A bowl of belly-warming vegan beef stew is just what you need to beat the cold weather blues. This flavor-loaded stew is savory with herbs and pepper and it has meaty TVP chunks, potatoes, carrots and celery adding tons of texture.
When the world outside feels like a deep freeze, warm up your belly and soul with a bowl of this piping hot vegan beef stew.
This is one of my favorite vegan stews, one I make over and over again, especially this time of year (along with my vegan Irish stew and my mushroom stew). It is warm and savory and fragrant with herbs, and it is quite perfect served with a chunk of crusty French bread for a delicious weeknight -- or weekend -- dinner.
I don't use TVP with any frequency in my cooking anymore, especially with the availability of really good faux meats, but I do really like it in this vegan beef stew because it holds its texture during cooking. I toss the TVP (soya) chunks with herbs and roast them in oil before adding them to the pot. This both improves their texture and makes them chewier, and it adds a lot of flavor to the TVP.
This meatless beef stew is so much like a classic beef stew. Most of the ingredients here are exactly what you'd find in a beef stew. If you've been missing some of those flavors after going vegan, you'll really love this meat-free version.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- Loaded with savory flavor. This stew is so full-flavored thanks to the herbs and from the browning of the soy chunks. It also has tons of umami from tomato paste, mushroom stock and tamari.
- Full of nourishing goodness. The stew is packed with protein from the soy chunks and lots of healthfulness from fresh veggies.
- One-pot, easy recipe. The recipe is simple to make, and even a beginner cook can make it successfully, so long as you follow instructions.
- Friendly to most diets. The recipe is nut-free and gluten-free, and you can substitute the TVP chunks with soy-free meatless meat or with more veggies if you are soy-free.
Ingredients
Skip over to the recipe card below for exact quantities of each ingredient and substitutions.
- Oil. Any neutral oil, including avocado oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil.
- TVP chunks. You can use the regular soya chunks or soy curls.
- All purpose flour. Use either regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Herbs. Garlic, dried rosemary and dried sage. Fresh parsley for garnish.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, celery, potatoes and tomato paste.
- Red wine. This is optional, but it adds lovely flavor.
- Vegetable stock or mushroom stock. You can also use water.
- Soy sauce. Can substitute with tamari, which is gluten-free, or liquid aminos.
- Vegan butter. This is optional, but it adds lots of flavor when you add it at the end of cooking.
How to make vegan beef stew
1. Place soy chunks in very hot, salted water. Soak for 15-20 minutes until the chunks have absorbed a good deal of the water.
2. Drain out the water and press lightly on the soy chunks to remove excess water.
3. In the same bowl, toss the TVP chunks in flour, half the herbs, salt and ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the soy chunks to it without crowding them. Do this in batches if necessary. Preserve any excess flour in the bowl for adding later.
4. Brown the soy chunks on all sides. Remove to a plate.
5. To the same pot add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Saute until the onions get soft, 3-4 minutes.
6. Add wine to the pot, stir and let it cook out until there's barely any moisture in the pot.
7. Stir in the tomato paste.
8. Add the remaining herbs and mix them in.
9. Add the soy chunks back to the pot with any remaining flour.
10. Add 4 cups vegetable stock or mushroom stock to the pot along with the potatoes. Add the soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and let the potatoes cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
11. Stir in the butter and turn off the heat. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The reason I brown the chunks before adding them is because this improves the texture, making it more meat-like, and also adds more flavor to the chunks, which are bland on their own. To add more flavor, toss the chunks with some herbs and then dredge them in flour. The flour also helps thicken the stew.
You can use seitan, with great results, or even tofu. Brown the seitan and tofu exactly as you would the TVP chunks for more flavor.
Yes! With no artery-clogging fat from meat, and lots of veggies and protein, this stew is quite the health star and you'll get lots of great nutrition for much fewer calories than if you were eating the real thing.
Yes, wild, dry mushrooms like shiitake or oyster would be best here for the greatest texture. Reconstitute them with hot water before using, then coat them with herbs and flour and brown them just like you would the TVP chunks.
A hunk of crusty bread or rice -- white or brown -- are both delicious with this stew. Or spoon it up by itself for a memorable and comforting meal.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for up to three days. The stew tastes even better the next day.
- Freeze: Freeze the stew in an airtight container or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
More belly-warming vegan stew recipes
- Caribbean Black Eyed Peas Stew
- Chipotle and Cumin Spiced Vegetarian Chili
- Mushroom and Wild Rice Bisque
- Vegan Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Did you make this recipe? Leave a review and a star rating below or tag us on Instagram! Thanks!
Vegan Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups TVP chunks (soya chunks. You can also use soy curls)
- ¼ cup flour (use regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
- 2 tablespoons mixed herbs (divided. I use rosemary and sage.)
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 2 medium carrots (finely chopped, or use about 2 cups of baby carrots)
- 3 stalks celery (finely chopped)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound small potatoes (or regular-sized yellow or gold potatoes. Cut small potatoes in half, and cut larger potatoes in medium-sized chunks.)
