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- Makes 10 cups
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Tuck into this cozy meal whenever you’re in need of a little TLC. Portobello mushrooms add rich flavor and meaty texture to this chunky classic-style stew, while a medley of fresh veggies soaks up the herbaceous broth. Fresh rosemary and parsley deliver a beautiful depth of flavor that develops over time, so don’t be afraid to freeze your leftovers for a rainy day! And be sure to check out our full collection of vegan stew recipes here.
Tip: Fresh rosemary is wonderful in this stew, but if you only have dried, use ½ teaspoon.
From straightupfood.com
By Cathy Fisher,
Ingredients
- 1½ large yellow or white onions, chopped into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2¼ cups)
- 3 ribs celery, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium portobello mushrooms, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lb. white potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
- ⅓ cup no-salt-added tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1½ cups thawed frozen peas
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot, cook onions, carrots, and celery with 1 tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Stir in mushrooms and garlic; cook 5 minutes more, stirring frequently and adding water as needed.
- Stir in potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Add 5 cups of water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in rosemary. Cook, covered, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas; cook, covered, 5 minutes more or until carrots and potatoes are tender.
- Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Return to soup pot. Stir in parsley.
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Comments (142)
(5 from 75 votes)My recipe for something like this is, as below - use a broth/cube/“better than broth” or wine for added flavour. Another tip is to sauté /sweat the onion and vegetables in some vegan margarine before adding liquids - even add a bit of vegan worcester sauce as well. It just does something to the eventual broth to have that added flavour from the veg/marg mix. ps: I love carbs, so I serve it over rice - the rice just Loves the broth.
Nice rich "beef stew" look. I definitely agree on the blandness. Im guessing broth would help. I ended up adding more dried herbs, thyme and sage. I also added garlic and onion powder. I took the posted advice and added 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar and I also added 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce and red pepper flakes. I'm stopping there. I think it's pretty good. That being said, I usually use EVOO to saute my veggies so I'm sure it takes time adjust to the taste of this way of cooking. Thanks for recipe!
I don't like when people rate a recipe when they have substituted recipes, that said, I'm going to be one of those people. After reading other comments, I decided to use vegetable broth. I used 365 Vegetable Broth.). This recipe is delicious! I've made it several times. It's now part of my regular rotation and I make sure I have it in the freezer at all times. (I use Souper Cubes.) Scraping the gills from the portobello as another commenter said makes a big difference. Even my meat-eating, 11 year-old granddaughter loves it.
I'm trying to reply to Lexy Larson re. her addition of Meati steak. I have two already-cooked Meati steaks (I made too many) and was wondering what to do with them as leftoevers. I thought of adding them to stew, but worried they might be too soft and sort of disintegrate. Did that happen when you added to your stew, or did they stay chewy and in tact? Thanks!
I should have pre-cooked the carrots. I also added a can of organic capotle salsa and a red pepper that my wife grew for me in the garden to step up the heat. Cooking time was more like an hour.
This is a delicious base for a great stew but, after making it as written twice and feeling that the flavor was bland, I made quite a few changes. I replaced the water with veggie broth and kicked it up a notch with a tablespoon of vegetable bullion base. Also replaced 1 cup of broth with a nice red table wine. For even more flavor I added a tablespoon of red miso paste dissolved in about 1/2 cup of water. For the paprika I used 1 tsp of sweet and 1 tsp of smoked. I also microwaved the chopped carrots for 3 minutes before adding at the beginning. I’d had trouble with them not cooking through.
This is one of my favorite stews. The flavors are delightful and it is defiantly a comfort food. Thank you for all you amazing work in the plant based world. We need more organizations like this!
Leaving 2 stars just because I deviated from the recipe so that it wouldn’t be bland. Added 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, a splash of liquid smoke, 2 tbsp liquid aminos, 3 bay leaves and copious amounts of onion powder and garlic powder. Very hearty and tasted just like real beef stew when I added Meati’s carne asada!
