This Vegan Hearty Vegetable Stew is the plant-based version of a classic beef stew, but without the meat. High on flavor, low-fat, delicious! It is so rich and savory and just 8 easy ingredients!
HEARTY VEGAN STEW
Without a doubt, one of my favorite meals to eat before this awesome vegan lifestyle, was beef stew cooked in an amazing, rich red wine broth. To me, it isn’t the best stew without some good red wine. The flavor cannot be matched. Well, I promise you will not miss the meat in this vegan red wine stew. This won over big time with my mother-n-law at her last visit (she is not vegan!). It is total comfort food!
So, here it is! Lots of Italian herb-y broth loaded with red wine and tomato sauce, lots of onions, carrots and potatoes. You could add celery too, if you like, or even mushrooms if that is your thing.
This vegan meatless vegetable stew has a bit more liquid in it than some stews, simply because one of my favorite things about stews and soups is spooning and slurping all that yummy liquid, am I right?? Don’t give me a pot full of just chunks, give me some yummy liquid too, please! The flavor is so rich and delicious, you will enjoy every spoonful.
Not only is this hearty vegetable stew incredibly soul-satisfying and filling, it is so healthy. It is super low-fat and totally oil-free, full of hearty potatoes, carrots and Italian herbs.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Yellow onion (1 very large onion)
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Dry red wine (not sweet): Use a cabernet sauvignon (or a merlot) and make sure to use a vegan red wine if that’s a concern for you, as all wines are not vegan.
- Red potatoes
- Tomato sauce/puree
- Dried Italian Herb seasoning: I use my homemade blend, it’s the best! If using store-bought, make sure it has no added salt or red pepper flakes.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN VEGETABLE STEW
Step 1: Add the broth to a large pot with the onions, garlic and carrots. Turn to medium heat and once it is simmering, cook 5-8 minutes until onions are tender.
Step 2: Add the wine and nutritional yeast (if using) and stir well. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes so the wine cooks down some. 5 minutes is plenty.
Step 3: Add the remaining broth (3 1/2 cups), potatoes, tomato sauce, Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Turn to high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Once fully boiling, cover with a lid and turn the heat to low.
Step 4: Let it cook 30-45 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Check it a few times during and stir and check the veggies for doneness so they don’t overcook.
Step 5: Taste and add any extra pepper/salt, etc. Garnish with fresh rosemary and thyme, if desired.
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES
- Smoky Sweet Potato Black-Eyed Pea Soup
- Vegan Ramen Noodle Soup
- Healthy Potato Carrot Tomato Soup
- Best Ever Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Vegetable and Rice Soup
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
Hearty Vegan Stew (Rich and Savory!)
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (try to pick a very neutral flavor light one, not a dark tomato/carrot one or the taste will be off)
- 1 1/2 cups (235g) finely chopped white or yellow onion (1 very large onion)
- 5 extra large cloves garlic (you will need 1 packed tablespoon of minced garlic (15 g))
- 1 heaping cup (170g) of sliced carrots
- 3/4 cup (182g) dry red wine (not sweet) cabernet sauvignon (or a merlot)
- optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 lbs red potatoes chopped in 1 inch chunks
- 1 heaping cup (266g) tomato sauce/puree
- 2 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning with no red pepper or salt added, I use my homemade blend
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- optional garnish: fresh rosemary and thyme
NOTE
- This is my idea of total comfort soup/stew. This has a rich red wine broth flavor that reminds me of beef stew back in the day and rich red wine meat sauces. If you hate red wine, this soup is not for you, but if you love it, I hope you will love this as much as I do!
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- First, add ONLY 1 cup of the broth to a large pot with the onions, garlic and carrots. Turn to medium heat and once the liquid is bubbling, cook 5-8 minutes until onions are tender.
- Add the wine and nutritional yeast (if using) and stir well. Continue to cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes so the wine cooks down some. 5 minutes is plenty.
- Add the remaining broth (3 1/2 cups), potatoes, tomato sauce, Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Turn to high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Once fully boiling, cover with a lid and turn the heat to low.
