Vegan Campfire Stew is a delicious meat free meal that can be easily prepared within the slow cooker. Chuck all the ingredients in the slow cooker and it will cook a deliciously sweet, savoury, and smoky delicious stew. This campfire stew recipe can be adapted for gluten-free diets, and we have included an easy method for preparing the stew on the stove-top within the recipe notes.
Our meat-free Campfire Stew is an easy family stew prepared with canned jackfruit, baked beans, and tomatoes, along with various vegetables and pantry flavourings such as soy sauce, tomato paste, paprika, and cumin. It can be enjoyed with pasta, thick noodles, mashed or baked potatoes, or rice. Perfect for simple, fuss-free, budget-friendly midweek meals, it is easily adapted to whatever vegetables you have on hand.
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Origin of Campfire Stew
Modern day Campfire Stew likely originated from the stews that have been cooked over an open fire or hearths for thousands of years. Cooking over an open fire was the primary method of preparing food during the medieval period (roughly 5th to 15th century AD). Most of the cooking during this era was done on hearths, which were open fireplaces used for both heating homes and cooking food, and the smoke escaped through a hole in the roof.
Also throughout the centuries soldiers have also made use of campfires to cook their food in the open field, one such example is 14th Scottish soldiers carrying a bag of oatmeal, a flat piece of metal called a griddle, and some water. The water was mixed through the oatmeal and fashioned into a dough, that could be flattened into oatcakes and cooked over the fire. Travellers, and those without a hearth, would also have created a make-shift fire to cook a stew or soup with whatever ingredients were available.
Additionally, many indigenous groups including Native American tribes used a variety of cooking methods, many of which involved fire. For instance, some tribes would roast meat directly on the coals of a fire while others would boil food in water-tight baskets or clay pots. Tribes in the Plains region were known to cook food in a pit, which would be lined with hot stones to create an oven-like effect.
Modern campfire stews
Most campfire stews are made with a variety of meats, vegetables, beans, herbs, and spices. In the US, it is often referred to as "camp stew" or "campfire chowder." In Australia, it is often called "bush tucker stew" or "billy tea stew."
Vegan Campfire Stew
Camping, hiking, Cub scouts, and other such outdoor pursuits have sparked an increased interest in cooking over campfires for fun and leisure rather that out of necessity, and a specific stew that can be prepared at home has become popular over social media and recipe sites especially Slimming World.
The Slimming World campfire stew recipe includes canned baked beans in a tomato sauce, bell peppers, gammon [which is cooked in the stew then pulled apart with two forks at the end of cooking], and is flavoured with paprika powder, garlic and tomato paste.
This modern campfire stew is similar in flavours to the Mulligan stew that was popular during the Great Depression [1929-1939]. Homeless people and people who had to continuously move to find work, lived in hobo camps otherwise known as hobo jungles and prepared communal stews that were cooked outside over an open fire.
The ingredients included anything that was available, most likely from begging and foraging, including meat, vegetables, beans, edible weeds and wild plants, and if tomatoes were available they were used to create a tomato based broth.
As everybody contributed to the Mulligan stew it also became known as a stone soup. The Stone soup folktale was about a starving stranger who talked the people of a a village into contributing an ingredient to a soup pot and the end result was everyone in the village was fed and so was the hungry stranger!
Vegan campfire stew
This vegan campfire stew is similar to the Mulligan stew as it can be easily adapted to what ingredients you have at home. We are not going through a Great Depression but we are going through a cost of living crisis and increasing food and energy costs, so recipes that can be adapted and that use less energy are essential for many people, including my family!
Vegan campfire stew fits that bill as its made in a slow cooker or crock-pot, and you can switch any of the vegetables for ones that you prefer. Although, I would try keeping to the herbs and spices that are in the recipe if you want that overall flavour of the campfire stew recipe provided.
This meat-free campfire stew recipe uses canned Jackfruit instead of the traditional gammon. A jackfruit is a huge bulbous fruit of the Jack tree and is a common fresh ingredient popular in Asian markets. However, it is widely available as a canned product in western supermarkets or whole food stores.
Jackfruit is an amazingly versatile ingredient for vegan cooking as once cooked in a sauce the fibrous pieces of jackfruit can be pulled apart with two forks similar to pulled pork or chicken.
