Vegan Campfire Stew Carrot Hotdogs are incredibly tasty and so moreish. They are the perfect summer, fun, family meal that will bring smiles to everyone!
You may be sceptical about how a carrot can replace a hotdog but honestly these carrot-dogs are a complete game-changer. Each bite delivers BBQ flavour pops with smoky, tangy, sweet and deep savoury flavours.
The carrots are deliciously soft in texture and so far from a carrot its actually crazy how versatile veggies actually are.
The carrots soak up all the umami flavours as they gently simmer in the stock ending up similar in texture to traditional hotdogs.
The longer you leave carrot hotdogs to marinate in the stock the tastier they become.
For this recipe my carrot hotdogs are topped with stove-top cooked vegan campfire stew which can be simply cooked while the carrot-dogs simmer. However, if preferred the carrot dogs and/or campfire stew can be prepped and cooked a few days in advance. Anything that saves time preparing dinner is a bonus.
A great idea to use up small amounts of leftover meals is to use it to top these carrot-dogs. So if you have some leftover vegan chilli, mince or cheesy pasta, you can definitely use that to top these carrot hotdogs.
Alternatively enjoy these carrot dogs, without the stew topping, for a quick lunch which is what my family often do.
Recipe Notes And FAQs
How do I store and reheat leftover campfire stew and carrot hotdogs?
Carrot hotdogs will stay fresh in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days. Let the carrot-dogs sit in there stock to continue marinating. Campfire stew will remain fresh for up to 3 days, covered, in the fridge.
To reheat the carrot-dogs bring the cooking liquid to a simmer, place a lid on the pan, and gently boil for 2-3 minutes. Add extra water if necessary but the carrots don’t need to be covered in liquid.
Leftover campfire stew can be frozen for 4-6 months. Defrost before reheating.
Reheat by placing in a saucepan, with a little veggie stock or water to thin the stew, until piping hot.
What can I serve with vegan carrot hotdogs with campfire stew?
A few of my family’s favourite accompainments:
- potato/sweet potato fries/chips/wedges. For an oil-free potato chip/wedge simple recipe check out my vegetable curry post, just scroll down, and you’ll find an easy method.
- pasta/noodles/rice
- polenta chips
- mashed potato
- Bread roll/hot-dog bun/ tortilla wrap
- corn-on-the-cob
- peas and sweetcorn
- peas-in-the-pod
- steamed veggies
- crispy mixed salad
- slices of avocado/guacamole
- cherry/baby tomatoes
- baked beans
- salsa
- tomato ketchup/brown sauce/BBQ sauce
- mustard
- vegan mayonnaise/sour cream
Can I prepare campfire stew in the slow cooker/crockpot?
Of course. I have a recipe especially for slow cooker campfire stew.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Yes. Simply ensure that all your ingredients are a gluten-free. Especially check your vegetable stock, soya sauce and other flavourings. Also use gluten-free rolls/buns for the carrot dogs.
I have some leftover carrot hotdog cooking liquid. What can I do with it?
Use the leftover Carrot Hotdog sauce to create a thick-sticky BBQ marinade, glaze, or stock booster, to give your next recipe a huge umami flavour boost. The Carrot Hotdog stock can be reduced by gently simmering until its at the desired consistency. The flavour is very concentrated so perfect for use as a BBQ marinade for tofu pieces. The thick, sticky sauce is a delicious addition to a can of baked beans to make BBQ baked beans. Or add it to my Cowboy Pie recipe to provide an instant flavour boost. Alternatively freeze the concentrated BBQ stock-sauce until you need it. Ice cube trays are perfect for freezing small quantities of stock and can be just popped out and added to any recipe.
I have leftover campfire stew. What can I do with it?
Lots of things!
If you prepare this recipe to top carrot-dogs there will likely be leftovers left if less than 6 carrot-dogs are topped. However, leftovers are ideal and what I usually attempt for as they can be repurposed into a second meal and save lots of time. Or frozen until required.
Check out the list of accompaniments above for ideas to create a second meal from campfire stew leftovers. Other ideas are:
- Prepare a campfire stew toastie for lunch. Spread tomato puree or ketchup over your bread base. Sprinkle some grated vegan cheese over one slice, and add scoops of campfire stew. Sprinkle some more cheese over and top with another slice of bread. Toast until melted and golden. A finely topped red onion added to the cheese is especially tasty! my kids love it when I make this toastie in a crusty baguette. If you don’t have a panini machine try grilling or wrap the baguette in kitchen foil and heat in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. Check to see how it is progressing and remove the kitchen foil and bake for another few minutes if necessary.
