it resembles pulled chicken.

How to Make Vegan White Chili

Sauté diced onion and poblano pepper in a little olive oil. Once onions are fragrant and translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Next, add the broth, green chiles, beans (with the juice from the can), corn, jackfruit, and all of the spices.

Simmer lightly for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Gently stir in the vegan cream cheese or sour cream. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

What Makes the Best Creamy White Chili

We did a little experiment to determine the best way to make this chili taste as delicious and creamy as possible without using dairy. We tried adding vegan sour cream, vegan cream cheese, vegan cream cheese with chives, cashew cream, and coconut milk. The winner was Kite Hill Cream Cheese with Chives, and the runner-up was regular vegan cream cheese. Dairy-free sour cream took third place and then cashew cream, followed by coconut milk in last place. The coconut milk version had a slight coconut taste, but go with that one if you love coconut! They were all excellent, and we eventually devoured every bowl in our little trial.

Vegan Chili Toppings

The best part of any chili dinner is when there’s an impressive array of toppings to choose from. The more the better! Here are a few ideas:

• Easy Pico de Gallo (see below): 4 diced Roma tomatoes, ½ diced onion, 1 chopped jalapeño, handful of chopped cilantro leaves, juice from 1 lime, sea salt to taste
• Avocado
• Guacamole
• Vegan Sour Cream
• Homemade or Store-Bought Tortilla Strips or Crushed Tortilla Chips
• Vegan Shredded Cheddar
• Lime Wedges
• Tajin Seasoning
• Fresh Cilantro
• Green or Red Onion
• Jalapeños
• Fritos

There’s really no compromise when it comes to vegan cooking.  It’s better for us, for the animals, and for our environment, so make this creamy, cozy chili and share it with someone you love – whether they’re vegan or not! 

If you make this recipe, let me know!  Please leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and be sure to tag me.  And, make sure to follow MNVegHead on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

Lots of love, Allison

More Recipes

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Absolutely Perfect Vegan Tempeh Chili – No Beans