As soon as the temperature drops hearty warming meals are called for, and this vegetarian stew is perfect for a filling and warming dinner. Button mushrooms and root vegetables cooked in a rich red wine sauce make this vegetable stew a delicious cosy dinner!
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Being Irish, I grew up having beef stew at least once a week during the colder months. There was nothing better than coming home from school to a big bowl of piping hot stew with creamy mashed potatoes! Since we went vegetarian I made it my mission to make a really good veg stew that the whole family would love.
This vegetable stew recipe is the closest thing to those stews I grew up with. It's rich, filling and so tasty! Everything a good stew should be. This root vegetable and mushroom stew is all of those things and more. And it's really easy to make!
📝 What Do We Need
- Root Vegetables - I use carrots, parsnips and swede, also known as rutabaga or neeps.
- Mushrooms - Button mushrooms are great in this stew, I use chestnut button mushrooms which are similar to crimini mushrooms. You could also use baby bellas or white button mushrooms.
- Herbs - I use fresh rosemary and thyme for this veggie stew and a couple of dried bay leaves.
- Stock + Wine - I use a vegan vegetable bouillon to make my stock and a red wine to make the sauce. You could use a good non-alcoholic red wine if you wish.
- Henderson's Relish - this is an English sauce, it looks like Worcestershire sauce, but is a relish, not a condiment. It has a distinctive sharp, spicy, yet sweet taste. If you can't find this you could use vegan Worcestireshire sauce.
- Flour - To get that lovely rich sauce you will need to use plain (all-purpose) flour. If you need to you could use a gluten-free flour or leave it out, you will have a thinner sauce though.
🔪 How To Make It
1. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, then add the chopped carrots and cook for another 10 minutes. Once the onion is soft add all the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Once the mushrooms have released some of their juices add the garlic, rosemary and thyme, cook for a minute then stir in the tomato puree (paste), soy sauce and vegan Worcestershire sauce. Then add the flour, stir until the flour is absorbed.
3. Now pour in all the wine, stir it into the vegetables and cook for a minute or two. You should have a thick sauce now.
4. Add the parsnips and swede (rutabaga), stir so they are covered in the sauce.
5. Now pour in all the stock, stir well then season with salt and black pepper. Add the bay leaves now too.
6. Finally, bring the stew to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45-50 minutes. You should have a rich slightly thick sauce and all the vegetables should be cooked through. Remove the bay leaves and serve in bowls with mashed potatoes or bread.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Cooking the onions - I know it seems like a long time to cook the onions but it really makes a difference to the flavour of the stew. Cooking the onions longer over a low heat until soft reduces the acidity of the onions and makes them sweeter. This adds so much flavour to the stew. So I recommend cooking them for at least 20 minutes.
- Wine - the wine makes this stew so I recommend using it. I used a Malbec but you can use whatever red you like. If you are serving this to young children then you could omit the wine as no matter how long you cook this you will not "cook-off" all the alcohol. To replace the wine I would add a little more stock and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Root Vegetables - Make sure and cut the swede (rutabaga) into equal bite-size pieces. The carrots and parsnips should also be cut into equally sized pieces, this will ensure that the vegetables cook at the same time.
- Mushrooms - Bigger mushrooms should be cut in half and smaller mushrooms left whole. Again, this will ensure even cooking.
📌 Variations/Substitution
- Add more veggies - you can definately add more veggies to this stew, try adding leeks, turnips or butternut squash.
- Add some protein - you could up the protein of this vegetable stew by adding in some red or puy lentils. You could also add chickpeas, kidney beans or black beans.
- Add in some greens - try adding kale or baby spinach to this to add some greens. Cabbage would also work, my mum just to sneak that into our stews when I was a kid!
- Skip the mash and add potatoes - you could add potatoes to the stew of you wanted to make this an easy one pot meal. Add them when you add the other vegetables and make sure they are cut into bitesize pieces to ensure they cook ar the same time as the other veggies.
- Add a little marmite - if you are a fan of marmite or veggiemite then you could add a teaspoon to the stew, this will give it a little extra flavour.
