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Beefless Stew

June 7, 2015 326 Comments

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 - StraightUpFood.com

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Beefless Stew
Prep time:  30 mins
Cook time:  45 mins
Total time:  1 hour 15 mins
Serves: 6 to 8 (makes about 10 cups)
 
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
  1. 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.
  2. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes more.
  5. 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.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅛ recipe (1.25 cups) Calories: 168 Fat: 0.7g Saturated fat: 0.2g Carbohydrates: 36.9g Sugar: 9.8g Sodium: 93mg Fiber: 7.5g Protein: 6.2g Cholesterol: 0g
3.5.3226

Beefless Stew - StraightUpFood.com

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please share a comment below or on my Facebook page. If you’d like to print this recipe, use the green “Print” button near the top-right of the recipe. Learn more about the Straight Up Food Cookbook here. Thank you!

Filed Under: Fan Favorites, Soups and Stews Tagged With: beef stew, beef-less stew, beefless stew, black pepper, carrot, celery, Italian herbs, mushroom, oil-free, onion, paprika, parsley, peas, plant-based, portabella, rosemary, salt-free, stew, tomato paste, vegan, vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Big Conked Vegan says

    May 20, 2018 at 9:24 pm

    Thank you for such a great recipe, it works as a good base which you can add to depending on your personal preference. I used vegetable stock instead of water. I added a teaspoon of onion powder, quarter of a teaspoon of chilli powder, 2 teaspoons of marmiMa, 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, salt and lots and lots of fresh rosemary (it’s my favourite!) I skipped the mushrooms as they aren’t to my taste and bulked it up with lentils instead.

    Reply
    • Cece says

      September 15, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      did you marjoram? vs marmima? thanks

      Reply
    • Kristyn says

      January 29, 2019 at 10:46 am

      So… you didn’t make this recipe at all 😂

      Reply
      • Donna Dooley says

        February 12, 2019 at 5:28 am

        LOL

        Reply
      • Big Conked Vegan says

        February 24, 2019 at 2:37 am

        Your comment feels a little uncalled for. I’m sure you could think of something better to do with your time.

        Reply
      • Mel Charles says

        July 18, 2019 at 6:20 pm

        😂

        Reply
      • Peg Clendenin says

        October 14, 2019 at 5:33 pm

        🤣

        Reply
    • Claire says

      October 6, 2019 at 12:25 pm

      When do you add the lentils? Same time you’d add the mushrooms? Ty!

      Reply
  2. Gerry Beck says

    June 11, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    What is the cooking time in a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      June 11, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      I’m not sure, as I’ve not made it in a crock pot. But you can google a similar stew in a crock pot and see what it uses. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Gaye says

    June 17, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    The ingredients say 2 medium portabello mushrooms – about 4 cups. Is that right? Must huge over there. Looks delicious. I will make.i Thanks.

    Reply
  4. Madison says

    June 29, 2018 at 2:27 am

    the only suggestion I would say is that it needs stock.

    Reply
    • Edward Luce says

      October 12, 2018 at 12:13 pm

      I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Stock

      Reply
  5. Joanne Irwin says

    June 30, 2018 at 5:00 pm

    Cathy, this is the BEST stew!! My honey just consumed 3 bowls. Tastes a lot like my mother’s beef stew. This is so healthy and wholesome. I love portobello mushrooms, but next time I will try adding either jackfruit or soy crumbles. The taste is outstanding. Love your recipes!!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      July 2, 2018 at 10:57 pm

      Thanks so much Joanne! 😉

      Reply
  6. Laura A Frank says

    September 13, 2018 at 5:49 am

    Any recommendations on how to thicken the broth for more of a stew texture?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      September 14, 2018 at 10:18 pm

      Step 5 is where you thicken it; if you want it even thicker, you can blend more of the veggies and broth.

      Reply
    • Betty says

      October 20, 2018 at 9:09 am

      Lentils or quinoa are good thickeners. Quinoa will turn soup into stew in a hurry.

      Reply
  7. Karen says

    September 23, 2018 at 4:18 pm

    6 at Instant Pot?

    Reply
  8. Karen says

    September 23, 2018 at 8:12 pm

    Delicious!
    It does fit in the 6 at Instant Pot.