- Cook on low simmering for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Check it a few times during and stir and check the veggies for doneness so they don't overcook.
- Taste and add any extra pepper/salt, etc. Garnish with fresh rosemary and thyme, if desired.
- This has a bit more liquid in it than some stews simply because one of my favorite things about stews and soups is spooning and slurping all that yummy liquid, am I right?? Don't give me a pot full of just chunks, give me some yummy liquid please! The flavor is so rich and delicious, you will enjoy every spoonful of the red wine/tomato/herb broth. It is delicious immediately, but it is unbelievable the next day, as most soups/stews are after they've sat awhile.
Nutrition
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Oh, I just loved this! I had some leftover veggies from other recipes like mushrooms, green beans, corn, and some fresh peas so I tossed all of that in also. I think next time I make this I’m going to get a bag of red pearl onions and bung those in too. I paired this with some whole wheat macaroni ribbons and it was blissfully satisfying. Thank you!
So glad you loved it!!
After sautéing the veggies on the stove top, could you put everything in a slow cooker instead?
I suppose so! I don’t own a slow cooker so I can’t give advice on how to prepare my recipes in them.
Every time I make this, I am AMAZED at how good it is! Made a few changes: reduced potatoes to 4 cups, increase carrots to 2 cups, add 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup frozen corn, and 1 can cooked black beans (rinsed). Also use a very dry and good red wine – really impacts the flavor. I am also a “soup aholic” and this is one of my “go to” favorites. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so glad you love Patricia! The base is so good that your new variation sounds yummy too! Different than a traditional “meat and potato” stew but sounds delicious regardless!
Forgot to mention that we’re not even wine drinkers (or any alcoholic drinks at all) and had to ask for a recommendation. We were recommended a Merlot because we were more likely to enjoy it as a drink on its own as first time red wine drinkers. After everything was simmering, we sipped the Merlot and panicked because it was awful! Fortunately once everything was cooked we kept going back for more. So even if you’re not a red wine drinker but like the taste of a traditional stew, give this one a go.
That’s the beautiful thing for teetotalers; wine is a great additive for a lot of dishes (gives it that Michelin 5-star gourmet vibe 😊). The alcohol cooks away so you don’t to worry about breaking any self-vows.
Thank you for the amazing recipe. This was an absolute delight! We did add mushrooms and peas, next time we might even try adding jackfruit. This stew will definitely be added into our rotation of dinners.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
What is the nutrition on this recipe, it sounds completely amazing Bonus meatless!
This stew was fantastic. The broth was so flavorful and rich – it’s definitely a keeper recipe. I’m enjoying the nutritional yeast you recommended as well. It was perfect with crusty bread.
Thank you!
Wonderful Nancy! So glad to hear that!!
This was delicious!! I actually had a bottle of white wine open, so I took a chance and used that instead. I also added leeks along with the potatoes because I needed to finish them up. Seriously good! I laddled it out over sprouted lentils and massaged kale, yummmmmmmmm.
So glad you loved it! Thank you for making it! Definitely try it with the red wine next time, it is SO much better and has that true beef stew like flavor and more rich! That sounds great with it over lentils and kale!
Brandi I just made this yet again and yet again it’s fabulous!! I don’t change a single thing because it’s perfect. My meat-eating husband loves it and doesn’t even whine for beef. I do make vegan dumplings for the top because dumplings! I think you should add this one to your cookbook!
Oh Diana, you are such a sweetheart! Thank you so much for rating the recipe and making it again! I always love your comments, they brighten my day! Well, you will be happy to know that I have a wine stew in my book, a different version than this one, but definitely similar! 🙂
OK. I’m struggling here. I tried to modify cooking this by cooking all the onions and such on the stovetop and then throwing everything in the crockpot. Came home and the potatoes (which were cut up super small) were still hard. I then transferred everything to a pot and followed the directions of cooking it for 30-45 minutes . . . Still hard. I then tried throwing it all in my instapot with some more broth and cooked it for 25 minutes. Still not soft. What am I missing here? There has been plenty of liquid even after cooking. Flavor of the broth tastes great, just would like to eat the potatoes and carrots (which were also still hard) with it.
