A bowl of belly-warming vegan beef stew is just what you need to beat the cold weather blues. This flavor-loaded stew is savory with herbs and pepper and it has meaty TVP chunks, potatoes, carrots and celery adding tons of texture.
When the world outside feels like a deep freeze, warm up your belly and soul with a bowl of this piping hot vegan beef stew.
This is one of my favorite vegan stews, one I make over and over again, especially this time of year. It is warm and savory and fragrant with herbs, and it is quite perfect served with a chunk of crusty French bread for a delicious weeknight — or weekend — dinner.
I don’t use TVP with any frequency in my cooking anymore, especially with the availability of really good faux meats, but I do really like it in this vegan beef stew because it holds its texture during cooking. I toss the TVP (soya) chunks with herbs and roast them in oil before adding them to the pot. This both improves their texture and makes them chewier, and it adds a lot of flavor to the TVP.
This meatless beef stew is so much like a classic beef stew. Most of the ingredients here are exactly what you’d find in a beef stew. If you’ve been missing some of those flavors after going vegan, you’ll really love this meat-free version.
Table Of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Loaded with savory flavor. This stew is so full-flavored thanks to the herbs and from the browning of the soy chunks. It also has tons of umami from tomato paste, mushroom stock and tamari.
- Full of nourishing goodness. The stew is packed with protein from the soy chunks and lots of healthfulness from fresh veggies.
- One-pot, easy recipe. The recipe is simple to make, and even a beginner cook can make it successfully, so long as you follow instructions.
- Friendly to most diets. The recipe is nut-free and gluten-free, and you can substitute the TVP chunks with soy-free meatless meat or with more veggies if you are soy-free.
Ingredients
Skip over to the recipe card below for exact quantities of each ingredient and substitutions.
- Oil. Any neutral oil, including avocado oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil.
- TVP chunks. You can use the regular soya chunks or soy curls.
- All purpose flour. Use either regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Herbs. Garlic, dried rosemary and dried sage. Fresh parsley for garnish.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, celery, potatoes and tomato paste.
- Red wine. This is optional, but it adds lovely flavor.
- Vegetable stock or mushroom stock. You can also use water.
- Soy sauce. Can substitute with tamari, which is gluten-free, or liquid aminos.
- Vegan butter. This is optional, but it adds lots of flavor when you add it at the end of cooking.
How to make vegan beef stew
1. Place soy chunks in very hot, salted water. Soak for 15-20 minutes until the chunks have absorbed a good deal of the water.
2. Drain out the water and press lightly on the soy chunks to remove excess water.
3. In the same bowl, toss the TVP chunks in flour, half the herbs, salt and ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the soy chunks to it without crowding them. Do this in batches if necessary. Preserve any excess flour in the bowl for adding later.
4. Brown the soy chunks on all sides. Remove to a plate.
5. To the same pot add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Saute until the onions get soft, 3-4 minutes.
6. Add wine to the pot, stir and let it cook out until there’s barely any moisture in the pot.
7. Stir in the tomato paste.
8. Add the remaining herbs and mix them in.
9. Add the soy chunks back to the pot with any remaining flour.
10. Add 4 cups vegetable stock or mushroom stock to the pot along with the potatoes. Add the soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and let the potatoes cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
11. Stir in the butter and turn off the heat. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for up to three days. The stew tastes even better the next day.
- Freeze: Freeze the stew in an airtight container or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
Vegan Beef Stew
This bowl of belly-warming vegan beef stew is savory with herbs and pepper and it has meaty TVP chunks, potatoes, carrots and celery adding tons of texture.
Instructions
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups TVP chunks (soya chunks. You can also use soy curls)
- ¼ cup flour (use regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
- 2 tablespoons mixed herbs (divided. I use rosemary and sage.)
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 2 medium carrots (finely chopped, or use about 2 cups of baby carrots)
- 3 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound small potatoes (or regular-sized yellow or gold potatoes. Cut small potatoes in half, and cut larger potatoes in medium-sized chunks.)
- ½ cup red wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4-5 cups vegetable stock (or mushroom stock. Add more if needed to thin out stew. Can use water instead.)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (optional, but nice)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Place soy chunks in very hot, salted water. Soak for 15-20 minutes until the chunks have absorbed a good deal of the water.
- Drain out the water and press lightly on the soy chunks to remove excess water.
- In the same bowl, toss the TVP chunks in flour, half the herbs, salt and ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the soy chunks to it without crowding them. Do this in batches if necessary. Preserve any excess flour in the bowl for adding later.
- Brown the soy chunks on all sides. Remove to a plate.
- To the same pot add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Saute until the onions get soft, 3-4 minutes.
- Add wine to the pot, stir and let it cook out until there's barely any moisture in the pot.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the remaining herbs and mix them in.
- Add the soy chunks back to the pot with any remaining flour.
- Add 4 cups vegetable stock or mushroom stock to the pot along with the potatoes. Add the soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and let the potatoes cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the butter and turn off the heat. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 187kcalTotal Fat: 8gSodium: 811mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g
