I love stews. They're so thick and filling, and I make sure mine is chock full of good healthy starches and veggies.
Like this recipe for my Hearty Vegetable Stew.
I normally make a big pot of Chili to take for my work lunches, but yesterday I pulled this one out of the recipe folder, and boy am I glad I did! I forgot how GOOD this was!
It has all the qualities I love in a great stew
Thick
Rich
Chunky
Hearty
Filling
Flavorful
It's also very low-fat and perfectly Vegan (of course).
In fact, as my kids would say, this Hearty Vegetable Stew is the BOMB!
Pair it up with a nice, warm hunk of homemade bread, and you'll be thanking me later I promise you.
It may look like a lot of work, but honestly, it's worth it.
Hearty Vegetable Stew
Hearty Vegetable Stew | Brand New Vegan
I have made this several ways over the years, and since I just made this last night I thought I'd update the recipe, include a few new photos, and re-post it.
Many people have asked about leaving out the wine in my recipes, I think it adds a really rich flavor but if you cannot have wine, additional veggie broth or water will work as well.
Lastly, many of my non-US readers have asked about Kitchen Bouquet. It is simply a browning sauce, mostly used for coloring. I like the rich color it gives my food, with the bit of additional sweetness, but it is completely optional if you cannot find it or choose to leave it out.
I know Amazon has it, and I'll include a link here. But I also found this on the web for possible substitutions....
Depending on what flavour would go with what you are making, you could try Worcestershire Sauce (vegan), soy sauce, instant coffee granules or Bisto gravy mix, though the latter will also thicken the item a bit.
Hearty Vegetable Stew
- Yield: 12 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup/Stew
- Cuisine: American
Description
A Hearty Vegetable Stew chock full of healthy starches, veggies, mushrooms, and a rich savory broth. Paired with a thick slice of homemade bread - perfect.
Ingredients
Roux
- 1 small Onion ((minced))
- 1 clove Garlic ((minced))
- 1 rib Celery ((minced))
- 1 Carrot ((minced))
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth ( )
Stew
- 1 large Onion ((chopped))
- 8 oz Button Mushrooms ((sliced))
- 8 oz Portobello Mushrooms ((sliced))
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- ½ cup Red Wine (or broth) ((but the wine really adds a good flavor))
- 3 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth ( )
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Pepper
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes - no salt added ((15oz))
- 2 medium Carrots ((chopped))
- 2 ribs Celery ((chopped))
- 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes ((chopped))
- 1 can Tomato Sauce ((8oz))
- ½ tsp Kitchen Bouquet ((optional for color))
- 1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Tbs Cornstarch
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
Instructions
- Mince the carrot, celery stalk, and small onion for the roux very fine.
- Saute this mixture in ¼ cup of veggie broth until the veggies are nice and soft.
- Add the large chopped onion and continue cooking until softened.
- It’s ok if the liquid gets a little low – the brown bits add to the flavor.
- Add the mushrooms and cook on medium high until they lose their liquid.
- Season with the rosemary and italian seasoning.
- Add the wine and deglaze any brown spots in your pan. (This is the good stuff!)
- After a few minutes add the rest of the broth, the tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Add all your chopped veggies and turn the heat up to boil.
- Add the rest of the seasonings – but not the cornstarch.
- Once it’s boiling, turn down the heat to low and add the peas.
- Mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir this in to thicken.
- Simmer to desired consistency.
ap
Should the pot boil with the lid on or off?
Chuck Underwood
Your choice really. Just remember with the lid off, more moisture will evaporate basically thickening the stew. If you like the consistency as it is, leave the lid on! Hope that helps and enjoy!
Tina
My stomach is growling!!! So going to make this tonight! Just bought some Bouquet yesterday after your gravy post...yum, yum, yum... I've used Bouquet before but was out. It's a great little helper in the kitchen!!!
Chuck Underwood
I always have a bottle!
Helen Arena
Would Gravy Master work the same?
Sara
I'm making your vegan stew today, from 2016, I googled hearty vegan as it's winter here in Oz..
Just what I was searching for
Vegans rule (well, they should) ???
diane
Looks fabulous. Can't wait to make it. How about serving with some of your yummy biscuits too?
toni
Making tomorrow. Cold and windy. Sounds wonderful. Have all ingredients except wine so I'll add some extra broth. Thanks for the recipe.
Paul Mumby
As a vegetarian Brit, I thought I'd point out that Worcester Sauce is neither vegan not vegetarian. Hendersons relish which is a similar from Yorkshire is a great alternative.
Chuck Underwood
There is such a thing as vegan Worcestershire sauce - without anchovies.
Celeste Miller
Loved this! I doubled the recipe and served it for 20 people, served with garlic bread. I added 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit, and I didn't have cornstarch. No leftovers!
dfwenigma
I'm going to serve with these yummy rolls that are freeze and bake - and apparently have no butter (so no dairy). They were stupendous last time. I got them at a fairly standard mid-western grocery chain in the freezer case.
