The first time I ever had Brunswick stew was in a little southern town called Rome, GA. I had never had it up until that point (when I was around 16). My parents and I went to a little BBQ shack on the side of the road and ordered some BBQ. We also spotted the Brunswick stew on the menu and ordered that too. We sat at the sun-bleached picnic table right beside the shack and dug in. Upon the first bite of stew, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! Bright and tangy, while incredibly savory and perfectly sweet- I instantly was impressed. Along with fresh corn, lima beans, and pulled pork, the different textures combined with the robust broth containing tomatoes, and the game-changing ingredient, BBQ sauce, I quickly realized I had never had a dish quite like it.
The actual source of where this stew comes from is debatable. Some people say it originated in the town of Brunswick, GA (that’s my vote!). Others say it originated in Brunswick County, VA. I don’t want to fight about it so let’s just say it could have possibly come from both. The main thing to remember is it’s a summer-time stew that can easily feature whatever vegetables you can get your hands on. Corn, lima beans, potatoes, tomatoes, okra, and green beans are the usual suspects in my opinion, but I’m sure some shredded cabbage or greens would be quite nice as well! Now let’s talk about the meat.
Traditionally this soup uses smoked pulled pork. But in my kitchen, I’d rather use a cool plant-based ingredient for the protein and then look at some cute pictures of little piggies. For a stew like this, something like young green jackfruit is perfect! It’s fibrous and juicy and will take on the flavor of just about anything. Or buy some young jackfruit that has seasoning. Of course, you could also use shredded seitan or mushrooms, but the jackfruit works pretty damn well! You can find the canned variety that I photographed below in most grocery stores these days!
Because the jackfruit is practically flavorless and low in fat, we’re going to need to doctor things up just a bit. A plant-based butter is the perfect addition to help add richness while all of the spices and liquid smoke give the shredded jackfruit a more authentic BBQ flavor. Also, it just came to me, another fun vegan meat texture to try for this recipe would be artichoke hearts!
Ok, back to the recipe that is here. To offer even more of a Georgia nod, I’m calling for Vidalia onions because they are the absolute best! Incredibly sweet and delicious, they’re also from Vidalia, GA so it makes them special. Now, I totally understand that you might not be able to find those, so you can also use any sweet onion you can get your hands on.
Last thing I will say is that this recipe is quick. Like 30 minutes quick. So go out and get you some fresh summer produce and get to cooking! I like to serve this stew with a big scoop of rice and a huge dollop of potato salad on the side and a tall glass of iced tea (with maybe a tiny shot of vodka). Enjoy!
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New Year’s Stew
1 (14 oz) can young jackfruit, shredded
Drain jackfruit from a can (or package) and shred with a fork. Pat it dry and remove any seeds. In one large pot over medium-high heat, melt the plant butter and cook the jackfruit until golden brown, about 5 minutes, mixing every so often. Add the liquid smoke, onions, garlic, tamari, nutritional yeast, and a sprinkling of salt. Cook for an additional five minutes until everything starts to brown. Now throw in all of the vegetables: green beans, tomatoes, corn kernels (plus one cob cut in half), lima beans, and okra and potatoes, if using. Then add vegetable broth, BBQ sauce, mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook on low for an additional 10-15 minutes. Give it a taste and add a few cracks of pepper and a few pinches of sea salt to taste (depending on your vegetable broth and BBQ sauce, you may need to add more salt). Serve as is or with rice. I think Colgin liquid smoke is the best! It's flavorful and not bitter. I have found that other brands, like Wrights, CAN BE bitter and can ruin a recipe. Therefore, if you can't find Colgin, use what you can find but give it a taste first and be cautious. 
Ingredients
½ stick plant butter
1 teaspoon Colgin liquid smoke (use less if another brand*)
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 ½ tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup green beans, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ cup diced tomato
2 large corn cobs, kernels removed + 1 cob for stock
¾ cup frozen lima beans
½ cup sliced okra (optional)
½ cup diced potatoes (optional)
½ cup good BBQ Sauce
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions
notes
28 comments
Timmy-This one looks so good…I love how fast it comes together. Can’t wait to try!