On its own jackfruit does not have lots of taste but combined with a delicious thick smoky, savoury and sweet sauce it is delicious. If you're new to jackfruit we do not advise tasting a piece of jackfruit straight from the tin as it will likely not be that nice, and we don't want to put you off using it!
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need for this stew are: a can of jackfruit, a can of baked beans in tomato sauce (referred to as Vegetarian baked beans in the US), a can of chopped/diced tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce (or extra soy sauce), tomato paste, smoked paprika, ground cumin, onion powder or granules, and maple syrup or granulated sugar.
Optional ingredients include nutritional yeast flakes and liquid smoke.
How to prepare
Preparing this campfire stew in the slow cooker couldn't be easier; simply add the ingredients, stir well, and leave to cook on high for 4 hours. Once cooked, the large chunks of jackfruit can be pulled apart with two forks to create a pulled jackfruit texture.
Step 1: Add the jackfruit, canned baked beans, canned chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, tomato paste, paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire sauce [or extra soy sauce], and maple syrup or sugar, to the slow cooker.
Step 2: Give the ingredients a good mix and leave to cook on the high setting for 4 hours, or for longer using the medium or low settings. The stew is ready when the vegetables are soft and the sauce is nice and thick.
Step 3: To finish, remove the large pieces of jackfruit and use two forks to shred them into smaller pieces. Stir the shredded jackfruit back into the stew.
Step 4:Season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the nutritional yeast flakes and liquid smoke if using.
Serving suggestions: Enjoy the campfire stew with pasta, thick noodles, rice, baked potatoes, or even just a wedge of crusty bread. Our Australian Damper Bread recipe is a nice accompaniment; this traditional campfire bread is a no-yeast quick bread.
Recipe notes
Storing
Leftovers can be stored within a covered container and placed into the refrigerator for up to 3 days or within the freezer for 2-3 months.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers in a non-stick pan, adding a little extra vegetable stock if necessary to loosen up the sauce. Reheat, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the stew is piping hot throughout.
Alternatively, add the stew to a microwave-safe bowl and reheat for 1-2 minutes, stir, and continue to reheat until piping hot. You can add a lid to the bowl to cover it loosely while reheating if preferred.
FAQ'S
To prepare a gluten-free campfire stew you will need to use a gluten-free soy sauce such as Tamari soy sauce, and check that your vegan Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free. If not you can replace the Worcestershire sauce with extra soy sauce. Lastly, check that your canned baked beans are free from gluten ingredients and check that all your spices are also gluten-free.
In the UK, canned baked beans refers to beans mainly haricot beans that are cooked in a tomato sauce and canned. Haricot beans are also known as Navy beans. Mixed beans in a tomato sauce are also available and these can be used instead of ordinary baked beans. Popular choices of baked beans in the UK include Branston beans and Heinz beans both of which are vegan-friendly.
However, branded cans of beans are now quite expensive as food costs have risen, so supermarket own brand of baked beans are great budget-friendly substitutes as long as they are vegan which they usually are.
Alternatively, you can easily prepare a batch of your own home-made Baked Beans in a Tomato Sauce or even substitute the baked beans for a home-made batch of Boston Baked Beans.
It's easy and quick to prepare campfire stew on the stovetop. Simply add all the ingredients to a non-stick pan, skillet, or similar, along with 2 cups [500ml] of vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until the vegetables are soft; this usually takes around 45 minutes. If the stew becomes too thick, add a little extra water or stock.
Additionally, to enhance the flavour, the celery, carrots, onions, and bell pepper can be pre-cooked in 1-2 tablespoons of oil until nearly soft, and then the rest of the ingredients added. This extra step can reduce the cooking time required for the stew as it softens the vegetables.
Image below: Campfire stew cooked on the stove-top.
If you're cooking your campfire stew for a cook-out, BBQ, or over a campfire then baked potatoes roasted on the camp fire hot coals are a great accompaniment. Prick the potatoes all over the skin and then wrap them up in a double layer of foil, place somewhere safe on the hot coals and they will likely take about an hour or so to soften depending on the potato size.