Tracey B
What is the nutritional info? I am calorie counting.
Jo Fitz
As made, it would be < 200 calories per bowl. I added chick peas, black beans and corn instead of peas, also jicama, butternut and chayote squash and it still came out at less than 200 calories. if you took a jugful out and used a stick blender to puree it, then added it back, you could thicken it without the cornflour.
★★★★★
Julie Freudenthal
Would 1 serving be about 1 cup? When I made it I ate 2 cups lol. Because it was delicious!!!!!
★★★★★
The Study Hacks Guide
I think im starting to fall in love with all your stew posts :)))
Chuck Underwood
Awwww. Glad you like them!
dfwenigma
I live in a Vegan household - my significant other is Vegan. The vegan world is a tough one because you have to watch everything that's doesn't come from the earth and then some. Also things will say vegetarian that aren't vegan. And honestly I've fumbled quite a few times. I've made some awful Vegan recipes - not yours of course. This one is just delicious. The smells right now coming from my kitchen are stupendous. You're a gifted chef.
Karen Brandon Peacock
This looks delicious & I'll be sure to try it soon! You asked a while back about how we like your new website layout. I'm a little frustrated with it, to be honest, because the top portion "hangs" so low over everything, even when I scroll down, and on the bottom portion, there's a big advertisement. It feels like I can see very little of the recipe. I know I can X out the lower advertisement, but it takes time to do that each time I look at a new recipe. I believe I like your old layout much better...
Sandee Protzmann
Just wanted to say thank you again:) you have one of the best vegan recipe sites. Not only are your recipes delicious but they are so easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find or are already in my kitchen:) thanks again and have a great day:)
Chuck Underwood
Awww Thank You SO much Sandee!
Taylor
Delicious! I didn't have white wine, so I used red. I added some allspice and a whole clove and I made a roux because I didn't have cornstarch. Great recipe! My first attempt at making vegan stew was a success! Thanks!
dfwenigma
I guess the recipe must have been changed because no white wine was noted. Red wine was. Or perhaps you subbed white for red. Not a huge deal but the comment was a bit confusing. I wonder whether the roux makes a better thickener or not. I'm inclined to make a roux because I think if you use some of the juice - even a bit - with water it tends to blend better.I might add the allspice and whole clove that does sound good.
mcddeb
Just made this today. Very good. I hate when people say I made it exactly as listed BUT. LOL! However, I did make this as instructed, except I only had one small Yukon gold, but I had a Jewel sweet potato - a white flesh sweet potato, so added it as well, with some quick cooking bulgur as I didn't have seitan. This is so good. I think next time I will chop the carrots smaller, they are still a little firm and everything else is cooked through. Great flavor, no one would ever miss having beef with this. It tastes a little sweet though I didn't add any sweetner - think it's the sweet potato?
Alex
I ate this w/o carrots and mushrooms and it was really good! For our last leftovers we added a little brown rice which made it perfect.
Misfit1723
Made this tonight but somehow turned into a 3 hour project
jojo
I don't see when to add the Kitchen Bounty in the instructions... had everything for this in the kitchen except that and made a special trip to the store. Am I missing it? Wouldn't be the first time :).
Kandy
I believe it will be in step 10 when it says to add the rest of the seasonings. It mostly adds color (deepens it).
Sanda Backus
Can I use red wine vinegar instead of red wine? if so, how much?
And when do I add the balsamic vinegar?
And lastly, I dont have rosemary but have Italian seasoning, can I omit the rosemary and if so, should I substitute something else for it OR should I double the Italian seasoning???
K Adkisson
Just made this awesome stew. The only thing I did different was that I added Kirkland no salt seasoning which added a great kick. My meat eating husband loved it and had 2 bowls already. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe Chuck. I'm enjoying so many of your recipes.
K Adkisson
I wanted to check in with you. I know mom is emailing us and I talked with her yesterday but I want to be of help to her and your dad. I'm not sure if I need to go to Houston now or wait. What are your plans? Mom sometimes doesn't communicate everything if you know what I mean?
K Adkisson
This recipe was awesome. The only thing I did was add Kirkland no salt seasoning and it added a nice kick. My meat eating husband liked it and had 2 bowls already. Thanks for sharing this recipe along with all your other great recipes.
Rcktscience
Made this stew last night and it was phenomenal! I added some crushed red pepper flakes, but followed everything else as written. This stew served with cornbread muffins made me feel like a kid again. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Rachel
Made this stew last night and it was so so good! Great new recipe to add to my list of vegetarian/vegan comfort foods. Will definitely make again.
Kristina
How can I make this in my new Instant Pot?? Thanks!
