This plant-based recipe for beefless stew reminds me of the traditional American beef stew I had growing up. It always smelled heavenly, and we used to enjoy family time around the table eating this hearty, comforting meal.
Sometimes I miss those recipes that make me feel all warm and cozy inside.
This recipe will take you for a trip down memory lane and hit the spot with its creamy gravy and traditional vegetables.
The mushrooms and addition of other umami flavors such as tomato paste, and Tamari (soy sauce without the wheat) make this satisfyingly close to the original. It is surprisingly just as comforting as the original heavy traditional beef stew.
A few hearty plant-based recipes to try for dinner:
- Hearty Lentil Kale Soup
- Sheet Pan Ratatouille with Creamy Polenta
- Vegan Huevos Rancheros Casserole
- Moroccan Chickpea Vegetable Tagine
- Sweet Potato Veggie Lasagna
I love the genius way the gravy is made by combining the sauce and some of the vegetables in a blender. Another benefit to this recipe is the time you save cooking it.
The traditional beef stew takes hours to prepare as the meat must tenderize. However, this beefless stew has all the creaminess of the original but can be on the table in under an hour.
Enjoy this recipe with a large salad and some crusty bread if you like.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Beefless Stew recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking
This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.
The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition
- Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
- May be minimally processed
- No added oil
- No added sugars
- No artificial additives or preservatives
- Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
- Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories
Beefless Stew
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion cut in half and sliced
- 3 large stalks celery cut into 3/4″ chunks
- 3 large carrots cut into 3/4″ chunks
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces mushrooms if large cut into 3/4" chunks or left whole
- 2 cups homemade vegetable broth (Trader Joe’s brand) (or 2 cups homemade)
- 1/2 6 oz can tomato paste mixed with a little water to thin
- 1 tbsp low-sodium Tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
- 2 lbs potatoes cut into 1″ chunks (peeling is an option)
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 cups frozen peas thawed
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper to taste (optional)
- 1/2 cup water or more as needed
Instructions
- Saute onion, celery, and carrots in a large soup pot with 1/4 cup water for a few minutes. Add garlic and mushroom and sauté for a few minutes more.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomato paste, tamari, potatoes, herbs, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cook covered over medium heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender about 15-20 minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup water or more as needed if the stew is too thick.
- Take about 1 1/2 cups of the broth with a few of the vegetables and blend in a blender until smooth.
- Return the blended sauce to the pot and stir to combine.
- Add the thawed peas and heat through for about 5 minutes.
- Serve with a crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal.
I have made this before and I’m currently making a pot of this. Absolutely love it.
Hey Lisa, thanks 🙂 I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe!
That first instruction: is that meant to be one onion sliced into moons, or 1 slice of onion, cut into moons? I’m guessing the first …
Hi, sorry about the confusion. You’re right, it’s one onion sliced into moons. I’ve updated the recipe to be clearer. Thanks for pointing that out. 🙂
Is it possible to substitute low sodium soy sauce for the tamari?
59% daily intake seems high…
Excited to try this!
Yes, you can use low sodium soy sauce. I lowered the salt to 1 tsp since tamari already has salt. Unfortunately, nutritional analysis apps can vary widely and don’t always choose the correct ingredients. Luckily I use a new one that allows me to individually pick each ingredient and I have been checking and updating recipes when necessary.
Hi Diane,
I’m making this stew at this very moment. Just saw this comment about the low sodium Tamari. I’ve looked twice at the ingredients and see no mention of Tamari at all. Have I missed something?? If so, too late now …
Please clarify.
Hi Corrina, Adding 1 tablespoon of low-sodium Tamara or low-sodium soy sauce will add a little more umami flavor and is OK to add unless you’re ok with salt. I updated the recipe to include the 1 tablespoon for clarification. I hope that helps.
This was fabulous! My meat eating boyfriend vastly prefers this now to beef stew.
Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Wow, that’s quite a testimony. So glad he enjoys it. Thanks for letting me know!