Alternatively bake your potatoes in an oven or microwave. I like to soften the potatoes using a microwave and then crisp them up by rubbing a little oil over the skin and popping them in an air-fryer or oven until the skins are crispy and brown.
A few more ideas:
* Home-made Cornbread Muffins [gluten-free recipe included within the post recipe notes] or a slice of this Slow Cooker Cornbread.
* A slice of home-made Slow Cooker Boston Brown Bread.
* A delicious wedge of this Irish Soda Bread [wheaten bread].
* US biscuits or one of these Buttermilk Scones.
* Carrot hotdogs in a hot-dog bread bun and topped with the camp fire stew is a delicious meal that my kids especially love.
* The campfire stew filling can be used as a vegan sloppy Joes filling, if you would like a different recipe for Vegan Sloppy Joes then do have a look at our favourite one.
* A colourful salad, such as this Italian Panzanella Bread Salad or this Traditional Waldorf Salad.
* A cooked grain such as Quinoa, couscous, rice, or barley.
* Vegan coleslaw, either shop-bought or home-made. I like to prepare an easy home-made coleslaw by simply mixing vegan mayonnaise with shredded red cabbage, grated carrot, and fine sliced red onion.
* Baked sweet potatoes, follow the same method as above for white potatoes.
* Potato wedges, fries, or chips.
*Corn-on-the-cob, or a mix of cooked frozen peas and sweetcorn.
* Pasta, spaghetti pasta, or thick pasta noodles.
* Tortilla wraps, use the stew as a filling along with crisp lettuce leaves.
* Oven roasted large tomatoes are also delicious served with campfire stew as they provide a juicy burst of flavour. Our tomatoes were just plain-roasted in the oven with no additions for about 15-20 minutes at 180 Fan/200 Celsius/ 392 Fahrenheit /Gas 6. Roasting tomatoes are a great way to use up fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes that have gone a bit soft or wrinkly but still perfectly fine.
* I often serve my family's campfire stew with mashed potatoes and steamed cabbage. My kids like nutritional yeast flakes mixed through the cabbage once it's cooked. Even our 2 dogs love cabbage with nutritional yeast!
* As well as mashed potatoes, any mash is delicious with campfire stew such as mashed turnips [rutabaga], mashed celeriac, mashed carrots and parsnips, or try this Old Fashioned British Champ which is a tasty mix of mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, and cabbage.
* Herbs such as parsley, coriander [cilantro], chives, dill, are all tasty choices
* Sliced spring onions [green onions or scallions]
* Nutritional yeast flakes or grated vegan cheese
* A dollop of vegan sour cream, vegan plain yogurt or vegan mayonnaise
* Red pepper or chilli flakes
* Hot sauce
* Gherkins
* Jalapenos
* Fried onions
* Toasted bread crumbs
* Crumbled or small pieces of cooked vegan sausage, vegan burger or vegan bacon
Yes, here are a few suggestions:
* Instead of canned chopped or diced tomatoes, you could use tomato pasta sauce or tomato passata.
* Replace the baked beans with canned mixed beans in a tomato sauce, or canned Kidney beans in a tomato or chilli sauce, or prepare your own home-made Vegan Baked Beans.
* If jackfruit isn't available or you're not keen then substitute with chopped firm tofu or tempeh, or perhaps mushrooms. Alternatively add a can of chickpeas or lentils instead of the Jackfruit.
* Replace any of the vegetables with courgette [zucchini], eggplant [aubergine], butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc.
* The maple syrup or granulated sugar can be replaced with your regular sugar or syrup or omit this ingredient.
* Replace the Worcestershire sauce with the same amount of soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.
* Smoked paprika can be replaced with regular paprika or sweet paprika. Alternatively try chipotle powder or paste.
* The nutritional yeast flakes and the liquid smoke are optional ingredients but do add nice flavours so are recommended if you have them.
***Do keep in mind that any adaptations or substitutions that you make may change the overall flavour profile of the finished campfire stew but of course the ingredients are all tasty so your finished dish will still be perfectly delicious.***
It's easy to prepare canned jackfruit as its just a case of draining the liquid and then giving the jackfruit a quick rinse under a running cold tap.