Sarika
I was just thinking the SAME THING!!!!
Chuck Underwood
I already have a recipe....
https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/instant-pot-veggie-stew
Tim Welch
My potatoes still aren't cooked. I don't get it. Boiling for a short time and simmering for a long time does not cook potatoes completely. What am I missing here?
Saitoh
I would parboil them a bit myself.
Kay Walls
Made this. LOVED IT! No swaps, tweaks or additions necessary. Will definitely make this again. Love your recipes. Love what you do. Thank you!
Manifestly Covariant
Twenty minutes prep, likewise cook? No way.
It took me 3+ hours to get this dish to an edible state.
Pissed off everyone in the house.
Meg Freeman
It took me 2 and a half hours!! I tried it last week, we do not get pissed off though as that is a rude way to look on life, it is a lovely recipe. It lasted us three days so it was worth the time to cook ???
Taylor McCartney
What pot or pan did you make this in???
AliceDub
It neeeded to cook far longer than I thought so I'm glad I started early! I used a couple bay leaves instead of rosemary because my family doesn't care for it, but this was thumbs up from everyone including the teen boy! This will be a keeper for fall & winter comfort food. Served it with rustic sourdough bread and a spinach salad with apples, red onion, dried cranberries and pecans.
Meg Freeman
With all the prep and cooking time it took me 2 hours and 30 minutes. I didn’t change a thing.
I made it without kitchen Bouquet.
Instead i added a tablespoon of both dried rosemary and italian seasoning for more flavour.
I used one large white onion for mincing
And one large red onion for chopping.
I used white and chestnut mushrooms.
Within the last step of the recipe, i prepared dumplins made from vegetable suet before hand. So i added the dumplins after the cornstarch, put a lid on my pan and on the lowest heat simmered for 25 minutes, i then needed to add more corn starch for a thicker consistancy so i added another tablespoon and returned to cook for a further 15 with the lid on.
Served with basmati rice weirdly enough, was a fiance’s request.
Was lovely. Will make again.
This lasted us three days of dinners! So worth the cook and i enjoyed making this dish! In my recipe book!!
But bare in mind it isnt a 40 minute meal to make unless you are a pro!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Nancy Ann Lebeau
Didn't change a thing, except..... LOL
Meg Freeman
Lol ??♀️
Clare Fisher
How does this keep in the fridge or for freezing? It's just it has mushrooms and I find they never keep well
Rabbit
Yes, how does it go freezing and for how long? How long does it keep in the fridge al so?
Dawn Burton
I have no experience with wine whatsoever. Any particular red wine that I should use?
michael joyce
simple red cooking wine is fine. if you want a fuller taste, use a bordeaux, a pinot noir for a lighter tasted. If you have a favorite wine, use that. Cheers!
Beth Hemstreet
we loved this recipe. i didn't have any red wine on hand so didn't add it. there isn't too much left for tomorrow because we couldn't stop eating it.
Lin Kreisz
My husband and I transitioned to a vegan diet 6 weeks ago and so I am constantly looking for new recipes to keep things interesting. I really like it that you use foods that are readily available because we live in Baja California and some things can be hard to find. And I like it that you worked at making recipes that mimic lots of the favorites from our carnivore days.
I made this vegetable stew today with a few tweaks to suit our tastes and we thought it was great alongside a crusty baguette! The red wine is important for a more distinct taste.
I read some comments re time prep and I found that it took me less than an hour. It is important to cut your vegetable sizes according to "firmness" because some cook a lot faster than others. I usually hold back on my potatoes for a few minutes and add the peas once everything is done so avoid mushiness. Hubby prefers his veggies tender crisp so I'm careful on the timing.
Thanks for sharing with us!
Nancy Ann Lebeau
Just finished making this stew, it smells really good. It took me 45 minutes to complete, this is including looking everywhere for the kitchen bouquet and the mise en place. As most stews are better the next day, we'll have this only tomorrow...can't wait!
AJ
For Aussies - a half teaspoon of Vegemite does very nicely in place of browning sauce. It adds a richness and depth of flavour without being overpowering. I frequently use it in stews - and a few gravy recipes, too.
★★★★★
Susan
Made a pot stivetop. Skipped the small dicing portion. Didn't use the bouquet. Didn't have rosemary. Used bay leaf, marjoram, in addition to the rest of ingredients. S more if a soup consistency. But, Wowza. Better than any restaurant. Thank you!
★★★★★
Gail
Could this be made in a crockpot? Any changes needed to do that?
DeAnne
Made this in my slow cooker. Small chopped the initial carrots, onions, celery in my food processor to get small. Used baby Yukon golds cut in quarters, baby carrots (didn’t chop) and 8 oz baby Bella’s sliced. After the sautéing I put everything in the crockpot & cooked on medium for 2 hours. Everything cooked nicely and tasted fantastic. Served with some sourdough bread. I threw in some frozen squash I had instead of half the mushrooms because I’m not a huge mushroom fan. Took me 40 minutes from start to putting it all on slow cooker
Patti Rock
I made this today in preparation for a big storm coming tomorrow!