    Reply
  9. Julie says

    October 9, 2018 at 3:46 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight.. omg! it’s so wonderful Thank you !!!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 9, 2018 at 7:13 pm

      😉

      Reply
  10. Lisa says

    October 12, 2018 at 4:45 pm

    Such a great recipe! I use veg broth in place of the water and add a dash each of soy sauce and Kitchen Bouquet before serving to satisfy the family. They like it over bowtie pasta. Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply
  11. Kathryn Hallsworth says

    October 15, 2018 at 11:58 pm

    It was pretty good. For a vegan dish with no oil or salt haha 🙂 tasty and hearty dish. I think a slice of bread and butter would go nicely with it too… but im on a diet so i wont this time!
    Kids 2 years and 4 years ate it with a little encouragement. Also we are currently not vegan or vegetarian but looking at eating healthier.
    Lots of yummy looking recipes on here 👌

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 16, 2018 at 9:48 am

      You can make the pumpkin cornbread to go with it; it’s so moist and sweet, you don’t need butter. 🙂

      Reply
  12. Marie says

    October 17, 2018 at 11:30 am

    This was absolutely delicious. We had it last night and I’m having it for lunch today. We subbed roasted eggplant chunks for the mushrooms because my wife is allergic to them.

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 17, 2018 at 7:34 pm

      Great idea with the eggplant! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Rachel says

    November 1, 2018 at 10:09 am

    Thank you for this delicious recipe!! I made it for my family to have before trick or treating last night. I didn’t have mushrooms so subbed 1/2 lb cooked lentils, added with the peas, and used a diced turnip in place of the celery. I didn’t blend. I used the instant pot directions. Delicious broth!!

    Reply
  14. Joy Hutchinson says

    November 3, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    Relatively new to whole food plant based eating. Made this on Thursday, yum another great recipe to add to the favourites list. Because it makes multiple servings I get ready made meals in the freezer.

    Reply
  15. Jessica says

    November 15, 2018 at 10:14 am

    SO good!!! I did everything exactly how it’s laid out and it came out perfect. And I love how you thicken it!! No added fillers. You can make as thick or thin as you want. Delicious 🙂

    Reply
  16. Adaminski says

    December 10, 2018 at 2:27 pm

    I made this yesterday and it is the absolute best stew I have ever tasted. I added 1 cup of red wine, 3 tsp of salt and subbed the following for the Italian Mix: 1/2 tsp each of Sage, Marjoram, thyme, savory, oregano and basil. I blended to thicken, but given the addition of the wine, pulled some sauce out and thickened additionally with flour, then reintroduced to the stew and it did the trick. This one is a keeper–wow!

    Reply
  17. Marie Strauch says

    December 21, 2018 at 8:31 am

    I don’t have an intesta pot. How long woulld I cook it in a covered casserole in a 350 degree oven?

    Reply
  18. Earlene Lown 04/04/2018 says

    January 14, 2019 at 4:13 pm

    I also used vegetable broth instead of water and added Kitchen Bouquet and a tablespoon of onion powder. I also added Gardien’s ‘Beefless Beef’ as my mushrooms has gone bad (they look and taste like beef cubes). I think the idea of the red wine sounds yummy – next time. Thanks for this recipe as it was cold and damp here today and it fit the bill.

    Reply
  19. Alison says

    January 15, 2019 at 7:52 pm

    Tried this tonight — also a rainy, cold day and the stew was delicious. I made it in the Instant Pot. Does it drive you crazy when people change your recipe? 🙂 I made the following modifications: I used the saute feature on my Instant Pot for the first time – onions, garlic, celery and carrots with a few tablespoons of water for about 8 minutes. Then I threw all the remaining ingredients in, added a bay leaf, stirred it up and set it on manual for 9 minutes, with a natural relate (took over 30 minutes, for some reason.) I added frozen peas, uncooked (it’s pretty darn hot – they heat up immediately) and I added a can of cannellini beans and 1T of low sodium tamari. Yummy. Thanks, Cathy. You are awesome.

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      January 16, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      Hi Alison, not at all! I encourage people to use my recipes as templates if they like, and do what feeling right according to their tastes and what they have on hand. 😉 Thanks!

      Reply
  20. Julie says

    January 20, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    Made this tonight and AMAZING!!! So perfect for a cold winter night. I read some of the comments and added vegetable broth in place of water and a few tsp of coconut aminos. So delicious..will be making again very very soon.

    Reply
  21. Don Smith says

    January 21, 2019 at 5:42 pm

    Cooked it this weekend as I seen it in FOK magazine. It is delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      January 21, 2019 at 10:06 pm

      Great! 🙂 Thanks Don!

      Reply
  22. Vivian says

    January 30, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    I made this today exactly as the recipe is written and I love it! I wouldn’t change a thing. It is both flavorful and healthy.

    Reply
  23. Michelle Colligan says

    February 2, 2019 at 2:34 pm

    Made this today. Added Vegetable broth and the Creole in me added Creole seasoning and a can of Ro-tel Tomatoes. I can not thank you enough for this dish. So delicious…
    Thank you,
    Michelle

    Reply
  24. Anne Sanders says

    February 5, 2019 at 8:07 am

    Have made this several times now, with and without stock. Both ways good but prefer stock. I use Vecon veg stock and this time was going to add some beans but didn’t have any so threw in a handful of red lentils instead … just because you can 🙂 Delicious though any way!

