As winter creeps in and the days become colder and darker, we can’t think of anything more comforting than a hearty vegan stew!
Stew is one of the world’s oldest recipes dating back as early as 6000 BC.
Throughout history, stew has stood the test of time and is still a beloved comfort meal in many countries and it’s easy to see why! It’s warm, affordable, healthy, and easy to make.
While many traditional stews contain meat, the great news for vegans is that we’ve got the perfect recipe for a cozy vegan stew!
What is Traditional Stew?
It’s impossible to think about stew without thinking about its Irish heritage. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a delicious stew is customary after all!
Traditional Irish Stew dates back to the 19th century. During the Great Famine, stews became a staple in households across Ireland due to their simple yet filling ingredients.
While Traditional Beef Stew is often confused with Traditional Irish Stew, the two are quite different.
A Traditional Irish Stew usually contains mutton, onions, potatoes, and carrots, and is thickened with mashed potatoes.
Nowadays, most people also put a few modern twists on the classic Irish Stew like adding Guinness Beer for additional flavor or serving with dumplings instead of Irish Soda Bread.
A Traditional Beef Stew as the name suggests contains beef and has a few additional ingredients and is usually thickened with a roux or cornstarch slurry instead.
Is Stew Vegan?
Neither Traditional Beef Stew nor Traditional Irish Stew is naturally vegan, but with a few adjustments and substitutions, you can easily make a delicious vegetable stew that is just as tasty!
For this recipe, we have adapted a classic beef stew recipe to make a vegan beef stew and added a few modern twists.
How To Make a Beefless Stew
As mentioned, a traditional stew would usually contain either beef or mutton, but it’s entirely possible to make a tasty stew without any meat.
There are many excellent plant-based meat substitutes you can use in place of stew meat to make this meatless stew, such as vegan beef chunks, lentils, cannellini beans, tofu, rehydrated soy curls, or textured vegetable protein pieces (TVP chunks).
For this particular vegan stew recipe, we recommend using TVP chunks or soy curls. Both are highly versatile, and soft, and will absorb the tasty savory broth of your vegetable stew.
There are also a couple of ingredients in a stew that would typically contain animal products, like Worcestershire Sauce and beef broth, but we’ve suggested vegan alternatives in the recipe.
What are the Benefits of Eating Stew?
If you didn’t grow up eating stews, it may be difficult to see the appeal of such a simple dish. But, trust us, while stew may have humble roots, its flavor profile is anything but simple.
Not only is a warm bowl of stew the ultimate comfort food, but it’s also incredibly nutritious. Stew is also easy on your budget and a great way to use up some of the vegetables in your fridge before they go bad.
Unlike other comfort foods that unfortunately aren’t very healthy, stew is a very well-rounded meal. It’s packed with fiber from vegetables and is balanced by a healthy protein source and good carbohydrates.
What do you serve with stew?
A steamy bowl of hearty vegetable stew can definitely be a stand-alone meal, but if you want to honor stew’s heritage, pairing it with a piece of fresh crusty bread is the way to go.
Similarly, to soup, having a piece of freshly baked bread to dunk into the savory broth makes the meal even more comforting!
We suggest serving your vegan stew the traditional way, with freshly baked bread like sourdough or rye bread. You can also mix it up a bit and add a vegan Irish Soda bread to your vegan beef stew!
But, if you’re not a fan of bread and you would still like to add a side to your vegetable stew, there are other options like serving with rice, quinoa, or creamy polenta that will work just as well.
What Do you Need to Make a Vegan Stew?
When it comes to stew, it’s all about keeping it simple!
You don’t need a restaurant-grade kitchen, fancy appliances, or heaps of ingredients. All you’ll need are a few key ingredients, and a large pot or Dutch oven!
One of the great things about stew is that it’s slower cooker and pressure cooker friendly and can be made in an instant pot if you have one, but it tastes just as good when cooked on a stovetop.
Recipe Notes
Before we dive into how to make the best hearty vegan beef stew recipe, there are a few vital notes to keep in mind:
The Herbs are the Most Important Ingredient!
Stew is a classic dish and so much of its beloved flavor profile comes from the herbs and spices.
The herbs we’ve included like parsley, rosemary, and thyme are essential to achieving the perfect “beef” stew flavor.
If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand like fresh parsley or rosemary, you can substitute them for dried herbs.
If herbs are not your thing, you can adjust the amounts indicated or omit them completely, but we would not recommend doing this as it will change the flavor of the dish.
Adding Red Wine
Traditionally, red wine was added to beef stews as the acidity in the wine helps make the meat more tender.