It was super delicious the first day so I know it will be even better tomorrow. I added some ciabatta bread and vegan butter on the side.
Thank you for creating a greta vegan stew!
★★★★★
Michael Innis
I made this today, but substituted red kidney beans for mushrooms, and added some turmeric and fresh cilantro. Delicious! Thanks!
★★★★★
Tracey
I’m on my second helping now. This is amazing!!!! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Amanda
Is it possible to make this in a crock pot?
Angie
Is there nutritional information available? Would this work for fat loss like the cabbage soup if I eat it all week? I have most all of these ingredients,
Chuck Underwood
I usually don't post nutritional info because all the calculators are so different with different numbers.
peggy f lebensfeld
Chuck i love your recipes so much I want to marry you!!!...you make me appear to be a great chef in my family lol
Megan
I just made this. It's so delicious. It's going to be my go to stew recipe. You are genius, thank you!
★★★★★
Sue
Made this today and it was delicious! I didn't have Kitchen Bouquet, and skipped the cornstarch thickener, but it was still rich and brown, just lovely. So glad to have found this site. Thank you, Chuck!
★★★★★
Andrea
This was amazing!!! I only made 2 changes. I used Herbs de Provance because I didn't have Italian seasoning and I added a couple chopped up Morning Star faux sausages, because I have 2 growing, teenage sons. Finding comfort foods that my sole meat eater in the family will eat has been difficult, but this one passed the test.
★★★★★
Michael G
ANOTHER fine recipe! Very flavorful. I follow the recipe exact other than I like to add a little extra potato to make it a bit more hearty, and I also dont cook all of the mushroom juice away. Doing so tends to darken the stew color and add a bit more room flavor. After a few days I mix it up a bit and serve over rice. Thanks Chuck.
★★★★★
Rebeka
Fantastic recipe. I made this for my omnivore parents and they loved it!
★★★★★
ashley
Omg. So delicious! Love this recipe. Will definitely do again. I did add herbs de Provence and red pepper flakes for seasoning. This is a winner!
★★★★★
Tanysha Jeffree
Love it! I blasted the veggies needing to be minced in a food processor with the grate attachment to save time. Then I subbed the mushrooms with beef style TV P pieces. (whole packet because YOLO) and used beef style stock instead of veg stock. Potatoes and carrots are cooked perfectly.. Amazing!
★★★★★
Hannes
Just for this recipe I brought some bottles Kitcen Bouquet from my US west coust trip. I am living in Europe.
So, so good.
★★★★★
Jill
Hi Chuck. Have you ever tried making this in the Instant Pot? If so, how much time??
Chuck Underwood
I have a separate recipe just for the IP. Search for Instant Pot Veggie Stew
Amanda
I made this almost exactly as written, didn’t use any mushrooms whatsoever, no kitchen bouquet, and. I balsamic.
INSTEAD of regular broth, I use homemade Parmesan broth which I made right before. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/parmesan-broth-51259410/amp
For the love of god, make and use this broth. This broth made the stew arguably the best stew or soup I’ve ever made. I used the red wine (a must). Even with a more buttery, nutty Parmesan broth used instead of regular vegetable with the tomato based stew, it works amazingly. I’m shocked at how good it is. I also added a whole lemon’s worth of juice to the stew, used dry herbs because that’s all I had, and added a bit extra red wine to the minced veggies while they were sautéing.
Best ever! So happy with this stew I’ll never make a different vegetable stew now.
★★★★★
Susan
I am sure the broth tastes great, but it is not a vegan option.
Amy
Step 2. How do you sauté vegetables in broth? Doesn’t sauté mean lightly fry in some sort of oil or fat?
Chuck Underwood
I guess that is the standard Webster's Definition. Only we don't use oil. We use water or broth.
Sandra
My husband and I just bought an Instant Pot today and searching for recipes, I discovered your site! This was our first attempt and wow, is this delicious! Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This is a keeper. I happened to have 1/2 of can of tomato paste in the fridge to be used up so I used this instead of the tomato sauce. I added 1T of the spices. Other than that, I used your recipe for the ingredients. We cut the potatoes pretty large like 3/4 to 1" so I used the slow cook version on MORE for about 2.5 hours and it needed more. I'm going to try it at 4 hours next time. Otherwise, it looks like I just need 15 minutes on the MANUAL setting for the pressure cooker option.
★★★★★
Richard E Ahern
New to vegan would be helpful if you would add prep time in cook time 2 recipes.
