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 hardy, 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.
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.
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
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
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
Servings
Serving Size |
people
about 2 cups |
- 1 large yellow onion cut in half and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 large stalks celery cut into 3/4″ chunks
- 3 large carrots cut into 3/4″ chunks
- 16 ounces mushrooms if large cut into 3/4" chunks or left whole
- 2 lbs potatoes cut into 1″ chunks (peeling is an option)
- 2 cups frozen peas thawed
- 1/2 6 oz can tomato paste mixed with a little water to thin
- 1 Tbl Italian herbs
- 1 Tbl rosemary freshly chopped
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth (Trader Joe’s brand)
- 1/2 cup water or more as needed
- sea salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Ingredients
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- Saute the onion, celery, and carrots in a large soup pot with about 1/4 cup water until they start to soften. Add in the garlic and mushroom and sauté for a few minutes more.
- Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, tomato paste, herbs, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cook covered over medium heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender about 20-15 minutes. Add up to a 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 in the thawed peas and heat through for about 5 minutes.
- Serve with a crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal.
Salt and Pepper not included in Label
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.
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.