Vegan Beef Stew
One of the most famous Comfort Food Classics, full of BEEFY deliciousness, but totally VEGAN! A perfect Cozy Meal for Chilly Nights!
Growing up I didn’t eat as much Beef Stew as I probably should’ve. In fact, I’m bummed to say I mostly know it from Dinty Moore, which if memory serves me right, is not so good!
Well recently I’ve been replaying Red Dead Redemption 2, and I love how Arthur Morgan just eats a bowl of stew and tosses the empty bowl on the ground. And it also got me craving a real good Vegan Beef Stew!
Why you’ll dig vegan beef Stew
In short, you’ll love this stew because it’s hearty, comforting and super dang delicious! It’s also easy to make, especially if you meal prep my Soy Curl Beef beforehand!
Ingredients for vegan beef Stew
The “beef”
I’m using SOY CURLS for this, which won’t be a surprise if you know me. Soy Curls are dehydrated soy chunks that you can flavor anyway you like. They are pretty affordable too. You can order them from Butler Foods (not sponsored!) or on Amazon.
Any large TVP style chunks will work too, since I know that kind of product is available in other parts of the world.
Instead of Soy Curls, you could make some Tofu “Steak” like I did in my Tofu Cheesesteak Recipe as well. Or you can use some jackfruit too, maybe some store-bought vegan beef if you have some accessible. Honestly, any of your favorite vegan beef replacements should be fine!
We’ll also be using a few of my favorite ingredients for vegan beef.
- Vegan Beef Broth (veggie broth is okay too!)
- Nutritional Yeast
- Miso Paste – for more UMAMI!
the veggies and aromatics
Beef Stew typically uses carrots, onions and garlic. We’ll also be using some thyme and other seasonings. Oh and don’t forget the potatoes!
I recommend trying to get carrots that are the same width for the entire length. If you can’t find that, don’t worry. Just try to cut them into equal sized pieces.
Same with the potatoes! I like using Baby Yukon Golds. Just cut them into equal sized pieces. If they are small enough you can just cut them in half. Otherwise you may need to quarter them.
the wine
I like adding some dry red wine to my stew, but if you don’t do alcohol, you can skip it and just replace with more broth instead.
If you do want to add some wine, use Barnivore to make sure your wine is vegan too!
how to make vegan Beef Stew
One of the coolest things about making Vegan Beef Stew is that fact that it’s way easier and faster than making a traditional one. During my research for this, I watched a few videos for a non-vegan version. And it takes a LONG time to make the beef.
Luckily, all we need to do is rehydrate the soy curls, then reduce them down in a beefy marinade.
Then, reserve the soy curls and to a Dutch Oven over medium heat, add the carrots and onions. Cook them down for about 8 – 10 minutes or until they’ve softened a bit.
Next add in the garlic, cook that for one minute. Then add in the vegan butter and seasonings.
Stir that to combine, add in some flour, stir and cook off the raw flour for a minute. Next add in the wine and broth.
Add in the soy curls and potatoes. Bring to a simmer, then add the pot uncovered to an oven preheated to 350 F / 175 C for 30 minutes.
Add in a cornstarch slurry to help it thicken, then bake for another 10 – 15 minutes. Baking will not only cook the veggies, but it will reduce the stew and concentrate the flavors.
Lastly, stir in some frozen peas, stir to heat them up and then dig in!
storage
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. I’ve just been reheating it in the microwave and it comes out fantastic!
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Vegan Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 batch Soy Curl Beef (or 1.5 pounds Vegan Beef of choice)
- 2 cups Diced Onions
- 2 – 3 Carrots (sliced 1/2 inch thick)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup Vegan Butter
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tsp Miso Paste
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Dry Red Wine (or more Broth)
- 4 cups Vegan Beef Broth (or Veggie Broth)
- 5 Sprigs of Thyme (tied in a bouquet)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 pound Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes (Halved or Quartered)
- 1 cup Frozen Green Peas
- 1.5 Tbsp Cornstarch + 3 Tbsp Water (Cornstarch Slurry)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the Soy Curl Beef and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C
- In a large pot or dutch oven, over medium heat on the stove top, drizzle about 1 tbsp of cooking oil (Avocado, Olive, Vegetable etc). Then add in the diced onions and carrots. Add a pinch of salt, stir occasionally, and cook those down for about 10 minutes or until they have softened and the onions get translucent.
- Add in the minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Then add vegan butter, stir to combine until melted.
- Next toss in the tomato paste, nutritional yeast, miso paste and vegan worcestershire. Stir to combine.
- Add in the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour flavor.
- Next add in the broth and red wine if using. Stir to combine. Then add in the reserved soy curls and potatoes. Toss in the thyme and bay leaves. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Bring to a simmer.