Betsy
Made this twice and I'm really not a vegetable stew/soup eater, but I love this one! Finally a good stew! I'm actually making it right now for company in town! Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Johanne
Hard potatoes and carrots (it was cooked for at least 2 hrs). I figured out it’s from cooking in acid. I found this disappointing. The flavours were nice though.
★
Chuck Underwood
Sorry you had a problem, hundreds of others absolutely love it.
Tammy Snowden
I made it again today. We love this recipe. I must learn how to use my food processor. The only complaint of this recipe is the time it takes to cut the vegetables. Thank for sharing.
★★★★★
Andy Kinslow
What about cooking in a crockpot?
Chuck Underwood
sure - it would work fine.
Sophie
This stew was amazing! I used a teaspoon of marmite in place of the Kitchen Bouquet along with a couple drops of liquid smoke and served over basmati rice. My boyfriend agreed, we'll definitely be making it again and again this winter! Thank you for the hearty recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Kim
Would this be suitable for the Mary's mini if I leave out. Any oil and the wine?
Chuck Underwood
I think the idea of a MM is for it to be boring....if I was doing another MMN I know I could easily overeat this.
Crystal
Just made thissrew tonight. It’s wonderful! Going in the dinner rotation. May even go in a lunchbox cold.
★★★★★
Donna Groden
I made the vegetable stew last night and it was delicious. Thank you, Chuck, for always coming through with delicious recipes.
★★★★★
Chelsea
So yummy! I added Worcestershire and used frozen corn instead of peas.
★★★★★
Goldie
Hi there, I was wondering if you have ever tried or if anyone’s tried using vegan beef broth instead of veggie broth for a more stew flavour?! I’m sure veggie would be fine but I only have the veggie based beef broth on hand right now and I’ve been dying to make this recipe!!!
★★★★★
Chuck Underwood
I have honestly never heard of vegan beef broth.... If anything I'd check the sodium, because I know other broth's can be loaded with it.
Patti
Made this last night. Delicious. This is a keeper, and I’ve tried more than a few vegan stew recipes. Thanks!
Millicent
I made this a couple of days ago for dinner. I followed it almost exactly, just left out celery because it's one of the few veggies I hate!! I also used passata instead of canned tomatoes as that was all I had. It turned out great. I would recommend par-boiling the potatoes and carrots if you wish to decrease the cooking time (I was hungry and impatient!), but otherwise it was easy to prepare and most of the ingredients I already had on hand 🙂 There are conveniently lots of leftovers to keep me going for the rest of week. Thanks for a tasty and healthy recipe. I will definitely make it again.
★★★★
Pamela
Absolutely delicious recipe! I made a batch for 5 dinner guests and was so pleased with the results. It looks just like the picture. I did not use rosemary, kitchen bouquet or frozen peas. The wine (to me) is essential for a great taste. I added diced butternut squash with the potatoes and threw in some kale toward the end. To get a thicker stew, I added three Tablespoons of cornstarch and water. I served the stew with a side of steamed string beans and a green salad with olive oil and rice vinegar dressing, which paired nicely with the thick stew. You can't go wrong with this recipe. It probably won't freeze well because of the potatoes. On the other hand, it will last a few days in the fridge. Try it!
Tonia Weber
Please let me know exactly how long to cook once you add the vegetables. Looks delicious and would like to make. Thank you.
Alexia
Hello! I just finished putting this all in the crock pot after sauteing the veggies a bit to help them cook down. I realized that I added a 14 oz can of tomato sauce and the stew smells quite tomatoey. Does anyone have a recommendation on how to tone that flavor down a bit?
Many thanks,
Alexia
Jessica
Oh my gosh. I've made this a couple times now and it is amazing. It is by far one of my favorite stews! The only thing I'm missing is kitchen bouquet, but that's because I'm having a really hard time finding it.
★★★★★
Susan
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Chuck Underwood
Yes
Lisa Smith
Parisian sauce is a browning sauce in Australia and available in supermarkets.
Indie
it's not too bad, although a bit too tomaty, I wouldn't use the whole can of tomatoes
★★★★
Bernadette
This is a good recipe that you can play around with depending upon what ingredients you have on hand. I added swede and turnip as well as a can of chick peas. I used miso paste mixed with water to provide a delicious flavour and gravy-like consistency. Prefer not to use processed sauces. Flavour and texture of this dish improves the day after cooking.
★★★★
Ruby
My grandmother who has been very ill came over for lunch today and, I wanted a hearty and nourishing meal that catered to my vegetarian sister and I, but that would satisfy non-vegan relatives. This stew was the answer! She loved it and left in much better spirits, with a container of stew for her lunch tomorrow! Thank you so much! The wine in particular gives a really full rounded taste.
★★★★★
Chad Burnett
I have made this before and my family has always LOVED it, but I have always just assumed that you forgot to mention adding the minced garlic clove in at the beginning so that is what I have been doing, but I wonder if that is correct? Did you mean for it to be added in when I add the remaining vegetables towards the end?