Can this be made is a slow cooker?
Hi Anita, Yes, you can cook this recipe in a slow cooker. We suggest 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low for this recipe. Our guide to Slow Cooking includes a conversion table and other tips for slow cooking. https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/slow-cooker-recipes-tips-8-smart-ways-to-use/. Let us know how it goes! Thanks, Lisa Forks Over Knives, Support
Delicious, one of my favorite soup recipes
Absolutely delicious! Thank you.
How many carbohydrates in a serving?
Delicious! I absolutely love Cathy Fisher recipes!!
followed the instructions last night, and it turned out better than I thought it would. But thanks to the comments below, what made this dish better was the soy sauce and red wine vinegar. Added red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick, and used part water part vegetarian beef broth. No meat given we are vegetarians. thank you for sharing this recipe. I was surprised how easy it was to make when living busy schedules.
Excellent recipe. I added black beans for a little extra heartiness.
Only a few changes after reading the comments; used vegetable broth instead of water, added Bay leaves and salt &pepper. Also made in the crockpot on low for 6 hours. Will definitely be in my dinner rotation!
Yum
Delicious! I used plant based beef tips and mushrooms.
Made this last night. Followed a lot of the recommendations of others. It came out fine but not thick like a stew. It packed the richness I'm used to.
Add some cornstarch mixed with water pour in pan the same as you do with flour for gravy. My wife has Celiacs so cornstarch is our go to.
I gave this 5 stars after I made some additions, which (I felt) really elevated the dish! I used vegetable stock (I had some homemade on hand) and as others suggested smoked paprika. After adding salt and pepper I still felt it needed a little something so I added 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, about a tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (trust me, this is truly a secret ingredient) and a dash of red pepper flakes. It was amazing.
Worcestershire sauce has anchovies.. did you find a vegan brand?
For the folks worrying about the Worcestershire sauce. The Kroger or Harris teeter brand is accidentally vegan. You can also order Annie's on Amazon. I haven't made this yet but I am going to and I will probably use some Worcestershire sauce as well. Actually I think that Whole Foods brand 365 is also accidentally vegan
The Beefless Stew was so delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipe I tweeked the recipe by adding some stock powder. Everyone loved it.
With a few substitutions, this is amazing! I used smoked paprika, veggie broth and a really high quality Italian seasoning. I ate the whole pot over a few days all by myself!
This is a terrific stew!!! I didn't change anything.
Over all good….. I added butter for some fat (could use dairy free or vegan or something) and red wine vinegar was a must to give some depth/flavor. I used stock instead of water too. Also very generous on the salt.
i tried this last night for it was delicious, i did make modifications as suggested by previous reviews, i used 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and the rest with water, also used 1/2 cannellini beans,and 1/2 can peas but added them in the last hour of cooking also added salt as needed because it was a bit bland so over all this recipe was a good, and easy ,recipe and quick because it was done in a crock pot in crock pot cook on high for 2 hours then turn down to low for remaining cooking :)
Fab taste..just like beef less Stew.. I read the comments, so made adjustments as recommended..if you make soups etc, it's not difficult to make the adjustments..I added black beans too, as it was short of something solid..
Easy prep, very filling, could use more flavor. I made the recipe as stated, no modifications. My suggestions: use vegetable broth instead of water, salt/pepper to taste, and maybe even a few bay leaves!
Giving this two stars because I had to make some adjustments to the recipe, based on previous ratings. What I did differently was: Smoked paprika instead of regular Vegetable broth instead of water Cannellini beans instead of peas It turned out quite well, and I will say that if I did not use the smoked paprika or vegetable broth, it probably would have turned out extremely bland and be a complete let down. I highly recommend reading through all the other ratings for ideas and adjust per your own taste and preference.
Why white potatoes instead of red, purple, or yellow? And could one use new or creamer potatoes or do I need the larger ones that have been cured? Where I am, the freshly dug white or red potatoes are a bit watery with not much flavor.