Try pre cooking the potatoes & carrots not all the way. I have never used a crock pot, why not make the stew the regular way a day or two before hand. With stews the next day is better than the first. All you have to do is reheat it, just make sure to reheat enough foe seconds. Being in the North central US we like celery in stews, just another layer of flaver.
Try not to rush the cooking time.
Hi Val! I honestly have no idea since I never use a crockpot. Nobody else has had any issues with the stew, so I’m assuming since you changed the cooking method (leaving them in a slowcooker for awhile) as opposed to cooking it at the simmer heat consistently over the stove affected them cooking properly. I have never had an issue of my potatoes are carrots softening. If they are simmering in water, even if a low amount, they will still get soft from the steam and heat and being covered. They should be firm, but tender, definitely not hard. I guess the crockpot did something weird here. What I would do is bake them to soften them and then add to the soup and hopefully it won’t be too runny that way.
Do you think I can cook this in a crockpot? It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Natalie! I don’t ever use a crockpot so I’m afraid I don’t have advice on how to cook this stew in it. So sorry!
I’m making this stew today for the second time! This is the easiest and most delicious vegan stew I’ve ever come across! I add frozen corn to the stew and might add peas this time. The taste is perfect and since I don’t drink red wine I bought a four pack of those Sutter Home wine packs and one of those is exactly the amount you need for this stew!
That is so wonderful to hear Rebecca! Thank you so much for such a kind review!
Made this last night. Turned out amazing. I’m thinking I might try adding something like shitake mushrooms and maybe some other root vegetables next time, but there will definitely be a next time.
Wonderful Mat! So glad you enjoyed it, thank you! We don’t do mushrooms in our house, but I know others have added them to this and have loved it.
So simple and so freakin good! Your website is my new go to for new meal ideas!
Awww yay! Thank you Kristin! So glad it was a hit and thank you for your kind words!
The broth is to DIE for! (I even messed up because I used regular veggie broth instead of low sodium, didn’t have enough garlic, tomato sauce or potatoes but the broth shined through.) I can’t wait to make it again and actually follow the recipe. 😀
Awesome Allie! So thrilled you loved this so much! Yes, the broth is like my favorite thing ever, haha! Thank you so much for the awesome review!
I just made this with the bounty of potatoes and cherry tomatoes (made my own puree) from our CSA. It is delicious, even on a 90 degree day :). Thank you!
Yay Bromley, I’m so very happy to hear you loved this stew so much! Thank you very much for the wonderful review!
You people are killing me. I promise I will make it again tomarrow but with celery like a Northern stew. BRABDI needs to get an award for this one. THIS is the closes thing to beef stew, you don’t miss the meat, that is what meat eating friends have said.
5 GOLD STARS FOR BRANDI
Aww, thank you so much Rich! I’m so very happy to hear how much even your meat-loving friends love this! That thrills me, thanks for the awesome feedback!
Looking forward to making this stew! Just wondering if this would be ok to make in a crockpot?
Hi Maribel! I have never made it in a crockpot so I don’t have advice on that but I imagine it would work, I just can’t give directions since I never use one.
I made this recipe a few hours ago. I added sliced Bella mushrooms. I don’t care for red wine so I used a little less. But I had nothing to fear. The sauce is just wonderful. Almost reminds me of stew. Thank you Brandi.
Thank you so very much Barbara, so glad you enjoyed it! And yes, totally like a classic stew growing up!
Has anyone tried this with mushrooms? Sounds like they’d be perfect in this broth.
Hi Barbara! We don’t do mushrooms around here, so I haven’t but I’m sure they would be good in here!
I have made this recipe with mushrooms,tastes great. Hubby and I love this recipe with or without the ‘shrooms.
This recipe sounds amazing – while I like red wine, it unfortunately doesn’t like me (migraines). Do you think it would be possible to substitute unsweetened grape juice?