★★★★★
Arlene
Would you happen to have the nutrition values... calories etc?
★★★★★
Chuck Underwood
I don't normally add that because it's so subjective to what brands you use, what a serving is to you, even the software that calculates it, etc.
Shelly
Made it this evening and it is delicious. Easy to make and having a second bowl now. Lol
TravelBugInNJ
I never comment on recipes, but it felt necessary in this instance. I'm sure this stew will be delicious if it ever finishes cooking. It would be nice and very helpful if Mr. Underwood provided some timing guidelines aside from "after a few minutes" and "simmer to desired consistency." This is far too vague and has left me frustrated. I can see from the comments other cooks feel the same. I thought I had read enough of them to get a sense of the recipe, but clearly I had not. It is nice to know up front if something is a 45 minute recipe or a three hour extravaganza. That way we can plan accordingly. I would have made it a different day had I known how long the darn simmering would take. My vegetables were not cut too large. Any smaller and it would have been silly. In light of the extensive simmering (and yet the sauce has not thickened in the least even though I used the cornstarch as directed), the peas were added far too soon. They should be tossed in during the last 4-5 minutes of cooking (whenever that is!) so they remain bright and have that little 'pop' when you eat them, not overcooked and mushy. I fear the potatoes will never been done. Mr. Underwood, would you please take a moment to update your delicious recipe so those of us who are trying to duplicate it can do so with a better understanding if what is involved?
Chuck Underwood
That's too bad. SO MANY people have made this as written - and loved it.
Lisai73
WOW looks amazing! I'm going to try this... the picture looks wonderful... a nice easy, tasty but healthy stew. Thanks for posting!
Approximately how much time should I give myself to prepare/cook before it will be ready to serve?
I always bug my parents for never teaching me to cook even basic meals... like kraft dinner lol. I am the worst and ruin the easy dishes all the time... I'm pretty certain there are basic assumptions even the novice knows shouldn't need saying... that being said I'm "that person" who has zero intuition or comfort using my own judgement preparing food and would struggle in the same areas TravelBug did as well.
As I read it I was first thinking "maybe everyone knows you precook the chopped veggies before adding them to prepared broth... but then i thought cooking them in the broth would be key to infusing flavour so Im going to assume to chop the veggies quite small and boil until i notice the potato consistency change before turning it down.
Thanks TravelBug for the note on adding peas just before removing from heat so they stay crisp.
I'll let you know how it goes:-)
Debbie
I just finished my second helping tonight. While, it did take longer than I expected, I think the extended simmering time might have made it even more flavorful.
Eliane Lalonde
I make this and am in love everytime! thank you!
★★★★★
Julie Van Hoosen
Delicious! An instant classic. We made this vegan stew last night.. savory, satisfying, and oh so yummy. I served it with corn bread and Shared with my vegetarian and non vegetarian family who all loved it! I altered very little only due to ingredient availability on hand; I added my own seasoning blend as I was out of Italian seasoning blend, Added cubed sweet potato, didn’t add chopped celery, did not have bouquet, swapped out corn for peas, and also added lots of garlic. Thank you for such clear, well laid out directions . Will definitely make again.
Marianne
Am making your recipe now - just waiting for this to finish cooking - smells amazing - worth all the chopping involved - cooktime is half hour after all the items added - I will be freezing in single portions -just inquiring what size bowls being referred to as quantity lists 12 bowls? Thanks in advance.
Debbie
I'm eating this right now and it is delicious! I didn't use the kitchen bouquet or salt and I added kidney beans to it at the end. The broth is so flavorful. I used red wine. I will definitely be making this again and again!! It did take a long time for my carrots to get tender enough, but it was so worth the wait!
Yolanda Amor Allan
Hi Chuck, my mouth is watering! Going to make this recipe at the weekend. I am in UK and have found an equivalent seasoning sauce at Sainsburys supermarket that looks almost identical 'Maggi Liqud Seasoning.. I'll let you know how it goes!
★★★★★
Matt
I usually don't comment on food sites. But I thought I would with this recipe. It was super. About half the ingredients came from our garden, so that was good.
Couple of observations.
Yes, it's a bit of a pain to prepare. Mincing, chopping, etc. Took about 30-45 minutes to get it all sorted.
Good idea on boiling the celery, onion, carrots in the first step. I decided to add some olive oil, and that seemed to work fine. I think the extra liquid kept them from drying out too quickly.
I used our own red potatoes rather than the Yukon Gold. That was fine.
I used our own plum tomatoes, chopped, in place of the canned. As with the potato variation, that was also fine.
Skipped the Kitchen Bouquet because I don't know what that is.
Directions were excellent. I wish all recipes would be succinct and precise like this one.