My guess is because a white potato is more solid and holds up better in a stew, as in, it won't get mushy. I would say try whatever you have.
how many servings does this make?
Ugh I wish I would have read through the reviews first instead of just trusting the rating from so many reviews. Prepared as written, it is extremely bland. It was so disappointing because it made the house smell so good but it was quite deceiving. It made SO much food and I can't let it go to waste so I'll try to fix it somehow. Definitely not the "Best" beefless stew unfortunately.
Could you do this without using a blender as i don't have one? thanks for any replies.
You could use a stick blender, it would be easier......it even a potato masher....
I made this tonight but won't eat it until tomorrow. I didn't do the blender part and it looks and tastes fine. Perhaps a little thinner than a typical stew would be, but no big deal there!
The recipe itself wasn't my favorite but made some modifications to give it 4 stars. Added salt, would have added veggie broth if I had some on hand. Added bay leaves and tons of fresh herbs. I also added some fresh chopped tomatoes. Would definitely put in more mushrooms and slightly less potatoes and maybe even add some cannelini beans for extra protein/flavor. The tomato paste did give it nice flavor but definitely adding salt made a difference in taste.
Thank you for letting me know about the salt, and the extra ingredients made this stew much much better!!
Delicious, I love have flavorful and wonderful it is without the salt or oil! Thank you!!!
Hey all, read the comments and added a little more taste to what could’ve been pretty blan. We added vegetable broth in place of water, included two bay leaves and reduced the rosemary. Used tomato paste with salt, spinach instead of peas and mashed some of the potato instead of blend. Of course sea salt to taste. Came out brilliant!
We did not care for this. It tasted like too much rosemary and not much else.
The best thing about soups is you can play with the seasonings, change them up.
No oil ? Love that.
All FOK recipes are no oil! Enjoy!!!
Don't all nuts have oil? I am confused on that. Esselstyn says one thing, other cardiologists disagree. I am battling fatty liver, so want to not eat anything with fat but how hard is that? :) Constant battle with all the information/disinformation out there!
It will have more umami if you allow the tomato paste to bloom in a little olive oil on one side of the pan while you caramelize the onion on the other side.
I'm sure it would, but most of us that follow forks over knives also follow a whole foods plant-based diet which does not include oil.
Made this because the title and 4.5 stars from 53 voters! Wished I read the reviews first! Why are people giving this 4-5 stars when they deviated from the recipe quite a bit! The ones who did the recipe the way it should have been gave it 1-2 stars! And it is bland! Waste of time. We definitely have to doctor this up quite a bit for my kids to eat it. And some gave reviews for great photo! Seriously?!
Having Stage 3 CKD, I don't know if this was a good choice, but I made it anyway, and really enjoyed it. Like others mentioned, it was a little bland. I added 2 cubes of low sodium vegetable bullion to the recipe, since I didn't have broth. Also, I added more seasoning to my bowl, like onion and garlic powder, and some thyme. I'm glad someone questioned about their stew looking brown and was told about scraping the dark gills at the bottom of the portobello mushroom. Since I never had those mushrooms, I wouldn't have known, and saw the instructions provided, then googled it to get a visual. I'll be making this again and pray my body agrees with it.
I made this last night and used some of the suggested modifications; used vegetable broth & 1 cup of red wine in place of the water, smoked paprika, added a bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper and prepared in my Ninja Foodie. Both my partner and I were very happy with the results and agree that this will be added to our rotation. I have never really liked stew (beef or other meat) but this was delicious!!
Looks Great! Can this be done in a Slow Cooker? If so, how….? Thank you!
The way I did it was to fry the onion and garlic then throw everything into the slow cooker, 2 hours high, 4 low. You can do whatever, just until the potatoes are cooked.
Can you do this in a Slow Cooker? If so, What time is best, and may I do this on High, for two hours..?