🍽 How To Serve It
We love this served with a generous serving of mashed potatoes, you could go all out and serve it with some very tasty cheesy mashed potatoes or with traditional Irish colcannon. You could also serve this stew with a side of soda bread if you want to skip the potatoes. It's best to leave this cool slightly before serving as it will be piping hot!
📖 FAQS
If you prefer your stew even thicker then you could thicken it by using a cornflour (cornstarch) slurry. Mix a teaspoon or two of cornstarch with a little water, you should have a paste or slurry. Add that to the stew and stir the stew until it thickens.
Yes, you can. Let the stew cool then transfer to a suitable container and pop it in the freezer. Use within 3 months. Thaw the stew overnight then reheat until piping hot on the hob, or in the microwave.
Once cooled any leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge, they should be used within 3 days. Leftovers can be reheated on the hob or in the microwave.
🍽 More Warming Veggie Dinners
We love our comfort food especially when the weather gets cooler. One of our all-time favourites is my Vegan Sausage Casserole, it's warming and filling and so easy to make. Another family favourite is my Vegetable Pot Pie, this is perfect for a cosy Sunday lunch! And if you fancy a really cosy pasta dish my creamy Mushroom Stroganoff is exactly that, cosy and delicious!
Hearty Vegetarian Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion roughly chopped
- 2 stalks of celery roughly chopped
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced, if the carrots are big cut the slices in half
- 350 g (4½ cups) button chestnut mushrooms (crimini mushrooms) leave the smaller mushrooms whole and cut bigger mushrooms in half
- ¾ tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ tablespoon thyme leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced
- 1 heaped tbsp tomato puree (paste)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce I used light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Henderson's relish or vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 35 g (⅓ cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 160 ml (1 glass) of red wine I used malbec
- 2 medium parsnips peeled then cut into equally sized slices
- 250 g (1 ¾ cups) swede (rutabaga) peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 800 ml (3 ⅓ cups) stock made using vegan vegetable bouillon
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt more if needed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven or stockpot.Add the chopped onion and chopped celery along with a pinch of sea salt and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes add the carrots and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir often so the onion doesn't burn.Prepare the vegetables while the onions are cooking.
- Next, turn up the heat to medium and add all the mushrooms to the pot, stir well and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms start to release some of their juices.Then add 2 cloves of garlic, that have been put through a garlic press or finely minced. Add ¾ tablespoon of chopped rosemary and ½ a tablespoon of thyme leaves. Stir well and cook for a minute.
- Once you can smell the garlic and herbs add 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato puree (paste) along with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Henderson's relish or vegan Worcestershire sauce. Stir the puree and sauces into the vegetables and cook for a minute.
- Now add the flour to the pot, stir until it is absorbed.Then pour the wine, stir it into the vegetables and you should now have a thick sauce. Now add the parsnips and swede and give everything a good stir.Next pour in the stock, give it another stir then add the remaining salt and black pepper. Add the 2 dried bay leaves then reduce the heat to low and simmer the stew uncovered for 45 - 50 minutes stirring occasionally to avoid anything sticking to the bottom of the pan. Check the seasoning after 30 minutes and add more salt and pepper if needed.The stew is done when you have a thick sauce and the vegetables are cooked through. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Onions - I know it seems like a long time to cook the onions but it really makes a difference to the flavour of the stew. Cooking the onions longer over low heat until soft reduces the acidity of the onions and makes them sweeter. This adds so much flavour to the stew. So I recommend cooking them for at least 20 minutes.
- Wine - red wine makes this stew so I recommend using it. I used a Malbec but you can use whatever red you like. If you are serving this to young children then you could omit the wine as no matter how long you cook this you will not "cook-off" all the alcohol. To replace the wine I would add a little more stock and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Root Vegetables - Make sure and cut the swede (rutabaga) into equal bite-size pieces. The carrots and parsnips should also be cut into equally sized pieces, this will ensure that the vegetables cook at the same time.
- Mushrooms - I use button chestnut mushrooms, similar to crimini mushrooms. You could also use baby Bellas or white button mushrooms. Bigger mushrooms should be cut in half and smaller mushrooms left whole. This will ensure even cooking.
- Stock - I make my stock using a vegan vegetable bouillon, I use 2 teaspoons of bouillon and 800 ml of boiling water.