For some recipes the jackfruit may need to be pulled [shredded using a couple of forks] before using or for this campfire stew recipe simply add all the pieces of jackfruit straight into the cooking pot as they will be pulled at the end of cooking.
You may notice pieces of the jackfruit core or tougher parts amongst the fibrous bits, but there is no need to remove these as they can be safely eaten and will soften up once cooked.
It's really easy to pull jackfruit pieces so that it resembles pulled pork or chicken.
Simply add the cooked pieces of jackfruit to a cutting or chopping board and use two cutlery forks to pull or scrape apart the fibrous pieces of jackfruit. Its the same method that is used for pulling pork, and it is not difficult as the cooked jackfruit is quite loose and easy to shred apart.
There are lots of different meal ideas that could be prepared with leftover campfire stew. Here are a few suggestions:
* Add vegetable stock to the leftovers and create a campfire soup.
* Use the campfire stew as an acorn squash filling. Have a look at our Chana Chaat recipe for an easy guide to prepping acorn squash before filling it and cooking.
* Quesadillas: Use the campfire stew as a filling by spreading it over a tortilla wrap, top it with vegan cheese and then either fold the tortilla in half, or add another tortilla over the top, and grill or pan fry each side until crispy, hot and the cheese melted.
* Campfire stew nachos or loaded potato wedges: Use the filling to top tortilla chips or cooked potato wedges, sprinkle vegan cheese over, and bake until everything is hot and melted.
* Campfire stew pizza: Add dollops of the stew over a home-made or shop-bought vegan pizza and bake the pizza as usual.
* Campfire stew pot-pie: Add a puff pastry top to either a larger dish that has the campfire stew at the bottom, or use individual mini dishes such as ramekins, and bake until the pastry has risen and is golden, and the filling nice and hot.
* Campfire stew shepherds or cottage pie: Add the campfire stew to a larger pie dish or smaller mini dishes, top with mashed potatoes and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast flakes or vegan cheese, and bake until golden, crisp and bubbling. Thin slices of tomatoes strewn over the top are nice additions.
* Campfire stew burritos or tacos: Use the stew as fillings and add your usual condiments such as salsa, guacamole, crispy lettuce, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream, etc.
* Pasta Sauce: The campfire stew makes a tasty pasta sauce. Heat it up, thinning the stew with a little stock if necessary, and stir through your favourite pasta or spaghetti. To stretch out smaller leftover stew you can stir through a can of chopped/diced tomatoes and add extra seasonings as necessary.
Campfire Stew makes for a delicious fun Carrot Hotdog topping. Perfect for parties, picnics, BBQs, cookouts and summer time meals, although my family does love this meal at any time of the year. Both the campfire stew and carrot hot-dogs can be prepped in advance and enjoyed chilled or easily reheated.
More vegan dinner recipes
Whenever my family feels like something fun to eat, but I want an easy meal as well, we all love a tray or two of Loaded Black Bean Potato Wedges. Or a bowl of simple Stir-Fry Soup where if the Chinese 5 spice powder is replaced with curry powder and some mango chutney stirred through the thick soup before serving, it becomes a sort of Home Made Pot Noodle, so tasty!
And my kids particularly love this quick Sweet and Sticky Tofu Satay so I usually have to prepare a double batch, and for summer dinner fun these Vegan Carrot Hotdogs are amazingly similar in texture and taste to traditional hotdogs. Perfect for BBQs and cookouts, as you can take the cooked carrot hotdogs and grill them on a BBQ so that they get those nice-looking grill lines! Links are below to all the tasty recipes.