- Add pot uncovered to an oven preheated to 350 F / 175 C for 30 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Remove the pot from the oven, and add in the cornstarch slurry and stir to combine. Check to see if the potatoes are fork tender. If they are cooked to your desired doneness, skip to the next step. Otherwise add the pot back to the oven for another 10 – 15 minutes.
- Once veggies are cooked through and stew has reduced a bit, add the frozen peas, stir to heat through. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Remove the Thyme and Bay Leaves and dig in!
This looks delicious! I want to make this but i have to order some soy curls. I have never had those before. When I make this, I do not have any pots that can go in the oven. Could I transfer it to a 9×13 pan and bake it in that? Or would that not work out?
Hi, as long as it all fits I think that should work, let me know how it goes! You could also just simmer and cook on the stove top. I haven’t tried that but no reason why it wouldn’t work in my estimation. Just cook uncovered and check the potatoes and carrots and reduce the liquid down a bit.
Thanks!! I just have to order soy curls and then I will make it. Your recipes are always delicious and turn out fabulous!
Thank you!
So easy and delicious. Truly comfort food at its finest. Great to make on a Sunday for quick weeknight meals.
Hello! Super excited to try this! How can I make this recipe gf?? Thank you! 😊
Hi, I haven’t tested out GF flour, but if you have one that you like then I would imagine it would work out, let me know! Thanks!
This was delicious 😋
I used stovetop instead of oven. I simmered for about 50min low heat, covered but just a little space for the steam to scape.
I know there are options but what’s your preferred wine for this?
I honestly don’t have a specific brand, I just use whatever vegan pinot noir I can find!
So delicious!! Saw your instragram post about this and just had to make it. It came together so easily and tastes super fantastic! I love the soy curl beef too!! Way better than the beyond beef tips imo. Thanks for another great recipe to add to our rotation!
Awesome, so glad to hear that! Thank you!
That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout! Yummy goodness!
I never had great success with soy curls, but I tried this recipe and I’m hooked on using them more often. This ‘beef’ stew is just as good as the real thing. I substituted rutabaga for the potatoes and added some mushrooms as well. I also made fluffy dumplings for serving.
Awesome, so glad that they worked out for you, they are some of my favorite vegan protein!
Delicious!!! I used a combination of flavors from this recipe plus, my usual Guinness beef stew and it was spot on. The softness of soy curls really worked beautifully in this recipe. My only mistake was that I was used to the 3 hr cook time and I add my second 1/2 of Guinness (dark stout) too late it was a bit too boozy. lol I should have added all the stout in with the broth.
Wow! What an amazing bear hug of a stew on a cold winter day! I was able to get great results from simmering uncovered on the stovetop since I didn’t have an oven-safe pot. This recipe was delicious and easy to follow. It is an absolute MUST to have all ingredients prepped and measured ahead of time to make the process smooth. Thank you for creating such wonderful plant-based options! I grew up eating meat but I’m eliminating meat products for health reasons. I am so inspired by your recipes and can’t wait to share them with my meat-eating family! This will blow them away!
That is amazing to hear, glad I can help you with more plant based options!
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. My wife requests it constantly, even in the summer heat!
haha love this! Thank you!
Had to do this on the stovetop, but it turned out fantastic! Super hearty for a Melbourne winters day 😄 Bloody delicious, will make again!
Excellent to hear, can’t wait til it cools down here so I can make it!
My dad used to make something similar to this with real beef, but he added egg noodles to it. Is that something I could do with pasta of my choosing in this recipe? If any modifications need to be made, could you give them to me? I am not a chef like my parents.
Hi, yeah you could add some pasta to this, if it’s too thick you can add some reserved pasta water to thin it out a bit too!
Fan-f’ing-tastic! I don’t care for soy curls so I used Beyond steak tips. I only used 1/2 c red wine and it was just right for my taste. Thanks for the recipe!
Nice, the Beyond Steak is so good, I need to try it in something like this. So glad you dug it, thank you!
Wow! This turned out soooo amazing! I cut the recipe in half and still had enough for dinner the next night. I’d never had soy curls before but now I’m a fan! So easy and versatile, and they soak up so much flavor and become tender and delicious. I’m so happy I tried this. Thanks so much!
I made this recipe with 2 bags of Beyond Steak because I didn’t have soy curls. Simmered on stove because my Dutch oven is too small for the recipe. It came out so good! Love it!
Yum, I bet that was so good! Happy you liked it, thank you!
Wow. Perfect St. Patty’s Day meal. I didn’t have peas so we just left them out. Unfortunately I cut my potatoes too large so I had to cook it longer which reduced the stew. It was actually perfect that way. Didn’t need the cornstarch. Just enough gravy for our fresh soda bread. The whole fam looooved this!
Oh nice, glad it worked out! That sounds so good, thank you!