- Freezing/Storing - Any leftover stew can be stored in the fridge once it has cooled. It should be eaten with 3 days. You can also freeze this stew if you wish. Once the stew has cooled transfer it to freezer-friendly containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on the hob or in the microwave.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool, it is approximate and does not include mash or bread. It is based on one serving of four.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for best results.
Annette
The perfect dish for this time of the year, looks real yummie..
My favourite.
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much, I'm so glad you like it x
sarah
cook this all the time, so heartwarming
Michelle Alston
Thanks Sarah, I'm so glad you like it 🙂
Samina
Going to make this again tomorrow as I enjoyed it so much the first time, and it freezes really well. I live alone so this is perfect for batch cooking, for whenever I fancy something filling and nutritious, I can just defrost it overnight. I added kale last time, this time I will try swiss chard. Puy lentils padded it out nicely. I also added a tsp full of marmite and it gave it that extra umami flavour. I think about it all the time. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Samina
I also substituted the red wine for extra stock and red wine vinegar but this time I will try the wine. It was perfect but I'm excited to see the difference a splash of Malbec makes.
Michelle Alston
Hi Samina, thank you so much for your lovey comment. I'm so glad to hear that you like it so much.
Christina
We had this yesterday for our St. Patrick's Day dinner - what an absolute treat! It was so delicious we could not stop talking about it all evening. Thankfully we have a little bit left over for this evening which we cannot wait for. We went every step by the recipe but omitted the swede (as we are not fond of this particular vegetable) and it seriously was divine! Thank you for this most delicious recipe Michelle!
Michelle Alston
Hi Christina, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I'm so happy to hear that you all enjoyed the stew, it's one of our favourites too 🙂
Jacqui
Utterly, utterly delicious. Currently have one of these stews bubbling away in the slow cooker (just ping everything in at once and leave it to fill your home with delicious aromas). I use whole shallots for this recipe - and chantenay carrots, which I only halve if large. I have also added a can of haricot beans (rinsed) and think I will add a can of mixed beans to the next one. I have been munching on this all day - every time I go into the kitchen, I help myself to more. If there is any left tonight, I will serve it to my husband with steamed broccoli, mange tout, baby corn and French beans and a portion of fluffy whipped creamy mashed potato. This is the third recipe I have made from this website and they are beyond amazing! I am vegetarian - the husband is not - and we both absolutely adore your recipes. So, thank you lovely lady for sharing your passion and your skill xx
Michelle Alston
Hi Jacqui, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I'm so happy to hear that you're both enjoying the recipes. M 🙂
Gail
Excellent recipe! I served with the recommended Cheesy Mashed Potatoes - a very satisfying combo.
We had a large group - so I doubled the recipe. Only a couple tweaks, did the balsamic substitution for wine and was great, however my last addition of the root vegetables required twice the time allotted to cook to reach tenderness. I used a rutabaga, parsnip combo - they weren’t fully cooked at 45 mins (could have been the quantity). Again it was an excellent stew recipe - you won’t miss the meat on this one. Hearty and luscious!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Gail! I'm so glad you all enjoyed it x
Mark drew
Lovely can’t fault it.
Added peas last ten minutes for a some colour. Superb stew
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much, Mark. I'm os glad you liked it.
Lauren Michael Harris
I love the idea of making a vegetarian stew! This is going on my meatless Monday menu asap!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Lauren, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Annette Chambers
Delicious
Danielle Wolter
This is a stew that will totally warm you up. It was hearty even though there was no meat and tasted so delicious!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Danielle, I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Beth Sachs
Such a rich and delicious stew. Perfect for cold winter nights!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Beth, I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
Natalie
What a lovely stew. Looks so dense and flavorful. Perfect cozy winter dinner. I'm going to give this a try.
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Natalie, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Farah Abumaizar
Wouldn't even miss the meat in a stew as beautiful as this! Looks like the definition of comfort, can't wait to try the recipe out!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Farah, I hope you enjoy it x
christine pickering
Lovely tasty filling dinner on a cold night got 3 in the freezer had with dumplings
Thank you
Michelle Alston
Hi Christine, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it.