- Prepare your favourite pasta or noodle shapes and ladle hot campfire stew over. Have a few slices of garlic bread and a large salad on the side.
- Use campfire stew in a recipe to stuff bell peppers, courgettes, large tomatoes, little pumpkins/squashes, aubergines or large mushrooms.
- Campfire stew makes for a tasty baked potato filling. Serve with vegan coleslaw or pickled or roast beetroot.
- Prepare campfire stew breakfast burritos. Simply use the chilled stew as a filling along with some salad and fold up some tasty burritos. A few slithers of avocado is particularly delicious.
What can I do with a leftover carrot-dog that I have already topped with campfire stew and condiments but everyone too full to eat it?
This sometimes happens at my house! I simply wrap it up or place in a covered container and stick it in the fridge asap. Eaten this way chilled as a ready-made snack, pack lunch or regular lunch is actually very tasty! And so much more healthier and delicious than those ready-made burgers or hotdogs, complete with buns, you can buy from supermarkets chilled section.
How To Easily Prepare Campfire Stew And Carrot-Dogs:
Add all carrot-dog ingredients to saucepan, 
Simmer until very tender. While carrots are cooking add all campfire stew ingredients to a skillet and bring to a simmer. Remove jackfruit and use two forks to pull strands apart. Mix jackfruit back through stew. Add lettuce and a carrot dog to hotdog bun. Top with campfire stew. Serve with preferred accompaniments and favourite condiments.
Equipment
- Saucepan, for carrot-dogs
- Skillet/ deep frying pan, for campfire stew
Ingredients
Campfire stew:
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 carrots thin sliced or diced
- 3 sticks celery thin sliced
- 175 g bell pepper I use frozen mixed pepper or use equivalent of fresh pepper.
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 can jackfruit 400g/ 14oz can, drained.
- 1 can baked beans 400g/14oz
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 400g/14oz
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Worcester sauce (vegan)
- 1 tbsp tamari soya sauce
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika or ordinary paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 3 tsp soft brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tsp cumin
- 500 ml vegetable stock use more if necessary during cooking
Optional (but tasty!):
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Carrot Hotdogs:
- 8 carrots Use long, thin carrots if possible or just whittle them with a knife if too thick to a hotdog shape.
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 60 ml tamari soya sauce or regular soya sauce. Tamari is gluten-free and has less sodium.
- 60 ml apple cider vinegar Alternatively use red or white wine vinegar.
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tsp smoked paprika or ordinary paprika.
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
To serve:
- 8 hot dog buns use gluten-free if necessary.
- crispy lettuce
- vegan condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise
Instructions
Prepare the carrot dogs:
- Place all the ingredients into your saucepan and stir.
- Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. For the last 15 minutes place a lid on the saucepan.Remove from the heat and leave until the rest of dinner is prepared.
While the carrot dogs are simmering prepare the campfire stew:
- Add all the ingredients to a skillet, except the optional liquid smoke and nutritional yeast.
- Mix and bring to a simmer.
- Lower heat and stew for 45 minutes. Add extra veggie stock if necessary during cooking to prevent stew sticking or becoming too thick.
- Remove pieces of jackfruit and using one or two forks pull apart the strands. Some pieces can be kept larger than others for texture.
- Place the jackfruit back into the stew and give it all a good mix.
- Add the liquid smoke and nutritional yeast. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Build the carrot hotdog with campfire stew topping:
- Add crispy lettuce to each hotdog bun. Place in a carrot-dog and top with scoops of campfire stew. Add condiments if preferred.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary and data is analysed through computerized nutrition apps.
- Leftover carrot dogs can be kept in the stock and placed in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the stock, by bringing it to a simmer and cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Leftover campfire stew can be cooled and placed in a covered container in the fridge, for up to 3 days.
- Or frozen for 4-6 months. Defrost before reheating.
- Reheat by placing in a saucepan, with a little extra stock or water if stew very thick, and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and stir frequently until piping hot.
- Ready made carrot-dogs with campfire stew topping and condiments added can be cooled, wrapped or placed in covered container, and enjoyed for a pack lunch, picnic or with a BBQ/cook-out.
