Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew

Published: Dec 11, 2021 · Updated: Dec 11, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

This Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew is thick, hearty, and comforting. It’s loaded with tons of veggies and smothered in a thick, creamy broth base. This vegan stew is great for dinner and tastes delicious reheated the next day.

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This vegan stew is loaded with carrots, celery, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, and more. Give it a try and let me know how you enjoy it!

This Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew recipe is…

An old-fashioned classic stew
Loaded with nutrient-rich veggies
Thickened with a roux base
Made with flavorful fresh herbs
Great for meal prepping

How to Make Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew

Add oil to a pot. Cook onion and garlic on medium heat until translucent.
Add potatoes, carrots, peas, and mushrooms, and cook.
Add herbs, broth, tomatoes, soy sauce, and vinegar. Stir and bring to boil.
Make cornstarch slurry and stir in to thicken soup.
Turn down heat, cover, and let simmer.

Full directions for how to make Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Tips & Tricks for Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew

close up spoonful of old-fashioned vegan stew

Cutting Vegetables

Make sure that when you are cutting the vegetables, you cut them into bite-size pieces. You don’t want super large chunks of vegetables, as they can be hard to eat.

Sauté Garlic & Onions

When you sauté the onion and garlic, it helps to really enhance the flavor of this vegan stew. The sautéed vegetables will give your stew a rich and hearty flavor. If you don’t sauté the onions and garlic, you will find that they may have a sharper flavor.

Heavy Duty Pot

Using a Dutch oven or other form of a heavy duty pot is great as it will provide an even cooking surface for the stew. If your pot isn’t sturdy, it can create hot spots and your soup will vary in doneness.

Variations to Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew

ingredients in pot for old-fashioned vegan stew

Rice or Quinoa

Barley, rice, and quinoa are great additions to this stew. Adding any of these grains will make your stew a lot heartier. I would recommend tossing some in if you feel you want a bit more depth.

Mix in Pasta

You can also add some vegan-friendly pasta to your stew. Just add it in at the end of the cooking time. Adding pasta will add more carbs to your soup but also allow the stew to stretch a bit more.

Different Vegetables

You can mix in other varieties of veggies to your stew, as well. I used what I had on hand, but you can swap out for different vegetables depending on what you have on hand. For example, you could toss in some zucchini or cauliflower!

Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew FAQs

white bowl of old-fashioned vegan stew sitting in front of a gray cooking pot

How do you know when the stew is done?

You will know your stew is done when the potatoes are fork tender. When the potatoes are done, you can take your stew off the heat. However, I like to cook mine a bit longer as it helps blend the flavors even more.

Why add in the cornstarch slurry?

Cornstarch and water combined—referred to as a slurry—is a thickening agent used for thickening soups, stews, and more. I find that a cornstarch slurry is great for thickening dishes without altering the flavor of the recipes you are cooking.

How do you store leftovers?

Store your leftover stew in the fridge for 3–5 days. When you want some, you can warm up in the microwave or on low heat on the stove. Just make sure to stir your stew; it will burn if left to simmer too long.

And while you’re here, don’t forget to grab a copy of my free vegan cheat sheet. It’s packed with all my favorite substitutions to vegan-ize any recipe!

Recipe

This Old-Fashioned Vegan Stew is thick, hearty, and comforting. It’s loaded with tons of veggies and smothered in a thick, creamy broth base.

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Course: Main dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: vegan beef stew, vegan irish stew, vegan stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 244kcal

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 large carrots sliced
2 stalks celery sliced
2 cups baby potatoes halved
1 cup white mushrooms sliced & quartered
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cups vegetable broth
19 oz diced tomatoes canned with garlic
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs rosemary
small bunch fresh thyme
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water

Instructions

In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add onion and garlic; sauté 3–4 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Add the carrots, celery, baby potatoes, mushrooms, and peas into the pot.
Cook for 2–3 minutes.
Add the Italian seasoning, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and thyme. Stir and bring to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water to form a slurry mix. Add to the stew and stir.
Turn heat down, cover pot, and simmer for 45 minutes or until veggies are tender.
Serve.