- ½ cup red wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4-5 cups vegetable stock (or mushroom stock. Add more if needed to thin out stew. Can use water instead.)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter (optional, but nice)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Place soy chunks in very hot, salted water. Soak for 15-20 minutes until the chunks have absorbed a good deal of the water.
- Drain out the water and press lightly on the soy chunks to remove excess water.
- In the same bowl, toss the TVP chunks in flour, half the herbs, salt and ground black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the soy chunks to it without crowding them. Do this in batches if necessary. Preserve any excess flour in the bowl for adding later.
- Brown the soy chunks on all sides. Remove to a plate.
- To the same pot add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Saute until the onions get soft, 3-4 minutes.
- Add wine to the pot, stir and let it cook out until there's barely any moisture in the pot.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the remaining herbs and mix them in.
- Add the soy chunks back to the pot with any remaining flour.
- Add 4 cups vegetable stock or mushroom stock to the pot along with the potatoes. Add the soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and let the potatoes cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the butter and turn off the heat. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Recipe notes
- Roasting the soy chunks before adding them to the stew improves the texture, making this stew meatier. Browning also adds more flavor to the chunks, which are bland on their own.
-
You can use seitan, with great results, or even tofu instead of the TVP chunks. Brown the seitan and tofu exactly as you would the TVP chunks for more flavor.
You can also leave out the TVP and use wild, mushrooms like shiitake or oyster. - Reconstitute dried mushrooms with hot water before using, then coat them with herbs and flour and brown them just like you would the TVP chunks.
- A hunk of crusty bread is delicious with this stew. You can also serve it over a bed of rice or quinoa, Or spoon it up by itself for a memorable and comforting meal. Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for up to three days. The stew tastes even better the next day.
- Freeze: Freeze the stew in an airtight container or freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
M
I’m 14 and this i chose this recipe to cook for my entire family today, it was actually surprisingly easy to follow the recipe and everybody loved it so thank you!!! (Although I just used mushrooms instead of the soya chunks) 🙂
GB
Delicious.
Angela
Made this for dinner tonight... wow! This was just the cozy stew I was craving. I used seitan because it was the closest thing I could find.Thank you 🙂
Vaishali
So happy to hear Angela!
Nina
Just made this tonight for dinner. Used seitan instead because that’s what I had on hand. It was delicious and so easy! Definitely adding the recipe rotation 🙂
Nicole
Really tasty and easy. Thank you!
Nikki
Just made this tonight and it is delicious. I was curious if it freezes well?
Vaishali
Yes, it will freeze great in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw and reheat before serving. So happy you enjoyed it!
Amaya
I'm going vegan and this recipe is perfect for me since I love beef. Thanks a million for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vaishali
Amaya, that's wonderful--I based this on a beef stew recipe I made before going vegan and you won't be disappointed. 🙂 Browning the soy chunks is key--and the herbs!
Julie Falconer
Made this two days ago, and it is delicious. Even better the day after. It will be in regular rotation in our household from now on. Thank you, Vaishali!
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Julie! 🙂
Rosemary
I'm a "part time" vegetarian, (for a variety of health and financial reasons) and have been trying to cut down on my meat consumption-mainly red meat.
I love stew and was looking for a recipe I could use that used TVP instead of beef.
This is GORGEOUS! The only thing I did differently was to add a few mushrooms in with the vegetables.
This is definitely a recipe I'll use again.
Thank you so much!
Suee33
I added mushrooms also - gave it even more of a meaty feel. Sautéed them first in vegan butter.
Vaishali
Rosemary, mushrooms would be great here! Great idea. So happy you loved it. 🙂
Robyn
Thank you Vashali, I made this last night and we loved it. To save time I used frozen Vegetarian Beef Chunks which come marinated and flavoured similar the recipe. I simply baked a cup full of these for 15 minutes before adding to the stew. Flavourful and satisfying, this is definitely a keeper.
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Robyn!
Lisa M.
I had purchased "soya chunks" at an Indian grocery store, thinking they might be good for backpacking meals. I made this according to your recipe (used veg broth and added mushrooms) and it's delicious. It should be easy to adapt with dehydrated veggies, and we usually pack in a can of red wine for our first night out...Thank you!
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Lisa. 🙂
Anna Sokol
Hi! Great recipe and I happened to have everything for it so will cook for sure.
Can you please point how thick/liquid it should be and what do you prefer to eat it with - just bread for example?
Vaishali
Bread is great, you can also serve it with rice. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 🙂
Sefie
This recipe is great.
I couldn't find the TVP so just switched it with tofu and also skipped the wine.
Still taste amazing 🙂
Thank you!
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy you made it!
Laura
Interested to know how you give the TVP that pink meaty hue ?
Vaishali
It's the light. It doesn't really look pink in the actual dish, more brown. But frying the chunks with salt, pepper and flour first does really help with creating a more meat-like texture.
Sam Visser
This is so tempting! Perfect for weekends. Thanks for sharing the recipe
cal
What brand of TVP do you use?
Vaishali
Anywhere I can find it but usually at an Adventist store in my area which has all sorts of yummy vegan stuff and at the Indian store where they are sold as "soya nuggets".