A rich gravy and plenty of hearty vegetables come together for one delicious and comforting veggie stew recipe. Serve this vegan stew with a big hunk of bread for mopping up every last bit of sauce!
Hi friends!
Since St. Patrick’s day is just around the corner, stew and shepherd’s pie is a must, don’t you think?
This veggie stew is chock-full of hearty veggies and is super thick, just like ya want a stew to be!
If you’re heading inside after being out in the cold, this will warm ya right to your toes (and fill ya up).
Serve this vegan stew with a thick slice of homemade bread and you won’t be disappointed.
How To Make Vegetable Stew
Full details on how to make this vegan Irish stew are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- Heat some olive oil in a large pot and cook onion and garlic.
- Add mushrooms and cook.
- Stir in tomato paste.
- Add carrots, parsnips, celery, potato, rutabaga, salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Pour in broth, cover (with lid slightly ajar) and cook.
- Once done, remove and discard bay leaves.
- Stir in peas and balsamic vinegar.
- Add cornstarch slurry to thicken, along with a little more broth.
- Now it’s read to serve and enjoy!
How To Thicken Stew
A cornstarch slurry was added at the end of cook time to thicken.
You can omit if you wish.
Alternatively, if you don’t need this stew to be gluten free or vegan, feel free to add a flour roux.
To do this, add about 2 tablespoons of butter to a pan, melt, and stir in an equal amount of flour. Whisk to form a paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir into stew.
What To Serve With Stew
Enjoy this hearty veggie stew with any of these:
- Homemade bread (a must, in my opinion)
- Celeriac puree
- Mashed parsnips
- Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
- Creamy polenta
Tips and Variations
- Don’t fret if you have the exact quantities of vegetables listed. If you have less of one vegetable and more of another, just go with what you have! It’ll still taste delicious!
- Cook time could vary, depending on the thickness of your veggies and how much of a simmer you have. Just cook until the veggies are tender. If you need a little more broth to loosen, simply add more. Conversely, if you need to thicken things, add a cornstarch slurry.
- Baby bella (cremini) mushrooms are used, but you can use white button if you prefer.
- Baby potatoes are used and cut into chunks. You can use regular potatoes instead, if that’s what you prefer or have on hand.
More Comfort Food Recipes
- Cheesy Baked Gnocchi Casserole
- Farro with Vegetables and Sausage
- Meatless Lasagna (with Roasted Vegetables)
If you make this veggie stew recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Vegan Stew (Lots of Veggies!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, sliced, about 227 grams (or white button mushrooms)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into roughly ¼-inch to ½-inch chunks (about 2 to 2.5 cups)
- 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into roughly ¼-inch to ½-inch chunks (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 ribs celery, sliced into ¼-inch or so chunks (about 1. 5 cups)
- ¾ pound baby potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks (about 3 cups)
- ½ small rutabaga, peeled and cut into roughly ¼-inch to ½-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 to 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth, depending on the consistency you want
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
- Freshly chopped thyme, rosemary or parsley, garnish to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (I used an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.)
- Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion has softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add carrots, parsnip, celery, potato, rutabaga, salt, black pepper, thyme rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Pour in broth (I add 5 cups of broth to start). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat (about medium-low heat) to a simmer. Cover with lid slightly ajar, and cook 35 to 45 minutes (stirring periodically) or until veggies are tender. Remove bay leaves and discard.
- Stir in frozen peas and balsamic vinegar.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water, pour into stew, stirring through, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Add another ½ cup to 1 cup of broth and heat through if you want a looser (thinner) consistency. Note: I like to start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water and see how I like the thickness before adding more. Alternatively, you can skip this of you like.
- To serve, divide the stew into bowls and garnish (if desired) with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition (ESTIMATE ONLY)
Nutrition estimate (if provided) is based on 1 Serving.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are guidelines only.
Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
