This cozy Vegan Stew is packed with chunks of meaty mushrooms, tender veggies, and hearty potatoes in a rich red wine broth. The perfect cozy and wholesome dish to serve on a chilly winter day.
Let me be honest – I’m a soup girl. I love any and every soup (regardless of outdoor temperatures) and often find it hard to pick a favorite. That is, until this Hearty Vegan Stew came along. It’s packed with nutritious vegetables – but also loads and loads of meaty plant-based flavor. Once you try a bite of this goodness, I think it’ll be one of your favorites too.
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
This dish is reminiscent of a vegan beef stew or pot roast – there’s a rich and thick broth, large chunks of tender veggies, and lots of flavor. It‘s the ideal stick-to-your-ribs kind of filling meal to warm you back up after a long chilly day. Plus it’s made from pretty budget-friendly ingredients!
I prefer to use medium sized cremini mushrooms for this recipe, as they have more flavor than white button mushrooms. I recommend cutting them in half for large meaty chunks – you could also use portobello mushrooms and cut them into large chunks as well.
If you want to mimic the flavors of a beef stew, I strongly recommend using an imitation “beef” flavored broth. It definitely makes the final dish taste more meaty – vegetable broth will work in a pinch, but doesn’t have the same effect. Mushroom broth would be an acceptable alternative as well, since it’s a great source of natural umami flavor.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN STEW
This vegan stew recipe comes together in no time at all on the stovetop! I imagine you could also combine all of the ingredients together and cook in a slow cooker over 6 to 8 hours, but haven’t tried it myself – let me know in the comments if you do and it works for you.
- Warm oil in a large Dutch oven on the stove top, then sauté the onion and tomato paste.
- Stir in the carrots, mushrooms, and celery and sauté again, stirring only occasionally.
- Add the spices and deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan for more flavor. Add the imitation “beef” broth and bring to a boil.
- Simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until thickened.
- Serve warm and as desired.
Not only does this stew taste amazing, but its so nourishing too! It’s packed with veggies like carrots and mushrooms, which are a great source of vitamins and fiber. The rich wine-infused broth is absolutely loaded with umami flavor – I love dunking a crusty piece of bread in it to make the delicious flavor last even longer!
COOKING TIPS + FAQ
- How can I add more protein? Mushrooms do a great job of imitating a beefy texture in this stew, but you can easily add in some beans like cannellini beans or chickpeas for more protein, or even some imitation vegan beef tips! I also love to add seared tempeh to my stews sometimes for extra texture.
- Want even more veggies? Turnips, rutabaga, and parsnips are all also common stew ingredients. You can replace the potatoes with any of these vegetables for a low-carb version, or simply add them in to add even more variety.
- Storage: Leftover stew can be store in airtight containers or jars in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to two months.
If you’re looking for more hearty vegan soup recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan Zuppa Toscana, this One Pot Vegan Lasagna Soup, and this Vegan Mushroom Udon Noodle Soup! Or try out this Slow Cooker Vegan Pot Roast for a similar (but less soupy) flavor!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintCozy Vegan Stew with Mushrooms
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
Category: Main
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This cozy Vegan Stew is packed with chunks of meaty mushrooms, tender veggies, and hearty potatoes in a rich red wine broth. The perfect cozy and wholesome dish to serve on a chilly winter day.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 3–5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 16 ounces (450 g) cremini mushrooms, cut in half or quartered*
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3–5 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup (235 mL) dry red wine* (I used merlot; or sub more broth)
- 1 pound (450 g) small Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
- 2 cups (475 mL) vegan beef-flavored vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups (350 mL) water
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Aromatics: Warm the oil over medium-high in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion once warm and sauté for 3 minutes, until translucent and slightly golden. Stir the tomato paste in with the onion and fry for 1 minute. Then, add in the carrot, celery, and mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring only every 1 to 2 minutes or to get seared edges.
- Spices: Add the flour, smoked paprika, black pepper, and garlic to the pot and stir well. Sauté for 1 minute, then add in the thyme and bay leaf. Deglaze the pot with red wine and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to get the browned bits (aka flavor!) into the broth.
- Broth: Add the potatoes, broth and water to the pot, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Uncover the pot, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The stew is done once the potatoes are fork-tender and the broth has reduced and thickened. If the stew gets too thick for your liking, thin it out with additional broth or water.
- Serve: Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve warm; leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in an airtight jar or container in the freezer for up to two months.
Notes
- Mushrooms: my mushrooms were on the smaller side, so I only cut them in half, but if yours are larger you can quarter them too. You can also use a variety of mushrooms here if you’d like – shiitake or oyster mushrooms would be great.
- Flour: sub the flour for equal parts of a gluten-free flour blend or brown rice flour.
- Wine: I used a merlot for this recipe. If you do not cook with alcohol, replace the wine with 2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar + the remaining liquid with vegetable broth
17 comments
It looks so delicious, I’ll try it too. Thank you for the recipe, I am sure it will taste very good.
You’re welcome!
Tried this on a cold April night out here in Ontario Canada and let me tell you. It was incredible. So hearty, so filling and incredibly cozy. I used balsamic instead of red wine (thank you for the alcohol free suggestion!). I added some dried mushrooms + their broth and a half tsp of rosemary. It was comfort in a bowl and I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
★★★★★
Delicious- used gf flour & white wine & russet potatoes. We love this recipe!!
★★★★★
Thank you as always, Caresse!
Awesome
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so good! I didn’t use mushrooms or celery and threw some rehydrated soy curls in there when adding the potatoes and also added some frozen peas about 5 min from being done. I added about 3/4 to 1 cup more broth to account for the soy curls soaking up some.
★★★★★
Nice! Soy curls are also great for this.
This is so good! Reminds me of an old fashioned beef stew, except it is full of tasty vegetables. Added a few parsnips and peas at the end. Will make this again for sure. It is a cold snowy day in Toronto Canada and this was the perfect dinner. Just love these cozy recipes! Thanks Caitlin!
★★★★★
That sounds delicious, Rita! I love the addition of parsnips
Super yummy! I added a couple hand fulls of pasta because carbs are my jam and I wanted a thicker broth tonight. This is definitely my favorite soup that imitates a “beef” stew
★★★★★
Thank you for this delicious recipe. This was a classic staple as a kid. I decided to add some TVP and green beans. A slice of bread and vg butter and I was a child again. I’ll be making this again over the cold Midwest winter.
You’re so very welcome, Diane!
Fantastic
★★★★★
Thank you, Kyle!
Delicious: hearty but not heavy. Quartered mushrooms FTW.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it, An!