Hello Diane
I’ve just stumbled across your recipe and can’t wait to use it tonight! Just to let you know though I changed the sizing to metric as I’m over here in Australia! The plan still shows in inches though not centimetres! However it did change the ounces to grams! I thought you might appreciate the feedback!
Thank you
Sharlene
Hey Sharlene, thanks for letting me know. Sorry, the backend code is just set to change from Imperial to Metric in the quantity and units portion of the recipe and not the “notes” which is where the inches are. Maybe saying “large” chunks would have worked just as well. I learned something today.
Do you know anything that could be a substitute for soy? I am allergic.
Hi Cherrie, in this recipe you could substitute Coconut Aminos which is soy-free. I hope that helps.
I just made this recipe with a couple little tweaks, like, I added a package of frozen vegetables that I had on hand peas, carrots, green beans and corn). and I must say it is absolutely amazing. Thank you very much for sharing.
Hey Angel, thanks so much for letting me know! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
How much water? There is water in the insrructions but not the ingredient list.
Hey Dennis, thanks for pointing that out. I updated the recipe to reflect the water in the directions and that it should be added if the stew becomes too thick, later in the directions.
Diane, thank you so much. Made it last night and just guessed at the water. It was so good. Loved the depth of flavor. Also made the chili last weekend, again, so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing, happy I found your site.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes. I really appreciate your feedback!
Hi, I notice you mention Tamari in the article but it’s no where to be found in the recipe. Was this a mistake? If so, where do I add in the tamari and how much? Also could I do soy sauce instead?
Thanks!
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I think at some point I decided to remove it because it’s pretty high in salt. I’ll need to update that. If you’re not on a low salt diet, you can add 1 tablespoon of low sodium tamari or low sodium soy sauce or to taste, if you like.
Amazing beefless stew!! I have been missing my mom’s beef stew, and this is just the best vegetarian swap!! My husband, who eats meat, said it smells exactly like beed stew! I made a few tweaks, I added 1/3 cup red wine after I added the mushrooms in. I did 4 cups vegetable broth and an extra bullion cube for flavor (no water added). At the end, I added 2 cans of kidney beans for protein. This recipe is going to be a staple fall and winter dish for me. Thank you so much for creating and sharing it!
Hey Angela, Thanks! It’s so fantastic to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! It really is one of my favorites and I like your addition of beans for protein and the wine. Yum! I’m going to have to make this again, soon.
I’ve made this twice so far and I love it!! I am trying to go plant based, but my lack of cooking skill has been a challenge. This recipe is definitely a keeper for me! Super yummy! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 💕 It’s really one of my favorites, too. You’ll get better at cooking the more you do it. 👍
Hi can I freeze the stew? I’ve made it and it’s lovely but want to save some for another time. Thanks.
Some people say the texture of cooked potatoes changes when frozen but other people don’t mention it. I haven’t frozen it myself, but feel it’s worth an experiment. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I don’t see a video. It said “with video “.
Could you tell me where to find it please,
Hi Camille, I don’t know what happened, but I uploaded it again. It’s near the top. It’s one of those sped-up videos and will have an ad at the beginning, just FYI.
I made this recipe for family members that had to change their diets. I omitted the potatoes as they are not supposed to eat. I could not believe how delicious this meal was and I’m not a celery fan. I think I can change my diet as well. Thank you 🙏
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of my personal favorites.
Thank you for the delicious stew recipe. It was easy and absolutely scrumptious on this cold night. I had unexpected guests, had never made it before and we were all raving about how delicious this stew was…and they even asked for the recipe.
Thanks so much for the lovely review and taking the time to comment. 🙂 That recipe is one of my personal favorites and I’m so glad you all enjoyed it, too.
Do you think this could be made in a slow cooker? Thanks
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tried it, but yes, I’m pretty sure you could make this in a slow cooker. Since they retain more water you may need less of the “1/2 added as needed.” Add the peas during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Also, use a waxier potato so they hold their shape better like red potatoes or Yukon. I hope that works for you