I used the Better than Bouillon brand of stock. Regular, no low sodium.
Re salt and pepper. Even with the regular sodium bouillon, I still needed to add a bit of salt and pepper when it was done. Personal preference in any case.
I thought the rosemary and Italian seasoning was just right. Nice flavor mix.
This was one of the rare instances when the end result of my cooking looked just like the photo with the recipe.
★★★★★
Krysten
the ingredients list garlic but the instructions don't mention using the garlic at all.
Zara
This was fantastic! I only wish there was more since it went so quickly. I followed recipe as written, thank you for this one!
★★★★★
Stan Jeffries
I understand I'm coming to the party way too late here but if the Worcestershire Suace mentioned in the recipe is the same as in the UK it's not vegan. The UK version contains fish.
★★★★
Joan
There's a vegan brand of Worcestershire sauce (Wizard) and some that are accidentally vegan.
Mark
Hi, preparing to make this but it does not mention how long it should be cooked? for example, the potatoes? Do I preboil them?
Barbara Guarnuccio
This was absolutely delicious! It’s very important to follow the steps in the recipe—-especially getting the vegetables to brown and then de-glaze the pan with wine. I am definitely going to make this again!
★★★★★
Dr. Esther
Made this today in light of the cold front here in Texas. Have to take advantage on the few occasions. I mostly followed the instructions. I added olive oil to the initial step and tripled the garlic. Love me some garlic. I swapped one potato for turnip. Overall was so tasty but I was surprised to find it on the sweet side. I didn’t add any sweeteners but did include the tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (which was on the ingredient list but not in the cooking directions). Any idea why it was sweet?
★★★★★
Marian
I wondered about where to add the balsamic during the process, too. I think when it says, "add the rest of your seasonings," it's meant to go there.
Wendy
New vegan trying my first vegan recipe so please bear with me. Should the mushrooms be fresh or does or did anyone use canned.
Obviously I've never seen Portobello canned but I have seen the little button mushrooms in a can. I also know that the fresh would be better all-around but I'm just trying to be able to do this on a slim budget since I spent about every penny I have on Christmas gifts already.
Also I do know that dishes such like this get better and better on days two and three if you have any left..
Chuck Underwood
I have used canned mushrooms many times. I just make sure to give them a good rinse first.
John
Fantastic!
★★★★★
KT
This is really good! To weigh in on the cooking time comments, it took me about an hour once everything was in the pot for the potatoes and carrots to cook. I did think it was slightly too tomato-ey and had to add about 1 TBSP of sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Overall very yummy though!
★★★★
Brittany
Roux is vegan right? I use pre-made cajun roux to make my stews. I don't need beef to enjoy a nice stew. But I bet this would taste incredible with some portobello that's been marinating in worchstershire, soy and other "beefy" ingredients.
K. Tharp
Made this stew exactly as instructed. Admittedly it takes a bit of time to properly chop everything (relax and enjoy the journey) but the end result is worth it! I’m going to make it again today. Does this stew freeze well and if it does can it be frozen well for up to 3 months? Thanks so much for the marvelous recipe!
★★★★★
Lulu
Will always make this
★★★★★
Fae
This is my new favourite stew recipe! I've made it twice. Once exactly as written and once in the slow cooker and both came out perfectly. Thank you!
★★★★★
Dottie
The best stew ever. Added spinach with the peas. Family loved it.
★★★★★
Marian
Perhaps add an approximate cooking time for after you add the cornstarch so that we can plan ahead. I'm making it right now and can't wait to see how it turns out. Hopefully it'll be done before hubby comes home, haha.
JOAN
My 30 year old son wanted to prep some healthy food to have on hand while house/cat sitting for a friend. He chose this recipe. He wanted to whip up a large quantity .so we made a triple batch. It was really delicious with a slice of freshly homemade bread! The only substitution we made was a tiny ¼ tsp of marmite in place of the salt. You would never know that there is zero fat in this recipe. We need to make this again and again. Thanks so much for creating this great dish.
★★★★★
Michelle
This is so great that my kids ate it!! Simply delicious. Thanks for sharing 🙂
4EverAshlyn
Quadrupled the recipe tonight and made a huge pot so we have prepared meals! This was so incredibly delicious and the perfect recipe to warm up with for the fall. The red wine makes for such a robust flavour. I’m in Canada so no access to Kitchen bouquet. We used a little vegan Worcester sauce and some Bragg’s liquid aminos. Thanks for sharing this 5 star recipe!
★★★★★
leanne
Delicious! It needed more of all the spices, but otherwise perfect
★★★★★
Brandi Moran
Yum!! Thank you so much, fed to omnivore neighborfriends who LOVED IT!! We loved it as well. Used a marsala wine (since I always have on hand to make a quick marsala sauce to toss on ANYTHING!! :} ). BEAUTIFUL! For toothiness, I will always chop up some fresh onion, bells, celery and toss in just a little before serving and put some frozen corn in for a bit of different veggie texture. You did GREAT!! Thank you for this.
