Serves 6 to 8
Time: 45 minutes

Vegan Beef Stew

This vegan beef stew is the one. Deep, complex, meaty, silky. The best vegan beef stew recipe on this whole internet!

I’ve been on a mission to build a better vegan beef stew. Anyone can throw some wine and tomatoes into a pot, but even with all the right ingredients, it’s all too easy to make a flat stew. I wanted deep complex flavors, a thick and silky base, chunky carrots and potatoes cooked just right. And of course, beefiness. And I wanted it to all happen in one pot. A simple filling stew shouldn’t destroy the entire kitchen.

Put plainly, I wanted the “DAAAAYAMN!” factor. Nothing too fussy, but a bowl that not only comforts you on a cold winter’s night, it straight-up makes you look forward to the snowiest, windiest, all-the-roads-shut-downiest night possible, just so you can make stew.

So I pulled a Cook’s Illustrated and made vegan beef stews all week. Chipping away at the recipe, then building it back up. I tried several different “beefs”; tofu, tempeh, and seitan, finally settling on a mix of homemade vegan sausage and dried porcini mushrooms. Tofu was a little too mushy, or took too much work to make it notmushy. Tempeh just crumbled too much, despite my best efforts. The seitan sausage provides flavor and hearty texture without needing to be sauteed, while the porcinis create a sultry broth and a falling-off-the-bone meatiness (that phrase isn’t gross when you consider that there aren’t any actual bones here, right?) that just sings “Beef Stew.”

For the base I knew I didn’t want a limp tomato sauce. In fact, I wanted to steer away from tomato as much as possible. I tried lentils as a backdrop but it was too…lentil-y. I also tried starting with a roux, and it was yummy but too thick…more like a sauce than a stew, plus it made the veggies cook unevenly. Finally, I settled on a slurry – a mix of water and flour that can be added after the veggies have cooked. When slowly heated it becomes thick (but not too thick) and velvety, and holds in all the great flavor from the wine, mushrooms and spices. Just a touch of tomato paste provided even more body and a hint of tang.

The other challenge was getting the veggies to cook perfectly. Potatoes overcook easily and I didn’t want potato soup. Adding the potatoes after the initial ingredients come to a boil and then simmering them until tender is a foolproof method. Then the slurry is added and cooked just long enough to marry the flavors and create TSH (Total Stew Harmony.)

So yeah, long-story-that-I-just-made-you-read-short: I love this stew. The one thing that maybe isn’t ideal is that you need to have the sausages on hand, but they are so very easy to whip up. Make a batch the night before and you’ll have more than you need for this recipe so it’s totally worth it. But there are some alternatives, see the FAQ below.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH VEGAN BEEF STEW

A crusty piece of bread and a glass of the same red wine you cooked with is really all you need. But if you’re feeling ambitious:

  • Biscuits & White Pepper Gravy — skip the gravy, just use the biscuits for dunking
  • A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through all that richness
  • Creamy polenta or mashed potatoes if you want to go full comfort mode (yes, potatoes on potatoes, no judgment)
  • Over egg noodles or wide pappardelle, the way your grandma would have done it
  • Mashed root veggies, like rutabaga.
  • Cous cous never hurt anyone! I like cous cous and stew. 
  • With sautéed kale with tahini for something green on the side
The best vegan beef stew recipe on the whole internet

VEGAN BEEF STEW FAQ

Can I make this vegan beef stew gluten-free? Yes. Sub the flour for 2 tablespoons organic cornstarch or 1/4 cup of chickpea flour. Sub the sausages for thawed extra-firm frozen tofu with the water pressed out (this was my second favorite “meat” while experimenting). Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick triangles. Add an extra 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed to the stew for sausage-y flavor. You could also use gluten-free vegan sausages, duh!

Can I use a different dried mushroom? Yes. Shiitake or portobello will work. Chop them up a little finer before adding. They don’t have as pronounced a flavor as porini but they’re still mushroomy!

Can I use seitan instead of sausages? Yes. Use 2 cups of sliced seitan but sauté it first, then remove it from the pot and add it back later. Otherwise it will be a little boring rubbery.

Can I use store-bought sausages? Absolutely. Field Roast Italian, Gardein Breakfast or any vegan sausage with good flavor will work. Slice them chunky.

What kind of red wine should I use? Nothing expensive. A merlot or cabernet from Trader Joe’s works great. You can also use vegetable broth plus a splash or two of balsamic vinegar if you don’t cook with wine.I also like a tablespoon of red miso when the wine is skipped.

Can I make this in a slow cooker? Readers have done it with good results, but I admit I’ve never tried. Sauté the onions and garlic first for flavor, then throw in everything but the slurry.  Add the slurry in the last 30 minutes or so to thicken.

Can I freeze vegan beef stew? Yes. It freezes well for up to 3 months. The potatoes may get a little soft when reheated, but honestly that just makes it more stew-like. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove over medium-low.

How do I reheat leftovers? On the stove over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if it’s gotten too thick. It tends to thicken up a lot in the fridge, so don’t panic.

Can I add other vegetables? Yes, I like to roast root veggies and add them in addition to or instead of the potatoes. I also love braised or roasted cabbage.

Seitan Porcini Beef Stew

Rich and hearty vegan beef stew built on dried porcini mushrooms, seitan sausage, and red wine. Chunky potatoes and carrots in a thick, silky, beefy broth, all in one pot and ready in about 45 minutes.
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Total Time 1 hour
Course entree, Main Course, Stew
Cuisine American, English, irish
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion quartered and thickly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 medium carrots peeled, sliced on a bias, 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel or crushed fennel seeds
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 lbs potatoes (any type) lazily peeled, cut in 1 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 vegan sausages sliced into chunky half mooons
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium high heat.
  • Saute onions and a pinch of salt in oil until until translucent, 4 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, for about a minute, until fragrant.
  • Add carrots, wine, rosemary (crushed in your fingers), thyme (crushed in your fingers), paprika, fennel, fresh black pepper and salt and bring to a boil. The liquid should reduce in about 3 minutes.
  • Add porcinis and vegetable broth, cover and bring to a full boil for 5 minutes or so, to quickly cook the procinis. Now add the potatoes, lower heat and bring to a simmer (not a full boil). Let the potatoes cook just until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
  • In a measuring cup, mix the flour into the water with a fork until no lumps are left. Slowly add the broth/flour to the pot, mixing well. Mix in the tomato paste. Let thicken for 5 minutes or so. Add the sausages and continue to cook. In about 5 more minutes it should be perfectly thick but still smooth. Taste for salt and seasonings, and serve! Sprinkle individual servings with fresh parsley if you want to be 70s food chic.
Keyword St Patricks Day
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