This easy recipe makes a hearty mushroom stew with a mix of fresh mushrooms, leeks and savory herbs. All you need is one pot and under 30 minutes!
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A satisfying, cozy mushroom stew
The cooling weather sets off a voracious craving for vegan stews, like a nourishing vegetable stew, a hearty vegan beef stew or a deeply satisfying chickpea stew. But when I am in a rush and wanting to eat something that's satiating and comforting, this easy vegan mushroom stew recipe is my go-to.
The mushroom stew delivers more flavor than you thought possible in less than 30 minutes and with a handful of ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. The tomato paste and soy sauce add tons of umami and the savory herbs, including sage and rosemary, create an explosion of flavor. In warmer weather, when fresh herbs are readily available, you can use those instead.
This is a versatile recipe. Use whatever mushrooms you have on hand: a mix of mushrooms works, as does just one kind of mushroom. I love mixing wild mushrooms like shiitake and maitake with cremini or white button mushrooms. Just go with what is easily available to you or what you already have in your fridge.
The stew is gluten-free and nut-free and you can use soy-free seasoning sauce or coconut aminos if you are soy-free. Mushrooms are low in carbs so this stew is also well-suited to anyone on a low-carb diet.
We call it the "divine" sauce in our house. It is sooo delicious and we make it almost every week. Highly recommend it!
Recipe card
Mushroom Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek (white and green parts finely diced, You can use a finely diced onion instead.)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 medium tomato (finely diced)
- ¼ cup white wine (optional)
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 2 teaspoons dried herbs (I used a mix of rosemary, thyme and marjoram. For substitution ideas see the ingredients list above. If using fresh herbs, use two tablespoons of fresh herbs).
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms (Sliced. I used a mix of cremini mushrooms, maitake mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms. See ingredients list above for substitution ideas).
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
- 1½ cups mushroom stock (or vegetable stock or, if using dried mushrooms, the stock from rehydrating the dried mushrooms).
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon parsley (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Place olive oil, leeks and garlic in a saute pan or skillet. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Saute until the leeks are soft, about five minutes, over medium heat.
- Stir in the diced tomato, tomato paste and wine, if using, and mix well.
- When all visible liquid in the pan has evaporated, add the rice flour to the pan and mix it in. The vegetables should quickly absorb all the flour.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and mix well. Let the mushrooms cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the dried herbs, soy sauce and mushroom stock or vegetable stock or water. Mix well, cover, and let the stew cook for 5 minutes to thicken and for the flavors to meld. Check for salt and peppers and add more if needed.
- Stir in the parsley and mix it in. Serve the mushroom stew hot or warm.
Notes
- You can substitute the leeks with onions or shallots.
- If you are using wild mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, lion's mane mushrooms and chanterelles will all work very well in this recipe. You can also use dried mushrooms. See FAQs above for more on this.
Nutrition Information
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Recipe FAQs
Yes. Dried mushrooms add wonderful, chewy texture to the mushroom stew. Reconstitute the dried mushrooms in a cup of hot, boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain them but reserve the stock for use in the stew.
Fresh herbs are wonderful in this mushroom stew. Replace a teaspoon of dried herbs with a tablespoon of fresh herbs.
You can add celery, carrots and bell peppers to this stew. Sauté them with the leeks.
You can add a can of white beans to the recipe or cubed tofu to bump up the protein in this recipe.
Serve with crusty French bread, Italian bread or no-knead sourdough bread, or over a ribbony pasta, like fettuccine or pappardelle. This mushroom stew is also delicious on a bed of quinoa or basmati rice or with a leafy side salad, like a vegan Caesar salad.
Store the stew in the fridge for up to four days in an air-tight container or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Thaw and reheat the stew on the stovetop or in the microwave.
rs says
Delicious, and so easy. Thanks! (A small request: it would be great if your measurements were in weights as well as volumes. Measuring mushrooms by the cup is, well, so imprecise, given those irregular shapes and sizes. Weight is the standard for measuring foods all over the world; I became a much better cook using it. Especially, but no only, for baking.)
rs says
so sorry. mea culpa. You did use a weight measure for the mushrooms. I was looking at another recipe on my screen and confused the two. apologies. And your recipe is the one I chose.
Thanks
Terri says
This is delicious! I omitted the oil because I follow the McDougall diet and served the stew over mashed potatoes. I’ll be making this recipe again.
Vaishali says
So happy you loved it!!
Lisa Velez says
Recently made this (used slightly less garlic because it was just for 2). It was delicious!! Making again.
Vaishali says
So happy to hear, Lisa!
Ally says
I cannot believe how delicious this was! And easy to make. I happened to have fresh rosemary to use, and it was the perfect complement to the other flavors in this dish. Thank you!
May says
This stew was great served over mashed potatoes with a side of Brussel sprouts. I might dry sauté the mushrooms first next time to get them a little browner. Adding some mixed veggies would be yummy too.
Sheindl says
Absolutely delicious... and easy to make! We will be making it again!
Vaishali says
So happy to hear!
meow says
it looks delish
Petra says
We call it the “divine” sauce in our house. It is sooo delicious and we make it almost every week. Highly recommend it!
Vaishali says
Petra, so lovely to hear!
Pablo says
Was better than i expected. I added canned baby cotn at the end and habanero powder for heat and spice and vs parley i used asian chives for garnish
Evelien says
Hi, does anyone know if and how this coupd be adjusted for the slow cooker?
Tessa Bowater says
Delicious and so quick and easy! I made some minor changes based mainly on what I had available at the time - dried herbs instead of fresh (one teaspoon sage, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon thyme) and because I don't cook with oil I sauteed in vegetable stock. A splash of Apple cider viniger instead of wine.
