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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Vegan Chicken Soup w/ Jackfruit & Potato

    Published: Dec 26, 2020 · Modified: Feb 22, 2021 by Rosa · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

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    vegan chicken soup PIN with text overlay.
    vegan chicken soup PIN with text overlay.
    vegan chicken soup PIN with text overlay.
    vegan chicken soup PIN with text overlay.
    vegan chicken soup PIN with text overlay.

    Jackfruit, potatoes, brown rice and tons of veggies in a hearty bowl of vegan chicken soup! I don’t always claim things taste like chicken, but in this case, it really tastes like chicken soup! Trust me, try it!

    Bowl of vegan chicken soup with jackfruit and potatoes.

    This recipe was originally published in November 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.

    Yes, I realize the conundrum!

    I more often than not, try to refer to my recipes by what they truly are. For instance, my chickpea salad sandwich is a chickpea salad sandwich, and not a vegan egg salad sandwich.

    That being said, I really, really, really couldn’t get on board with calling this a jackfruit, potato, carrot, mushroom soup with rice. Right?

    And if you’re all for vegan chicken recipes, you won’t want to miss my vegan orange chicken. Spoiler alert – it’s made using soy curls.

    Two bowls of soup with potato, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, rice and jackfruit.

    But back to my vegan chicken soup.

    I kid you not, the first time I made it, my husband, AKA Mr. Healthy Kitchen truly believed he was eating chicken. The flavours and texture are just spot on!

    My mom and nephew also devoured generous bowl during my recipe testing and both love this dish!

    No one could believe this dish was vegan, nor that there was no chicken in it. It even looks like chicken!! Hence, vegan chicken soup, it is!

    Jackfruit is such an awesome substitute for chicken, whether you’re new to a vegan lifestyle, a vegan veteran, or just curious! Jackfruit works amazingly well, not just in this soup recipe, but also in my vegan “chicken” salad too!

    Two bowls of soup with spoons on the side and peppers and potatoes in background.

    How to make it

    (This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

    Gather your ingredients and start by washing, peeling and cutting all your veggies.

    Ingredients to make vegan chicken soup on marble counter.

    If you want a chunkier soup, hand chop your veggies. For a creamier texture, or for serving picky eaters, use a food processor to finely chop your veggies. Either way, get all your veggies peeled and chopped. (photos 1-2)

    NOTE: If you’re working ahead, you may prep all your veggies and refrigerate overnight. Just place your potatoes in a bowl of water to prevent browning.

    Variety of veggies chopped up in bowls and on cutting board.

    Drain and rinse your can of jackfruit very well. You want to wash off as much brine flavour as possible. Then use your hands or two forks pull apart the chunks to resemble shredded chicken. The jackfruit is easy to pull apart. The core pieces are a little bit harder, but you can still break it apart with your hands. Don’t toss any of those harder pieces out, use it all in your soup! (See shredded jackfruit in photo 2 above.)

    Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a large pot with a tablespoon or two of water, until softened. (photo 3)

    Then add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté a few more minutes, until reduced. (photo 4)

    Now add ALL remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the tofu. Bring your pot to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the rice is cooked, approx 30 minutes. (photos 5)

    NOTE: I’m skipping the oil here to keep this dish lower in calories and fat. If you prefer, you may sauté in some cooking oil instead.

    Pot of veggies being sauteed to make soup, and then broth being added.

    While the soup is cooking, place your tofu in a blender and process until smooth. You may add a drop or two of water if needed to get things moving. (photo 6-7)

    Tofu block being pureed in blender.

    Once the soup is cooked, turn off the heat, and pour in the blended tofu. Mix well.

    Vegan chicken soup in large pot with veggies and rice being cooked.

    Serve garnished with a sprinkle of parsley, if you’d like, and enjoy.

    Large bowl of vegan chicken soup with blue dish towel in the background.

    What to serve with it

    This vegan chicken soup is quite filling, so you may enjoy on it’s own, or with a light side salad.

    It also pairs particularly well with crusty bread for dunking or with some cornbread or fluffy biscuits.

    What else can I add?

    There’s a big variety of fresh veggies in our vegan chicken soup, but if you want to add even more, you definitely can.

    Some great options include green beans, zucchini, peas, asparagus and corn. For the quicker cooking veggies, add them only in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, so they don’t get too soft.

    You may also stir in a handful or two of baby spinach once your soup is cooked.

    How long does it keep?

    This vegan chicken soup keeps refrigerated for 3-4 days. Since I’m using rice instead of noodles, you won’t need to worry about noodles getting too soggy sitting in the fridge.

    You may freeze leftovers for up to 2 months in an air tight container. Make sure to let the soup completely cool down before storing and leave a little space for expansion.

    PS. This is a great recipe to freeze in individual portion sizes all winter long. It’s perfect for chilly days, and the ultimate comforting bowl of goodness when you’re battling a cold.

    Can I make any substitutions?

    Feel free to sub or omit any of the veggies you’re not keen on.

    • You may sub the potatoes for sweet potatoes, if preferred. Note that this will make the soup sweeter in flavour.
    • I like medium firm tofu, as it thickens the soup nicely. But use what you have on hand. Soft or silken tofu will also work.
    • For soy free, sub the tofu for a can of blended white kidney or canellini beans. Or, use a cup or so of your favourite plant based milk. Note that the milk option won’t thicken your broth, but it will add extra creaminess.