For more delicious vegan dinner ideas do check out our growing collection of Vegan Dinner Recipes.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Vegan Campfire Stew [Slow Cooker Recipe]
Equipment
- slow cooker or crockpot 3.5 litre (3 quart +) or larger
Ingredients
- 1 can chopped [diced] tomatoes [400 grams [14oz] can]
- 1 can baked beans [also known as Vegetarian baked beans in the US] [400 grams [14oz can], or use a can of mixed beans in tomato sauce]
- 1 can jackfruit [400 grams [14oz can] drained]
- 1 medium onion [fine diced]
- 2 medium carrots [small diced]
- 3 sticks celery [small diced]
- 175 grams bell pepper [any colour, sliced into thin pieces]
- 4 cloves garlic [fine diced]
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree [paste]
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcester sauce [or an extra tablespoon of soy sauce]
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika [or ordinary paprika]
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup [or granulated sugar or your usual sugar, or omit]
Optional:
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker, except the optional ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.1 can chopped [diced] tomatoes, 1 can baked beans [also known as Vegetarian baked beans in the US], 1 can jackfruit, 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 3 sticks celery, 175 grams bell pepper, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcester sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons onion powder
- Turn the slow cooker to the high setting.Cook for 4 hours although exact times will depend on your slow cooker and the size of your chopped vegetables.
- Give the stew a good mix. Remove the bigger pieces of Jackfruit that have not broken down during cooking. Add the lid back onto the slow cooker.
- Place the jackfruit onto a chopping board and using 2 forks to pull the strands apart or press with one fork and gently squash the strands apart.Place the pulled jackfruit back into the slow cooker and stir it through the stew.
- Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.Stir through the optional nutritional yeast flakes and liquid smoke if liked.2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes, 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Notes
- Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients vary.
- For an even longer slow cooker time cook the stew on low for 7-8 hours or medium for 5-6 hours, although exact times will depend on your slow cooker, your vegetables and the size they are chopped into.
- We used a 3.5 litre slow cooker with a ceramic inner pot.
- Leftovers will keep fresh for 3 days, covered, in the fridge.
- Or freeze for 2-3 months.
- Campfire stew will taste even better the next day.
- Reheat leftovers on the stove-top or in a microwave until piping hot, add a little vegetable stock if the stew has become very thick.
- If you have a small amount of leftovers, enjoy it on toast or a baked potato for lunch the next day.
- Canned baked beans in tomato sauce are known as Vegetarian baked beans in the US.
- Stove-top method:
- It's easy and quick to prepare campfire stew on the stovetop. Simply add all the ingredients to a non-stick pan, skillet, or similar, along with 2 cups [500ml] of vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until the vegetables are soft; this usually takes around 45 minutes. If the stew becomes too thick, add a little extra water or stock.
- Additionally, to enhance the flavour, the celery, carrots, onions, and bell pepper can be pre-cooked in 1-2 tablespoons of oil until nearly soft, and then the rest of the ingredients added. This extra step can reduce the cooking time required for the stew as it softens the vegetables.
- Gluten-Free campfire stew:
- Use a gluten-free soy sauce such as Tamari soy sauce, and check that your vegan Worcestershire Sauce is gluten-free. If not you can replace the Worcestershire sauce with extra soy sauce. Also check that your canned baked beans are free from gluten ingredients and check that all your spices are also gluten-free.
Nutrition
Prepared our Vegan Campfire Stew? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe so do leave us a comment and click the star ratings. All your feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks so much! All the best, Jacq x
Gina says
Excellent vegetarian option for camping to still get that cozy campfire meal!
Jacq says
Oh a cozy campfire meal sounds divine. We are hoping to go camping in the next few months and would love to try this recipe outdoors. If I manage I will pop a comment up about how it went! Would love to hear from anyone who prepares this recipe while camping 🙂
Lima Ekram says
This was absolutely delicious - I love the cumin and maple syrup combination!!!
Jacq says
Thanks! I love that combo too 🙂
Beth says
This is such a tasty and very flavorful stew! My hubby and I absolutely loved this, so delicious and very yummy! I'm so excited to make this stew again! Such a great recipe! Thanks!
Jacq says
Your very welcome! So glad your family enjoyed the campfire stew 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This stew sounds incredible - so full of flavour and delicious. I love pulled jackfruit.
Jacq says
Pulled jackfruit is an amazing ingredient 🙂
Danielle Wolter says
Now this is an awesome camping recipe! I def can't wait to try it for our next trip 🙂
Jacq says
Oh would be so interested to hear about your experiences with cooking this campfire stew outside. I think it would be amazing. Just add all the ingredients to a food bag or container, keep chilled, and then just dump it all in your cooking pot with a few cups of veggie stock. And stew until cooked and delicious aromas are all around! Sounds so good! Especially with some baked potatoes 🙂