It turned out great and we had it with mashed potatoes and broccoli. This recipe went down well with my carnivore husband too. Thanks
Vaishali says
Awesome, so glad you liked it.
Jacqui B says
My husband steamed a small bag of vegetables and did eat them so I pan on making this tomorrow and adding the vegetables ( broccoli and cauliflower) at the end.
Emma says
Tried this recipe, so delicious. Used cornflour instead of rice flour as I didn’t have and used a small amount (1 cup) canned chopped tomatoes I had leftover in the fridge. Easy and tasty recipe. Will definitely make again.
Vaishali says
So happy to hear, Emma!
Cicely says
Really delicious, thank you. We used a mixture of fresh chestnut and shiitake mushrooms and as we didn't have any wine used a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar instead. We had dumplings with parsley which we cooked in with the mushrooms.
Vaishali says
So happy you liked it!
Joanna says
Wow, so delicious! Thank you! My 11yo loved it and called me a ‘culinary genius,’ so this one will be a keeper. We had it over baked potatoes—first time I didn’t miss the sour cream. I used corn starch instead of the rice flour, 8oz tomato sauce instead of the tomatoes and paste, water instead of the broth (still a very rich, intense flavor, just be sure to add enough salt), and garnished with green onions. Delightful!
Sarah Barlow says
This is absolutely delicious and so filling too. I've recommended it to so many people. Thank you 🙂
rachel lindover says
I rarely, if ever follow a cooking recipe to a T, but with this one, I knew I needed to dive in as is. SO WORTH IT. I used Coconut Vinegar instead of White Wine and used White Oyster, King Oyster, and Maitake mushrooms. So much gratitude for this one, thank you.
Amanda says
Being a vegetarian for many years me and my boyfriend are transitioning into cooking vegan a few times a week. After purchasing a lovely cast iron pot and reading the wonderful reviews this seemed like a prefect choice for a dinner party. Truly a success! I used red wine and chanterelle stock in mine. Easy recipe to follow and with a week since I'm craving it again and repeating it tonight. Thanks for sharing x
Jacquelinecooks88 says
Pretty damn good and towards the end I realised the recipe was going to be versatile enough to add extra, I put a can of chickpeas in which bulked it up and added protein. Next time I'd add a grated carrot and try with mixed mushrooms instead of white cups. Had it on rice but tastes like it'd be a perfect replacement for bolognese sauce on pasta.
Alyssa Bressi says
I just made this for dinner tonight. Wow! This is my favorite vegan meal so far! I will saving this recipe for the future. Thank you for sharing!
Vaishali says
Happy to hear that Alyssa!
Denise says
Used a mix of mini portabellas and cremini. WONDERFUL! I've been having trouble with some mushroom recipes being too rich and heavy. This is a light spice blend with a moderate depth of richness. Not overbearing. Had it with your sprouted chickpeas and wild rice blend for a perfect winter's dinner. Perfect for two with leftovers. Would be gone if we had four or if it was all we made for two. Will definitely make again.
Michelle Owoo says
Made it a few times. Love it. Good with lentils too.
Lauren says
Can I use regular flour? Dont have rice flour-havent even seen that before.
Vaishali says
I used rice flour to keep it gluten-free but if you don't need to be gf, you can go with regular all purpose flour.
Angela Johnson says
This was delicious! Great recipe, thank you!
Tracy says
Hi, I would like to try making this for me and my son but he has a soy protein allergy. What could we replace the soy with? Thank you!
Vaishali says
Hi Tracy, just go without the soy sauce/tamari. It should still taste good. Cheers.
Jack Smith | BBQRecipez.com says
This dish is amazingly Delicious! I served it over mashed potatoes. Makes me thankful to be Vegan!
Pamela says
Hi Vaishali, I'm new to Vegan cooking. This recipe for mushroom stew sounds delicious and I hope to try it soon. I just wondered if I could make this stew and freeze any I didn't use? I am the only vegan in the house so having frozen portions would be handy for me to have.
Vaishali says
Hi Pamela, you could definitely freeze it. Since the mushrooms are already cooked, freezing would not alter their texture.
Glynis says
Vaishali, your site is a "go to" for me. Everything I've made from your recipes has been flavorful and easy to put together. Your recipe for mushroom strew was wonderful. I used baby ports for the mushrooms-so delicious. When your email appears, I click on it right away to see your latest recipe. I'm sure you'll like your new Instant Pot, I use my all the time. I'm looking for to making your Instant Pot potato korma this weekend.
Thanks for sharing your recipes with us.
Ellen Lederman says
Adored this. Thanks so much. I used to make a mushroom stew with red wine and lots of tomatoes and little pearl onions, but it didn't have the depth of flavor this one did. I used red wine in this and fresh rosemary. Added 1/2 cup dried reconstituted mushrooms. And green peas for a touch of color. Served over spaghetti squash. This was perfection.
Now why can't French restaurants (any restaurant, really) be offering stuff like this on their menu? It's easy to make and so delicious. They could even use it as a side dish. Oh well. More fun (and cheaper and healthier) to cook at home!
Vaishali says
Hi Ellen, so happy you tried it. I love it with dried mushrooms, and green peas are a great idea.
laura says
it looks so delicious thank you for the recipe. i will try it.
Jill F. says
Vaishali, I am in awe. You come up with these delicious recipes that look as good as they taste. I have tried many of your recipes -- your mushroom curry is a favorite around here. Thank you, thank you!!!