This hearty stew includes large chunks of potato, carrot, celery, and onion, and portabella mushrooms stand in for the beef. Garlic, paprika, and fresh rosemary provide excellent flavor. This is one of my most popular recipes--especially with husbands!
Beefless Stew
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 6 to 8 (makes about 10 cups) 1x
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 portabella mushrooms, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1½ tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
- 5 cups water
- 2 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
- ⅓ cup tomato paste (half of a 6-ounce can)
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1½ cups cooked peas (if frozen, rinse under warm water)
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, adding water as needed.
- Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed.
- Add the 5 cups of water, potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the rosemary. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots and potatoes are very tender.
- Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Place 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender, and blend just briefly. Stir the mixture back into the pot to thicken the stew. Stir in the parsley.
Notes
Peeling the potatoes: I like to peel my potatoes before cooking them, but you can also leave the skins on.
Fresh rosemary: Fresh rosemary is wonderful in this stew, but if you only have dried, use ½ teaspoon.
In the Instant Pot: I put everything in on manual, high pressure for 9 mins (then let naturally pressure release; takes about 10-15 mins), except the parsley and peas (add those when done; they don’t need to cook, just warm). I also cut the slower cooking, denser veggies (potato, carrots) a little smaller than the faster cooking veggies (onions, celery, mushrooms), which can be bigger. Then proceed with step 5 if desired.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe (1.25 cups)
- Calories: 168
- Sugar: 9.8g
- Sodium: 93mg
- Fat: 0.7g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 36.9g
- Fiber: 7.5g
- Protein: 6.2g
- Cholesterol: 0g
Fantastic Recipe. I added a bay leaf and also pureed cannellini beans to the blender to make the stew thicker.
Great idea!
Puréed beans was an excellent idea!
Awesome add! I just did that too❤️👍
Is it a typo in stating "15 cup of water" in the ingredients and is it correct for "add 5 cup water" in Step 3 of the instructions? I am assuming this is probably right. This looks like a great recipe!
Hi Ginny, where does it say "15 cups" water? Yes, it's 5.
This looks delicious! What instructions would you give for cooking in slow cooker, please?
Hi Susan, I don't use a slow cooker, but I imagine you could just put everything in the pot except the peas and parsley and cook until tender, then add the peas and parsley last and give it another few minutes to warm the peas through. 🙂 Thanks!
I followed this recipe to a 't' and it was fabulous! The proportions of ingredients were just right. Each person can add salt and pepper to taste. I was looking for a stew recipe without dairy or oil. Thank you!
Hi Paula, so glad to hear this! Thank you for the comment. 😉 Cathy
made this yesterday and loved it.....great recipe, I served it over quinoa and it was fantastico thanks for the recipe...
I don’t have Instagram so I can’t tag you in a picture. I made the recipe with a few changes. I’ve never made stew before. I really like this. I think I did a good job. Thank you.
Thankyou lovely recipe I didn’t thicken mine I like it watery nice tho
This is a fantastic vegetarian stew. I’ve made it several times and have changed it up by adding asparagus, beets, and any other vegetables that I have on hand. Delicious 😋
This stew was absolutely amazing! This will be in my Winter recipe rotation. THANK YOU!!!!!
I want to try this recipe in the slow cooker, any suggestions on time and heat? I was thinking low heat for 8 hours and add peas and Parsley at end. I am using white yam instead of potatoes.
So delicious! I made in the Instant Pot - perfect!!
Oh good! 🙂 Thanks!
This was good and easy to make. I did add some salt (sea) and pepper also to give it a bit more depth of flavor.
the best delicious veggie dish made simple--unlike other food recipies unnecessary complicated and confusing. This tops them all
Delicious! This recipe is in our regular rotation. I've recommended it many, many times (especially to those who have yet to embrace WFPB). Thank you for sharing it!
Hi Cathy - really really good! I used the saute feature on the instant pot to get the onions going, added celery, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes, and the rest of spices and rosemary. Since it had started cooking already, I actually set IP on manual for 5 minutes with a natural release, added the peas when all done. I didn't have parsley, but did have spinach, so that was my addition. I also kicked in a bit of black pepper. Making this one of my fall and winter staples!
Those are great tips! Thanks so much Cynthia! 😉
I add a cup of pearled barley when I make this. It's great.
This is absolutely delicious and my house doesn’t stink like onions and garlic like it did when I used to sauté with oil. Instead it smells like rosemary! Mmmmm! I will definitely be making this again!!
Made this last night, so good! I added some stemmed whole white and Bella mushrooms as well.
Yay! 🙂 Thanks for the comment, Mike!
I made this yummy stew last night. Everything seems spot on except for it is a little "bland" to me so I added a little salt at lunch, but I hate doing it. Do you recommend adding a little more of the Italian seasoning or rosemary at this point? I could simmer it a little more or is it too late to do so. I think I followed the recipe otherwise closely. Maybe my Italian seasoning has lost some zing idk. I used fresh rosemary from my garden.
You could use a little dried onion and/or garlic, this may help. And fresher dried herbs may help, yes. I've never used tomato powder, but that might add more flavor, also any salt-free seasoning blend, like Benson's Table Tasty or something like this. 🙂
Hi. A friend gave me your recipe. I can’t wait to make it this week. Do you think I can make this in the crockpot?
Sure, I think it would be great in a crock pot. 🙂
This recipe is mind-blowing. An instant favorite for us! Honestly, I wouldn’t change a single thing 🙂
Great recipe! We were beef stew eaters and this one is the closest to that as I have found. I use more mushrooms and leave them whole (or half if they are huge) so they seem to substitute for the chunks of beef we were accustomed to.
Awesome! Thanks Debbie! 😉
This was fantastic and so hearty! I substituted a couple things for what I had on hand: 1.5lb bag of red potatoes that I quartered, a big handful of dried shitake mushrooms which I rehydrated before cooking, and grabbed some dandelions from the yard for extra greens. Thank you!
This stew is so very delicious, I made it tonight and have much left to freeze. Thank you for this recipe
This one of staple recipes that I make a lot. It so packed with flavors and stuff that is so good for your body. It is recipes like this that has made it for me to go and stay WFPB for the last 3-1/2 years.
I love this! I also add brown rice and sometimes chopped up Gardein “beef” tips.
I made this recipe after seeing it in Dr. McDougall's recipes for St. Patrick's Day and it was delicious! I will definitely be making it again. The ingredients are all simple and hearty. The stew really reminds me of the stew my family made in my childhood. The tomato paste really makes it bursting with flavor! I didn't have mushrooms so I used lentils instead; worked great too.
What is WFPB?
I have been prescribed more protein at each meal. What protein sources would you recommend for this recipe?
Hi Lina, WFPB stands for whole-food, plant-based. Good sources of plant protein include: nuts, seeds, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), tofu and oats. For this recipe, you could add some cooked lentils or beans. 🙂
I can’t eat mushrooms, something with the texture. However, I love the umami flavor.
Will leaving them out change the way the flavor? Or what if I add mushroom broth instead of water?
I would just leave them out and add some other veggies that you like, like zucchini or green beans; it won't look like beef stew but will still be a good veggie stew. The mushrooms do give flavor but they're mostly for that beefy texture. You can use mushroom broth if you like, or regular, or water. 🙂