I loved this dish and so did my meat-eating partner. It will now have a permanent place on my favourite list of hearty winter stews. I made a couple of changes: added a dash of red wine with the tomato paste, included oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaves to the Italian seasoning and changed the water to vegan-chicken stock.
This is a new favorite! I was out of Italian seasoning, so I used dried basil, thyme, oregano, and a couple of bay leaves. I tend to go a little heavy-handed with dry herbs, including rosemary. I also doubled the paprika and used smoked. Subbed veggie broth instead of water. Oh, wait I added more potatoes and peas too. Step 3 is a great trick to thickening the stew. For the final taste, I felt it needed a little more kick so I added a shake of dry garlic and onion powder and generous amounts of salt and pepper. On a side note, I really like to freeze leftovers and find historically chunks of carrots get a "spongy" texture after freezing. For that reason, I ran the carrots through a food processor before cooking them, I always do this if I know the dish will be frozen
So good and satisfing!
I made this last night for my vegan/gluten free family. The mushrooms turn the sauce brown, nothing like the photo. Also had to tweak the flavours as it was very bland. I added gluten free Worcestershire sauce which helped a bit.
If the sauce turned brown, it may be because of the portobellos. You have to scrape the insides (the dark underside) our first, rinse, then slice. Otherwise the insides part does turn it brown - which is fine if you’re making mushroom soup - not so fine if making a sauce. I found that out the hard way years ago.
We have been eating a plant based diet for a few years now. This soup is by far not the best Beefless stew ever. I will definitely be seasoning it differently. I have 2 FOK cookbooks. I hope the other recipes are much better.
Big hit with the meat-loving family!
I make this meal nearly every second Friday, it is a major hit with all my family especially my 3 and 5 year old grandsons. I put a lot more different veggies in it too. A tablespoon or two of Balsamic vinegar towards the end of the cooking time.. delicious
Great for a rainy day!
I have stage 4 chronic kidney disease. It would be very so helpful if these recipes had a breakout of sodium, potassium, phosphate and protein content per serving. And maybe some CKD friendly versions of the recipes...?
I agree with Denise. I also have stage 4 kidney disease. Please, please help us with a more complete nutrition list.
There are numerous websites available where you can enter the ingredients for a recipe, and it will create a nutrition label for you! (e.g., https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076)
I agree with Denise also. I'm currently using the cronometer app by putting in the ingredients as a whole, then break it down by the serving. It's time consuming. I'll try the website KK provided, and see if that works.
I think the only problem is not knowing how many servings there are to the recipe in order to break it down and get a more accurate nutritional fact.
Made this in my slow cooker and it was DELICIOUS! The seasoning was perfect by dinner time. Leftovers froze perfectly and tasted fantastic when we had guests at the last minute!
Did you make any modifications to adapt to the slow cooker? Thank you!
This recipe is a classic. I substituted sweet peppers for the peas only because I'm freezing portions and didn't want withered peas. I upped the spice amounts including smoked paprika and cooked the veggies in red wine. It is a meal I served my non plant based guests and they were impressed. Thank you so much for your creative recipes.
Yuk! Sorry I’ve been plant based for years. Spent an hour making this very disappointing. Rosemary overpowered. Huge pot now I have to gut through this . Sorry but no bueno
This stew is really good! I’ve recommended it to my meat eating family for meatless Monday meals.
Delicious! This is my husband’s favorite. I always replace the potatoes with turnips. Wonderful recipe!
I was so excited to make this however, we did not like the taste. The Italian Seasoning flovor just doesn't work with stew for us. If I ever make it again, I will use a packet of McCormick Stew Seasoning instead of the Italian seasoning and the rosemary.
Great recipe! I just adjusted the seasonings & used vegetable broth instead of water. Very good! Thank you
These look so delicious! Need recipes w no salt ,no sugar, no meat and no dairy.