★★★★★
Katie
I liked it, felt like it was missing something, not sure what. I will make it again. I may try tomato paste instead.
It sure checks off all the boxes for a hearty meal.
I used my immersion blender to thicken it up. Worked great! I started early and my potatoes were cooked and yummy.
★★★★
Sarah
Flavor is incredible. I found that my veggies just did not get cooked through in a reasonable time even though I adjusted the way I put the recipe together in order to try and get them cooked through. (I added the veggies in with the seasoning/before the wine and let it boil on a higher heat for a while when all the liquids got added.) I will definitely try this recipe again but throw it in my crockpot so it's all done when I get home from work, way easier. Very tasty though!!
★★★★
Kim
Great tasting stew!! Tasted like it was made with meat. My boyfriend liked it ! He usually doesn’t eat my vegan food but this stew got to him. I left out the wine and added a tsp. Of sugar in the end. Didn’t add any else extra but what was in the recipe. This will be my go to stew recipe. Mahalo
Kim
Great recipe!! Will make again. Mahalo
★★★★★
Michelle
I made this last night and it is delicious! I used about 1/2 the mushrooms listed but subbed in butternut squash. YUM!
Dustin
That’s amazing information, Thanks for sharing and love your site
★★★★★
Meredith
This is so good! It did take a while, though, with so much chopping and no food processor. To make a speedier version in the future I might skip the mirepoix step and just start with the chunkier carrots/onions/celery and saute them on low heat. I'd also add the potatoes and the broth before the tomatoes and vinegar, maybe even simmer with the lid on for a bit to help the potatoes along before hitting them with the acids (wine, tomatoes, vinegar).
I like other people's suggestions to hit It with a stick blender towards the end to help thicken. And also to add the peas later.
I dropped some sourdough discard dumplings on mine too. Delicious!
Mandy
Wow, thank you so much for this great recipe! It's chock full of flavor and nutrients. Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Dan
Awesome stew... very tasty. I added some corn, red kidney beans and some plant based beef stock. It was hard to get our minds around the fact that there was no meat in it. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Mici Steger
Two other people have asked, but received no answer. When do you add the garlic? My cooking experience says to add it in the beginning with the carrots, celery, and onion. But it is not mentioned. Step 10 says to add the rest of the seasonings. Is this where it should be added?
Chuck Underwood
After the onion.
Carolyn
UK reader here. In place of the Kitchen Bouquet I'm planning on using Sarson's Browning. I'm not sure what 'Tomato Sauce' means in the US though. Is it like passata?
Chuck Underwood
Thinner than tomato paste. Thicker than tomato juice.
Carolyn Hilliard
Thank you. 🙂
Nicole
Damn no one replied to you. I'm UK too and was searching the comments to try and figure out what it means. I guess I'll go with passata!
Angela N.
This is a great recipe if you leave out the balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar gives it an unpleasant taste in my opinion. But excellent when excluded.
★★★★
Monica L Carten
My husband and I made this today as it was a frigid snowy day in New Mexico. My husband hates peas so we did not use. I added a large yellow neck squash at end of cooking. We had planned to add beans but we forgot to put them in! It was still delicious!
Susan
I made this the other night - it was sooo good.!!!!
I added red/yellow peppers(1/2 of each), jalepenos (1), fresh cilantro (Handful chopped)
Also I replaced basil for rosemary
I also didn’t have kitchen bouquet so I used onion gravy powder for replacement
Elsa Bua
Made this last night for a mate here in yorshire uk. It was such a sucess im cooking it again tonight for my hubby. Totally delicious. I did grill some vegan sausages and then chop them up and add it to the stew, but its also delicious without. Thanks elsa
★★★★★
Judy
This stew is excellent! My hub and I loved it, especially the gravy, so rich and tastey! So good! Will make it again and again.
★★★★★
Autumn
The recipe sounds amazing, and I am going to give it a go tonight! But I thought that I would let you know that most wines are not vegan. A lot of wines go through a process called fining, which deals with animal products. I know a lot of people don’t know this so I thought I would share.
George
I made it today. Not into onions, I left them out. I added in Ombroth from OMfoods. (Organic Matters Foods)
I put in all the other ingredients except wine, none in the house.
This smells so very good. Just waiting for the spuds to cook.
StaceyAW
I'm not sure if this was already asked (I searched through a couple comment), but you have Celery listed twice. At the top, you say one rib and at the bottom you say 2 ribs. I just wanted to make sure its not supposed to be another vegetable. Thank you.
Chuck Underwood
The first time is finely minced to make a sauce, the 2nd is as a regular ingredient.