    Reply
  25. Tracey says

    February 11, 2019 at 1:45 am

    Just trying it in my slow cooker fingers crossed

    Reply
  26. Tom says

    February 15, 2019 at 6:29 pm

    I have made the Beef-less stew many times, we love it. The only changes I make is adding 1/3 tsp black pepper and I double the green peas. Fantastic!!

    Reply
  27. Berta says

    February 22, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    made this tonight. I used vegetable stock instead of water and made a cornstarch slurry instead of blending

    Reply
  28. Ilana says

    March 3, 2019 at 3:42 pm

    Excellent beefless stew. I usually do not give a recipe a chance if there were no star reviews and only comments, but I gave this one a shot anyway. I only didn’t add mushrooms because I didn’t have any at the time, but otherwise did all else as suggested. The whole family loved it. I served with a sliced roasted pork tenderloin and a salad. It will be my quick go to dinner for days when I do not have the perfect stew protein. Thank you!

    Reply
  29. Linda says

    March 26, 2019 at 1:52 pm

    Delicious made as written. Thank you for putting all the great flavors together without the cow. Also made your pumpkin walnut cornbread to go with – YUM!!! Our tummies are happy.

    Reply
  30. Jan says

    March 26, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    This recipe gave me warm memories of childhood and my Irish grandmother’s beef stew- a dish I did not even know I had missed until I tasted this one . I think the fresh rosemary is the key to making this dish taste so authentic and fantastic. The only change I made was using homemade vegetable stock instead of water, but that’s just because I had it on hand. This one is a keeper, I mean it, I have a spiral notebook with the title “Keeper” on the cover and it went right in there. Thank you Cathy, a perfect recipe.

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      March 26, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      Jan, you’re too kind. 😉 Thanks so much for the comment!

      Reply
  31. Nonny says

    April 2, 2019 at 8:52 pm

    Great recipe! Question: paprika – sweet or smoked?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      April 3, 2019 at 9:38 am

      It’s up to you; I usually use sweet, as all smoked can be too much (but a little might work).

      Reply
  32. Judy Knoll Kale says

    April 7, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    I made this tonight and it was fabulous! Just needed a bit of salt for me. I will definitely be making this regularly and sharing the recipe with others. Its like good old fashioned comfort food. Thanks!

    Reply
  33. Will Trusewich says

    May 22, 2019 at 11:51 pm

    It’s smelling great Cathy. I’ve done a side by side as I had both mushrooms for her and beef for me. Her’s smells better. I added zucchini since I had them.

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      May 23, 2019 at 8:30 am

      Great Will! Never heard of anyone doing a side by side, how interesting! 😉

      Reply
  34. patrick daugharty says

    September 19, 2019 at 7:47 am

    Just made this last week. Wow! So tasty and it looks very much with what I grew up with sans the meat. Made a second batch to freeze and take for lunches to work. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      September 19, 2019 at 9:33 am

      Yay! Love this recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  35. Patrick Provencal says

    October 2, 2019 at 6:40 am

    Hi Cathy, loved the recipe. OMG does it feel good to eat healthy!! My kids which are 8 & 7 loved it as well. thank you !

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 2, 2019 at 1:53 pm

      Yay! 🙂 Thanks Patrick!

      Reply
  36. Marla says

    October 6, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    Hi Cathy! I’ve been vegan for 5 years. I’m not a very good cook but I followed your recipe to the letter and it was one of the best things I have eaten as a vegan!!! I love it! Thank you so much for your hard work and for sharing!

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 13, 2019 at 1:55 pm

      Thanks Maria! 😉

      Reply
  37. Eric Valdivia says

    October 21, 2019 at 9:16 am

    Made this over the weekend and it was a massive hit. Great flavor. Added a slurry of corn starch and water at the end to thicken the sauce a little. Very good

    Reply
  38. Jackie says

    November 12, 2019 at 1:16 pm

    I love this recipe, just like I love *all* of these recipes! I do however add 1 cup of lentils for some additional protein, which makes it more filling (and thicker). It’s bitterly cold today and this will make a wonderful hot dinner! I also use Imagine low sodium veggie broth in place of water (and an extra cup of water so the lentils have enough liquid). So much better than the beef stew I grew up eating, actually!

    Reply
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Welcome to Straight Up Food! I’m Cathy Fisher, a chef and teacher whose passion is creating recipes without animal foods, salt, oil or sugar, and very few processed foods. Eating a whole-foods diet dramatically improves the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment—there are no downsides, only benefits! For more information about this blog and my work, click here. Thank you!

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