While this is a meat-free version of a classic beef stew, we would still recommend adding a cup of red wine as it adds a depth of flavor and adds to the hearty feeling of the meal.
You want to make sure you’re adding a hearty wine to your stew, nothing too delicate or aged. A classic Merlot will be your best bet as it will complement the vegetables and add a rich flavor.
If you would prefer to make an alcohol-free veggie stew, you can omit the wine and simply add an extra ½ cup of vegetable stock instead to balance the flavors.
Be sure to check the ingredients listed before selecting any wine to make sure it’s vegan.
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
Traditionally Worcestershire sauce is used in meat-based dishes to tenderize meat, but it’s also a great addition in vegetable-based dishes as it adds a tasty savory flavor. In this vegan stew, it’ll help add additional flavor to the TVP chunks.
Worcestershire sauce is a powerful Unami boost in any dish, but its main ingredient is usually fish sauce or anchovies.
There are, however, a few great vegan Worcestershire sauces on the market, which you can find online or at your local grocery store. Alternatively, soy sauce is a great substitute.
The Perfect Vegan Broth:
The broth is the heart of a good stew!
There are many vegan-friendly options you can use to replace the traditional beef broth. For this recipe, you can use vegan bouillon powder, vegan vegetable stock cubes or powder, or vegan “beef” stock liquid.
If you’d prefer, you can also make your own veggie stock from scrap using vegetable scraps.
Vegetables:
There are no hard and fast rules on what vegetables you should add to a vegan beef stew. Adding classic vegetables like carrots, celery and potato helps build a great base for your stew. But, you can switch it up as much as you would like!
Adding root vegetables like sweet potato or parsnips is a great idea. You can also add extra greens like green beans, kale, or Swiss chard.
We have included the traditional stew vegetables in this recipe, but if there are any vegetables you dislike, feel free to leave them out or add something in their place.
The Ultimate Vegan Beef Stew Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy healthy vegan stew recipe, look no further!
This recipe is affordable, suitable for people on a plant-based diet, and it’s the perfect cozy dinner in this cooler weather!
Prep time: 25-minutes
Cook time: 45-60 minutes
Main Ingredients:
– 2 tablespoons olive oil (or substitute for another neutral oil)
– 1 large, diced onion (we suggest using yellow onion rather than red onion)
– 5-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
– 3 medium carrots, cut into small cubes
– 1/3 cup of tomato paste
– 3 stalks of celery, cut into ¾ inches
– 3-4 white potatoes, peeled and cubed (use russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes for the best results)
– 1 ½ cups frozen peas
– 1 punnet of cremini or white button mushrooms, halved or quartered
– 1 cup of dry red wine
– 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 1 tablespoon of vegan Worcestershire sauce
– 2 cups of dehydrated soy curls or TVP chunks (use the same measurement if you’re adding a different plant-based meat alternative)
– 3-4 cups of vegetable broth
– ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
– 1 tablespoon paprika
– 1 teaspoon dried thyme
– 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
– 1 teaspoon agave or brown sugar
– salt and black pepper to taste
– 3 bay leaves
Instructions:
Step 1: Add the oil to a large pot of Dutch oven. Heat on medium heat for 2-3 minutes and then add the chopped onions.
Step 2: Sauté the onions on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Once the onions are translucent, add the finely minced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Step 3: Once the onion and garlic mix is fragrant, add the tomato paste and stir everything, mixing it all together.
Step 4: Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Next, add the rest of the vegetables (note, if you’re using any greens like kale or Swiss chard, save these and add them in the last 10 minutes so as not to overcook).
Step 6: Stir the vegetables and add the rosemary, bay leaves thyme, paprika, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
Step 7: Add the red wine and TVP chunks or rehydrated soy chunks (if you’re using tofu, beans, or pre-cooked lentils, it would be best to add these 15 minutes before you finish cooking).
Step 8: Next add the vegetable broth, agave or brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
Step 9: Stir the stew and adjust to low heat for a further 10 minutes. At this stage, test the broth and add any additional salt or seasoning as needed.
Step 10: After 10 minutes, test the potatoes and the carrots to see if they are fork-tender. Once the carrots and the potatoes are tender, add the parsley and remove from the heat.
Step 11: Remove the bay leaves and season to taste.
Step 12: Serve up your warm vegan beefless stew in a big bowl with a slice of fresh crusty bread and enjoy!
Stew is one of those rare dishes that somehow tastes even better the day after. It’s also an affordable dish to batch cook, so be sure to store any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe is also suitable for home freezing and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Side note, vegan stew is such a homey meal that making your own bread from scratch is the perfect addition to this cozy vegan dinner.
Trust us, you’re definitely going to want to add this beefless beef stew to your go-to winter recipes!
