A rich gravy and plenty of hearty vegetables come together for one delicious and comforting veggie stew. 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
- Heat some olive oil in a large pot and cook onion and garlic.
- Add mushrooms and cook.
- Stir in tomato paste.
- Add carrot, parsnip, celery, potato, rutabaga, salt, pepper and herbs.
- Pour in broth, cover 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.
- Enjoy!
Refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions on how to make vegan Irish stew.
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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:
- Crusty bread (a must, in my opinion)
- Celeriac puree
- Parsnip mash
- Garlic mashed potatoes or
- Creamy polenta, like this stove-top polenta from Little Ferraro Kitchen
More Helpful Tips & Variations
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.
Unsalted veggie broth is used. If you use regular or a low-sodium variety, you may want to adjust the salt added.
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.
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!
Hope you love this veg stew as much as we do!
If you try this veggie stew recipe, be sure to leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed!
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Vegan Stew (loaded with veggies!)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion , peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms , sliced, about 227 grams (or white button mushrooms)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 large carrots , peeled & sliced into roughly ¼ to ½ inch chunks (about 2 to 2.5 cups)
- 2 parsnip , peeled & sliced into roughly ¼ to ½ inch chunks (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 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 & cut into roughly ¼ to ½ inch chunks (about 2 cups)
- 1.25 teaspoons salt (or to taste. See 'Notes' below)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 to 6 cups unsalted vegetable broth
- 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, optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onions and garlic. Cook 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 simmer. Reduce to a medium-ish 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 and pour into stew and cook 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Add another ½ cup to 1 cup of broth if you want a looser consistency. Taste for seasoning.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.
- Portion, garnish (as desired ) and enjoy!
Notes
- Unsalted veggie broth is used. If you use regular or a low-sodium variety, you may want to adjust the salt added.
- 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 or thin the stew, 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.
- 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!
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.
Louise
Made your stew for the 3rd time in 2 weeks, that’s how much we love it. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Awww – so happy to hear that, Louise! Thanks so very much 🙂
Valentina
My 14-year-old has just decided he’s going to try being a Vegetarian. 🙂 Not exactly sure his reasons, but I support him, and he’ll LOVE this stew! I just love how rich and hearty it is. Delicious with garlic bread, I bet! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Valentina 🙂 I sure hope you guys do! Garlic bread is a great idea!
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl
Dawn, this stew….YUM!!!!! It looks so insanely hearty, full of all of those veggies…this would be perfect for a cold chilly night or especially for St Pattys Day with a big cold pint of beer 🙂 Oh, and some fresh bread. Yup, sounds perfect to me!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Totally! Thanks Haylie 🙂
Heidi
Oh my, what a yummy, hearty, flavor packed stew. I love how you used both baby potatoes and rutabaga. Thank you so much for sharing!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Heidi! It’s nice and hearty, that’s for sure 🙂
Marissa
What a wonderful idea to make a vegan version of Irish stew! With all of these flavors and that thick, rich texture, I’m sure that you’d never miss the meat!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Marissa!!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
I cannot believe St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner Dawn! Where has the time gone?! My husband Tom would be all over the stew. He’s a meat and potatoes man! Pinned and excited to try!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I know, right?? Thanks Mary Ann!
Leanne
This looks so amazingly thick and hearty! We love celebrating Paddy’s Day with lots of pub and Irish inspired food, so I should add this one to the list to make. Loving that it’s vegan! It looks so filling I doubt anyone would miss the meat!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thanks Leanne! It’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day 🙂
[email protected]
So hearty and delicious! Pass me a brimming bowl with a big hunk of bread, please!! Wishing you a great week, my friend! xoxo
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
You got it, my friend! Thanks so much! You too! XOXO
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I knew that vegetable stock was going into something delicious! This stew looks amazing and so full of good for you ingredients. Perfect for these cold winter days!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Kathy! It’ll warm ya right up 😉
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Such a great twist on a classic! I find mushrooms just as hearty as meat in stews like this and they add such great flavour, too ) Perfect for St. Pat’s.
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Jennifer! I LOVE mushrooms!
David @ Spiced
This stew sounds awesome, Dawn! I’m all about the belly-warming soups and stews lately, too. We’ve been mixing it up with a different one each week for lunches, and I’m thinking this one needs a spot on the list. We’ve still got quite a few cold weeks left, and this one just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Happy to hear that! Thanks David 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Looks so great, Dawn! I’m always looking for vegetarian recipes to try out with my family, and this one is going on the menu! My kids love big chunks of veggies like that! Super flavorful!! Pinning! Hope you had a great weekend! XO
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Yay! Thanks Katherine! Hope you love it!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
This looks delicious, Dawn! This would be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and I can’t wait to try it! Hope you have a great week, my friend!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Totally! Thanks Kelsie!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes
This looks so hearty, my friend! Definitely not missing anything by it being vegan – it looks full of flavour and so nourishing!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Thank you Alexandra!! We love it!