Thank you La La!
Thank you so much for posting this! I took screenshots from when you posted it in your insta stories and have been referencing it every time I try to make it just by what I think you threw in the pot ?. Brunswick Stew is literally like one of the most comforting things in the world to me and it’s so nice to have it back in my life after 15 years!
I’ve doubled the recipe so I can freeze half and can’t wait to eat it again!
Also if any of y’all are in Eastern/Central NC look for Vernon McLambs BBQ sauce at your IGA to make this with. It’s the best!
Yay! At last, it’s here! Not sure why it took me a YEAR to post. LOL. Thank you for the love!
I couldn’t find any jackfruit so I substituted with white beans and it was still fantastic. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
This makes my sweet GA peach heart sing! <3 Everything you make is absolute perfection, so why would this be any different? Thank you.
You are so sweet and I love GA!
I love, love your recipes! And who doesn’t love to see a man bring his A Game to the table!?! YUM!
This recipe is a WINNER. One pot and SO flavorful. I didn’t have okra or lima beans. But I did add roasted eggplant and Mississippi Vegan tofu bacon . Served with a bit of rice and avocado. I will make this again for sure. Give it a try 🙂 And thank you for the recipe, Timmy!
I am so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you!
I didn’t have liquid smoke but the end result was still tasty. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
This was delicious! The perfect balance of tangy/savoury/sweet. I also loved how the tomatoes were not overpowering, like a lot of veggie soups tend to be, it really allowed for the flavor of the different fresh vegetables to shine through. I served it with a slice of pugliese bread that I picked up while at the farmers market. 😀
I’m so glad you liked it! Happy cooking!
Absolutely delicious-it pleased my whole family, even my mom with Alzheimer’s who tends to be picky. I can’t believe how amazingly flavorful the jackfruit tasted prior to adding the other ingredients too! That could be a meal in itself.
I am so thrilled that you liked it! Thank you for the comment. Happy cooking!
This is 500 stars great, absolutely amazing. Thank you in every language. The flavors blended so well, just the right amount of heat for me due to the barbecue sauce I used. Perfection. Thank you again. You are a genius.
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Yayy! I am so happy you like the recipe. Thank you for the sweet comment.
This looks so good and fun to make! Might it also work with oil instead of the plant butter? 1/2 cup of olive oil?
Yes, it would! Happy cooking!
The only problem with Georgia’s claim to Brunswick Stew is math – they never seem to be able to refute the fact that 1828 came before 1898! 😉 (I’ll have to try this recipe…) https://whatscookingamerica.net/Soup/Brunswick-Stew.htm
Oop!
Honestly BONKERS how good this recipe is! I’ve never had anything even remotely comparable to it in flavor. My son-of-a-hunter husband has been wary of jackfruit ever since I butchered a vegan pulled pork recipe years ago, but this recipe made him a believer. Thank you! Can’t wait to make this again.
This makes me happy! Thank you!
Oh my, this was totally awesome and got raves reviews from hubby!
I substituted trumpet mushrooms shredded the stems and used edemame ‘cos that’s what I had.
I took the liberty to prep all the veggies at lunch and making supper was a breeze!
Definitely in our rotation!!
I love that!! What a great way to use up what’s in the fridge. Bravo!
This was SO good!! It made me nostalgic! The jackfruit absorbs all the flavors so well. I splurged a little and used Rufus Teague Maple Whiskey BBQ sauce. It tasted divine! I used about 1/4 of a cup more of each veggie than the recipe called for simply because I like a very chunky soup and I had a ton of veggies around. Yum!
I love that you used good BBQ sauce and that you upped the veggies. Your story clip looked amazing!! Thank you for the sweet comment. I appreciate you!!