Dr Fuhrman had tons of recipies of that kind
I made this tonight for dinner, I did use vegetable stock instead of water and upped the spices... It came out delicious! Very easy to make, with ingredients I typically have on hand.
Instead of water, used veggie stock. Instead of plain paprika, I used Smoked. Added Bay leaves. Turned out yummy! Blending some of this to thicken is a genius way to keep flavor and add thickness! :D
We really liked this recipe and definitely use again. I agree that it needed for seasonings but otherwise it came out thick and chunky and so good!
I had to add salt and pepper and about triple the amount of spices and herbs to get any flavour out of this recipe.
I halved the recipe since I am the only one plant based. I didn't have peas so I substituted green beans. Turned out good, will definitely make it again.
Made way too much of this. Can this be frozen for a month or so?
I followed recipe exactly-- we found it bland. Added freshly ground black pepper and vegeta seasoning to our liking. Adding cannellini beans would add nutrition and flavor.
Hi, can I do this recipe in a slow cooker instead of a Dutch oven. Thanks Pauline
Hi! We did this. We prepped it the night before. Put it in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours and it came out just fine. Like others, had to add a little more seasoning, but otherwise it was great!
This was a very tasty recipe. I used low sodium broth instead of water and added some kosher salt. My husband really enjoyed it, even without the beef.
I love using recipes from this website as inspiration for my plant-forward eating (not a vegan, more like an 80% of the week vegetarian). This recipe was awesome, however I made a few changes based on my own preferences. Sautéed in oil not water because I prefer that. I used a vegetable broth instead of water. Added some salt, pepper, bay leaf and red wine. Additionally I wanted to give some thickness to the broth so some flour was added. Absolutely perfect in every other way, just thought it was missing some of what I would consider to be essentials in a normal beef stew.
Bay leaf...great idea. My grandmother added bay leaf to roasts on Sundays.
Made this a couple of times. Soo good. If i have beans or edamame i might add those
Made this a couple of times. Soo good. If i have beans or edamame i might add those
“Best-Ever” is an understatement! I made this stew last night, and it was a huge hit with my family!
I haven't made this yet, but it looks amazing. Can you furnish the calorie count? Can yams be substituted for the potatoes? Thanks!
This was simply AMAZING worth the time cutting up all the veggies. I followed everything except I added 5 1/2 c of better than bullion vegetable base making it rich in taste and soupier since it’s really hardy. I can’t wait to make another pot it was that incredibly good!!
This stew was excellent and we didn’t miss the beef. The next time I will make with 1/2 water 1/2 veggie broth. I also added some vegan Worcestershire sauce and a bit more tomato paste. Finally, I used small red new potatoes with the skin on and used less that what the recipe called for.
This was an amazing stew! Hearty, savory and feel-good food! I didn't have "italian seasoning" on hand so I used, thyme, rosemary and oregano. After initially tasting it, I added a little bit of red wine and a few shakes of Cholula hot sauce (chili and garlic) My husband was skeptical, but ate it 2 nights in a row! will definately make it again.
Loved the heartiness and flavor. It was fun to share the preparation of peeling and chopping. Definitely going to make this again and again. Still getting used to recipes using water instead of EVOO when sauteing.
I made this stew and it was lovely! I added some yeast extract to the sauce and it was yummy! Will make this again!
Calories please. A serving is how many cups?
A serving is ‘however much it takes for you to feel full’! Eat healthfully in abundance! Take a look around the FOK site, and learn about the WFPB lifestyle… you will never have to count calories again, or ration how much you eat. You’re welcome :)
Delicious! The whole family (kids too!) liked it!
I made this recipe. And I find it blend .
I used 4 cups mushroom broth and 1 cup water, added another half cup of peas (I like peas) and a quarter teaspoon black pepper.
This is yummy. Used vegetable broth instead of water. Otherwise no changes or substitutions. We loved it and will be making this often during the winter.
How much rosemary should I use if I do not have fresh?