Hi Sandra! The alcohol cooks off so it shouldn’t give you a migraine, especially with all of the other ingredients and broth. But if you still wanted to sub, it’s hard for me to tell you what sub will work since I’ve only ever made it with red wine. If you do sub it with grape juice, I’m not sure if that would be too strong or weird in it to be honest, but yes, definitely would need to be unsweetened.
A couple of readers above noted they substituted with success, but again, I can only vouch for the recipe above, but this reader stated this and had success so maybe you could try that?
“I used 3/4 c. pomegranate juice and 3/4 T apple cider vinegar. “
Thanks so much – I was looking for other comments related to my question, but somehow must have missed it:)
Oh, I forgot to mention that I would probably personally try subbing the wine for more broth and add a tablespoon or so of dark balsamic vinegar, to taste. I haven’t tested it, but that would be what I would try. Dark balsamic vinegar has a wonderful rich flavor, kind of like wine, and a little goes a long way.
FAR too much salt added. I always cook without any salt and let other diners sprinkle it on the meal if they wish. I find most sauces and dressings are tasty enough without the added salt.
Hi Diane! Did you actually make this or are you just critiquing the amount of salt listed in the recipe? I can’t tell based alone by your comment. I’d like to help with suggestions if you made it and found it too salty. This recipe shouldn’t taste too salty at all, it tastes developed and like a classic fully flavored classic wine stew, which you can see if you read all of the above rave reviews. I’ve not heard one mention of salt from any of the remakes all over social media. Therefore, my suggestion f you did make it, is that it sounds to me like your broth or tomato sauce had a large amount of salt added, because since the broth and tomato sauce account for the majority of the stew, that will make a huge difference in how salty it taste. You want to make sure to use a “low sodium” labeled broth. This makes a large pot as well, so while 2 teaspoons sounds like a lot reading it, it is necessary for the large pot. Also, I always add salt to my cooking so that it tastes fully-flavored by the end. I’m very particular in how I season my recipes so that they don’t taste bland at the end, I do not like bland or flat tasting food and salt is necessary in most recipes to bring out the other flavors. I’m not a fan of just adding salt at the dinner table because it is not developed throughout the cooking process and then just tastes more one note. Hope this helps.
Love this recipe!
Just wanted to point out that most wines are not actually vegan, (What?!?!? I know right????). Most wines are refined in a process that involves filtering through casein, gelatin etc. So even though the final product doesn’t contain animal products, they are used in producing it.
There are vegan wines available though! A Google search will help you to locate brands to look for 🙂
Hi! I saw your recipe on Pinterest and it looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it! Which brand of veggie broth would you recommend? The one I usually use is pretty dark.
I like to use BETTER THAN BOUILLON 1 jar makes 9.5 quarts.
Comes in vegetable base, on chicken base & no beef base all are certified VEGAN.
This is the best bouillon I have tried, true to taste.
I buy mine from Woodman’s Markets. Made by Southeastern Mills 800-334-4468.
Hi Christina! I use either Sprouts vegan brand or here in Texas, I also love the HEB brand veggie broth. They are both light broths and work well. I think most you find will be fine, as long as they are light. This stew is such a wonderful strong flavor, thanks to the tomato sauce and wine, that a broth likely wouldn’t affect it too much.
I’m not sure what you mean by a light stock,all veggie stocks that I’ve seen have carrots in it. Is it okay as long as there is no tomato in it? Thanks.
Hi Darlene, I just mean a light colored broth. Many are very dark and have a strong flavor, which can affect the stew flavor. Carrots in it are fine. It’s usually the ones heavy on carrots and tomato that I stay away from. Trader Joe’s is one that I would NOT recommend.
Thank you for your guick response! Going to make the stew tonight!
Try it with horseradish Veganase on thin slice of GF bread (I used Little Northern Bakeshouse brand).
I have 6 people in my house, so I made 1 1/2 times the recipe. It was delicious & a hit with my family. Thank you!
So awesome to hear that Sharon!