    Expert Tips

    Use a food processor for finely chopped veggies if you’re feeding picky eaters. If you prefer a stew-like texture, hand chop the veggies a little larger.

    Side by side comparison of vegan chicken soup with chunky veggies or finely chopped.

    If you’re not a tofu fan, DON’T WORRY! I promise, you won’t taste it in the soup. The tofu adds lovely creaminess and silkiness without altering the flavour. (But if you can’t have soy for health reasons, see above for substitution suggestions.)

    Prep ahead of time. You may fully chop and prep all your veggies a day in advance. Just make sure to keep your potatoes in water once peeled and chopped to prevent them from turning brown.

    More vegan soup recipes

    • Healthy Broccoli Potato Soup
    • Instant Pot Vegan Stew [Oil Free]
    • 5 Ingredient Creamy Cauliflower Soup
    • Thai Peanut Chickpea Soup Instant Pot
    • Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
    • Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Quinoa
    • Or check out this collection of the best vegan soups ever!

    If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

    Buon appetito

    Rosa

    bowl of vegan chicken soup with jackfruit and potatoes.

    Vegan Chicken Soup w/ Jackfruit & Potatoes

    Jackfruit, potatoes, brown rice and tons of veggies in a hearty bowl of soup! I don't always claim things taste like chicken, but in this case, it really tastes like chicken soup!
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American, Canadian
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 312kcal
    Author: Rosa

    Equipment

    Picture of blender on white background.
    Vitamix Blender

    Ingredients

    • 1 red onion finely chopped
    • 2 large carrots peeled & sliced
    • 2 celery stalks diced
    • 200 grams cremini mushrooms sliced
    • 2 bell peppers chopped, any colour (I used 1 red and 1 yellow)
    • 2 lbs yellow potatoes peeled and diced (approx 4-5 cups of diced potatoes)
    • 20 oz can young green jackfruit in brine or water, NOT in syrup
    • 1 cup brown rice
    • 10 cups low sodium vegetable broth
    • 3 bay leaves
    • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
    • ¼ dried sage
    • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    • salt + pepper to taste
    • 454 grams package medium firm tofu always use GMO free when possible
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • To a large pot, add your chopped onion, carrots and celery with a tablespoon or two of water and sauté over medium heat until softened, approx 5 minutes. Then add the peppers and mushrooms and sauté another 2-3 minutes, until reduced.
    • Add all remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the tofu to your pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer until rice is cooked, approx 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves once cooked.
    • Meanwhile, puree your tofu using your blender, and add a drop or two of water if needed to get it moving. Once the soup is cooked, turn off the heat, and pour the tofu into the pot and mix well.
    • Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.

    Notes

    You may sub the potatoes for sweet potatoes, if preferred. Note that this will make the soup sweeter in flavour.
    I like medium firm tofu, as it thickens the soup nicely. But use what you have on hand. Soft or silken tofu works too.
    For soy free, sub the tofu for a can of blended white kidney or canellini beans. Or, use a cup or so of your favourite plant based milk. Note that the milk option won’t thicken your broth, but it will add extra creaminess. If you want to amp up the protein content, the tofu or beans are recommended.
    Use a food processor for finely chopped veggies if you’re feeding picky eaters. If you prefer a stew-like texture, hand chop the veggies a little larger.
    If you’re not a tofu fan, DON’T WORRY! I promise, you won’t taste it in the soup. The tofu adds lovely creaminess and silkiness without altering the flavour. (But if you can’t have soy for health reasons, see above for substitution suggestions.)
    You may prep ahead of time by chopping all your veggies a day in advance. Just keep your potatoes in water once peeled and chopped to prevent them from turning brown.
    Leftovers keep refrigerated for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months in an air tight container.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3524IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 10mg
    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Mention @this.healthy.kitchen on IG and tag #thishealthykitchen!
    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
    689 shares

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    1. Peggy Brown

      March 05, 2023 at 11:02 pm

      Can you prepare in an instant pot?

      Reply
      • Rosa

        March 06, 2023 at 7:51 am

        Hi Peggy, should work fine in an Instant Pot. The rice would need approx. 22 minutes.

        Reply
    2. Mary

      January 12, 2023 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      This soup is AMAZING. Where has this been all my life. Made it just as directed and absolutely loved it. Thank you. This will be on repeat

      Reply
      • Rosa

        January 16, 2023 at 9:14 am

        Thanks for the lovely review Mary. So glad you loved our vegan chicken soup. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Lynne H

      June 05, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe so much. I use 1.5 pounds small potatoes mix (red, yellow, purple). And instead of rice, I use whole wheat orzo, farro, or other whole grain. I get the jackfruit from Amazon. And I like veggie stock over broth. One of my favorite recipes.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        June 06, 2022 at 8:41 am

        Thrilled you love it Lynne. Thanks very much for sharing your process with us.

        Reply
    4. Kendra

      February 08, 2022 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      This is our new favorite recipe! My husband asked for it to be added into our weekly rotation. The leftovers were great and didn’t last long 🙂

      Reply
      • Rosa

        February 09, 2022 at 8:23 am

        Thrilled you both enjoyed the soup Kendra!

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Rosa! Welcome to This Healthy Kitchen where you'll find tasty and nutritious, plant-based recipes. I'm an avid home cook who believes food is medicine. Each recipe is made using wholesome ingredients, and under 400 calories per serving with several gluten-free and oil-free options! Occasional cheat days included. 😉

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