I replaced the peas with shredded Kale and the soup came out great!! I would totally recommend it.
I have read some of the comments and I agree with some: Yea! why peel the potatoes? Add turnips Veg. broth instead of all water - I added 1/2 and 1/2. We even had it the following week (out of the freezer! Super and as said before, did not miss the meat!
I am really excited to make this. My husband hates mushrooms—any suggestions on something I could sub for the mushrooms (and not eggplant as he hates that, too!)?
You can totally leave the mushrooms out and it will still be delicious. You can also add beans or another veggie you like like corn
I would use soy curls. Butler Foods has the proprietary process for them, but they are considered a whole food.
I really like this recipe. Like others I changed a few things but nothing major. Thanks for a great winter stew.. How do I save these recipes I like from your emails please?
Healthy ingredients but low on flavor as is. I advise being creative.
you are 100% correct, VERY bland.
Excellent recipe. My wife and I loved this recipe. Thanks Forks Over Knives!
Wow! We just feasted on this stew. It is a simple combination of ingredients, but very satisfying. It’s about 27 degrees tonight and steaming bowls of goodness we’re much needed. I will definitely revisit this recipe in the coming winter months. I’m thinking about leaving out the potato, adding greens, and serving it over slow- cooked yellow grits...Thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Delicious! I added a couple of cups of cooked brown lentils (just because I had them!) & upped the spices a bit. Will definitely make this again!
Loved it! Perfect for a cold winter's day.
easy to make and tasted GREAT! thank you
Made this stew tonight. It is absolutely delicious. I used vegetable broth, I added 6 oz. of spnach and did not need to blend at all. Did not miss having meat in it at all. Looking forward to trying more of these soup recipes.
Just washing up the dishes from this 9/10 meal....excellent!! Made whole wheat vegan biscuits to accompany. Next time I'll add turnip. Cathy's recipes never disappoint.
When an urge for an old comfort food arises, especially for a newer vegan, and such things as beef or chicken are more tempting, to find a recipe that clearly tells you it's a delicious alternative can really help get you over the hump!
Why peel the potatoes?
No need. Some people prefer peeled. Totally preference
It's the first time I've seen a FOK meal likening itself to a meat equivalent. No need to align with"pulled pork style" "chicken style" processed foods.
This is one of the best recipes. Cathy has wonderful recipes in her book "Straight Up Food". Absolutely love this recipe and her book and use it all the time.
Made it this week and it was AWESOME!! However, I did make a few tweaks: 1. I didn’t use dried Italian seasoning, instead I used whatever fresh herbs I had – organo & thyme 2. I didn’t add parsley 3. I added more tomato paste 4. And I added several splashes of red wine
Of course! A Dutch oven is a bignpoy that can also go in the oven. This recipe is only on the stove top, so any large pot will do.
what is a bignpoy? Could not Google it. Thanks!
Big pot?
We liked this stew. We did notice the lack of salt (by design) & next time might add more spices (or vegan “Better than Bouillon” for more flavor. Tasted very healthy. We loved the texture given to the stew by using a blender, per recipe directions! How unique!
non beef soup
This is absolutely our whole family’s favorite stew recipe. Easy to make and SO DELICIOUS.
Just wondering about protein content??
The peas provide 1.2 grams of protein per cup in this recipe. I like to add a cup of pinto beans too, which adds another 1.5 grams. Edamame and/or wild rice would also be good additions for more protein.
These figures are approximate for a one cup serving size: 188 calories; 0.4g fat with 0.1g sat fat; 0 cholesterol; 64 mg sodium; 25.8g total carbs (5.7g fiber); 6.1g sugar; 4.5g Protein; 43mg calcium; 739mg potassium; 2mg iron; 54mcg vitamin D (courtesy of verywellfit.com)
I don;t have a Dutch oven, can I use a regular pot?
Yes. Any big pot works.
Can this be made in a crock pot for super busy days?
hands down, the best!!!!!!