Classic, hearty and so cozy, this vegan stew is sure to warm you up on cold nights! It’s thick and has plenty of chunky potatoes and vegetables, plus vegan “beef”!
This vegan stew will remind you of the classic stew you used to eat, but with no beef! It’s savory, rich and thick.
I love serving stew with some crusty bread or vegan biscuits for sopping up the delicious gravy at the bottom of the bowl!
I’ve used soy curls for the meat here, which I am a huge fan of. Why? They are an easy pantry item to keep on hand, they take on the flavors they are cooked with and have a wonderful chewy texture. Plus they don’t have a million ingredients, just soy and are pretty minimally processed, similar to tofu.
But if you can’t find soy curls, can’t have soy or just don’t like them, I have other options for you, so keep reading!
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Warm water
- Better than Bouillon paste – I pretty much always use this for vegetable broth. I love that the container is small in my overflowing refrigerator and the taste is great. They also have a “no chicken” broth that I enjoy, especially in my Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup recipe!
- Soy curls – see below for other options.
- Soy sauce – Use tamari for gluten free, or just leave it out.
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Flour – May substitute gluten free flour or even cornstarch/arrowroot if needed.
- Olive oil – Use water/broth for oil free.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Red wine – May leave out if needed, but it adds a lot of flavor!
- Vegetable broth
- Potatoes – I used russet, but any white or gold potato will work.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Tomato paste
- Dried rosemary
- Dried thyme
- Cornstarch – Or arrowroot, for thickening the stew.
- Frozen green peas – Fresh are fine as well, I just always have frozen on hand.
- Salt + pepper, to taste and parsley for serving, if desired.
How to prepare soy curls
Soy curls are a dried product and need to be rehydrated. Here we are going to soak them in a mixture of warm water, broth paste and soy sauce for about 10 minutes. Then toss them with garlic powder, black pepper and flour before sautéing with the onion and garlic.
What can I use instead of soy curls?
- Jackfruit – I tried a version made with jackfruit and it was pretty darn tasty! If you like jackfruit, you will love it. Simply use 2 cans of jackfruit, drained and rinsed well. Sauté along with the onion and garlic, and you can skip all the other ingredients that go with making the soy curls.
- Seitan – Buy at the store or make your own (like my vegan chicken). Cut into chunks and throw them in with the potatoes and other vegetables.
- Chopped tempeh – Probably not my favorite option, but it would work.
- Chopped up beyond/impossible burgers – Very beefy, a great choice!
Or, if you don’t want any vegan “meat” in your stew, just add a few additional potatoes and a little more vegetables for vegetable stew!
Once you prepare the soy curls, the rest of the process is simple. Sauté the onion, garlic and soy curls in a large pot for 3-4 minutes, then pour in the wine and broth. Scrape any bits from the bottom, then add the rest of the ingredients (except the cornstarch slurry).
Simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. In a small bowl make the cornstarch slurry, then slowly add and stir until the stew has thickened. Stir in the peas. That’s it!
Season with salt + pepper, to taste and garnish with parsley, if desired.
Leftovers + freezing vegan stew
Leftover stew will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and is perfect for meal prep! It can also be frozen. I love having soup/stew frozen in smaller, single serving containers for quick meals.
What to serve with stew
As I mentioned above, crusty bread or biscuits are a good choice to sop up the gravy. You can make either my Southern Style Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits or these healthier Vegan Biscuits with no oil.
Or serve stew on top of some mashed potatoes, so good!
Want more hearty, “meaty” vegan recipes?
- Ultimate Vegan Chili
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Vegan Carbonara
- Vegan Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Vegan Jambalaya
- Vegan Butter Chicken
Vegan Stew - Classic & Hearty!
Ingredients
Soy Curl "Beef"
- 3 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon better than bouillon vegetable paste*
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 8 ounce bag soy curls
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
The Rest
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup red wine may leave out if needed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 russets)
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup cornstarch*
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- salt + pepper, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Mix the warm water, better than bouillon paste and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the soy curls and soak for 10 minutes until they are rehydrated. Drain, then add back to the bowl and toss with the garlic powder, pepper and flour.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the soy curls, onion and garlic, and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Now add the wine and vegetable broth and stir, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom.
- Stir in the potatoes, carrots, celery, tomato paste, rosemary and thyme. Reduce heat to medium/low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry. Slowly add the slurry to the pot, stirring, until you have reached a thick consistency. You may not need all of the slurry.
- Stir in the peas and simmer for about 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped parsley and perhaps a side of crusty bread, biscuits or salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Other vegan "beef" options: You could use jackfruit (simply sauté with the onions and garlic, no need to soak), chopped tempeh, seitan, cut up beyond burgers or other vegan meat substitute.
- If you don't have better than bouillon, you can use 3 cups of vegetable broth for the water/paste for the soy curls.
- May substitute gluten free flour or cornstarch for the flour in the soy curl mixture.
- Arrowroot is a fine substitute for cornstarch.
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looks so YUM! I’m going to try it with Meati steak, will chop it like stew meat and see how it goes!! Thanks for all your recipes, I’ve made a bunch and they are always so tasty!!
This looks a lot like my veggie stew but mine is more simple. I live in the Deep South and in 33yrs of eating vegan, have never seen a soy curl. My recipe. In a pressure cooker place a rack in the bottom of presser cooker so vegetables don’t stick and burn. 2 lk. Diced potatoes. 1 lb. Carrots cut in sliced rounds. 1 16 Oz. bag frozen peas. 1 large onion finely chopped . 1 6 Oz. can tomato paste. Salt and pepper to taste. Place vegetables in pressure cooked in order listed. Add tomato pasta and salt and pepper. Add water to come to top of vegetables. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Quick release pressure. Remove rack in bottom of pan. Stire stew to mix vegetables. The tomato paste and potatoes will thicken sauce. Enjoy.
I really enjoy your recipes! Love your southern greens, lentil sloppy joes and baked beans recipes and they are a hit with my family, too. I would like to try this recipe and noticed the soy curls are not non gmo or organic which means they are probably sprayed with round up. Do you know of any soy products that are similar but better for us? Thank you for creating yummy recipes!