Hearty Vegan Stew With Potatoes

This Hearty Vegan Stew With Potatoes is the perfect old-fashioned stew for cold nights.  It has a thick and warming broth and is full of carrots, celery, potatoes and herbs. Serve with a crusty piece of bread.

This vegetarian stew has great flavor from the fresh vegetables and dried herbs. It reminds me of a vegan beef stew (without any meat substitutes). The chunky vegetables make this stew a hearty meal, especially if served with biscuits or bread.

Making the Hearty Vegetable Stew

To start, prepare your vegetables.  Dice a medium yellow onion, the mushrooms, and the celery. I like cremini mushrooms, white button or baby bella mushrooms in this cozy vegan stew.  Peel and chop the carrots.

In a large pot, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  If you want to make this oil free, substitute vegetable broth for the oil.  Add the chopped onions, mushrooms, celery and carrots to the pot and stir.  Sauté the veggies for 7 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, peel and dice the potatoes and set aside.

Add in the oregano, garlic powder, thyme, black pepper, sage and salt and stir well.

Add the flour and stir while cooking for an additional minute.

Add the soy sauce and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the remainder of the ingredients: the vegetable stock, balsamic vinegar, potatoes, and the bay leaves.  Use the spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the “brown bits”.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 35 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves, stir and serve the hearty stew.  Once cool, store the leftover stew in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

FAQ

Are stews healthy?

Usually yes!  This savory stew certainly is as it’s full of vegetables.

What vegetables go well in stew?

I love potatoes in stew but mostly any vegetable can work.  Corn, onions, carrots, green peas, celery, kale, sweet potatoes and green beans are delicious in stew.

Can this be made oil-free?

Yes.  If you are eating oil-free you can just eliminate the olive oil and cook the veggies in a little vegetable broth.

Can this be made in a slow cooker?

For best results, I’d follow the recipe through adding the tomato paste and soy sauce in a regular pot.  Then, pour the cooked veggies and herbs into the crock pot.  Add a little veggie broth to the bottom of the pot to deglaze it and pour that into the crock pot.  Add the rest of the ingredients and set it to high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Can I add some plant based meat to this?

If you prefer having plant meat, you can add some soy curls to this.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes you can do this easily. Instead of using flour as a thickener, you'll need to make a cornstarch slurry. Do not add any flour to the vegetables. Instead, you need to add 2 tablespoon cold water to about 2 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl and stir well. Add this slurry to the pot while the stew is simmering.

Summary

I love eating cozy stews in the winter but this is my family’s favorite stew.  The herbs and savory broth give it an amazing flavor.  It’s delicious with Easy Vegan Drop Biscuits, crusty bread or crackers.  Try this rich and chunky stew on a cold evening. It also tastes even better the next day!

Interested in other vegan soups?  Check out:

• Ultimate Vegan Crock Pot Chili
• The Best Vegan Mulligatawny Soup
• White Bean and Kale Soup With Potatoes (Vegan)