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    Home » Recipes » Entrées

    The Ultimate Vegetarian Stew

    Published: Jan 29, 2021 · Modified: Nov 3, 2022 by Kristen Wood - This post may contain affiliate links.

    Skip to Recipe Pin Recipe
    a pinterest pin for vegetarian stew recipe

    A cozy and comforting Vegetarian Stew recipe filled with rich flavors and a silky-smooth texture. Gluten-free and vegan!

    a bowl filled with hearty vegetarian stew

    I figured it was high time I share my favorite Vegetarian Stew recipe! This hearty bowl of goodness has some nice tender chunks of veggies with a silky-smooth stew base I just know you are going to love!

    Jump to:
    • 📖 Features
    • 🥘 Ingredient Notes
    • 🔪 How-to Make Vegan Stew
    • 💭 Tips, Tricks, and FAQ
    • 🥣 How to Serve Vegetarian Stew
    • ♨️ How to Store and Reheat
    • 🍲 More Comforting Recipes You Might Enjoy
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    a close up of carrots in a tan bowl of stew

    📖 Features

    • Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free and refined sugar-free.
    • Chunky and smooth all the same!
    • Salty, sweet, and zesty.
    • Super easy to make.
    • Makes great leftovers or meal prep food.
    a side shot of a bowl of stew topped with green sprouts

    🥘 Ingredient Notes

    Chunky veggies: What's a stew without a bit of chunk? We're using carrots and sweet potatoes here as the base, but feel free to swap out for your favorite chunks of vegetables.

    Spices: The savory spice blend used in this stew recipe really complements a variety of vegetables and pairs perfectly with our secret ingredient (below!).

    Dijon Mustard: Yes, mustard! Conventional stews tend to use vinegar but I find swapping the vinegar for mustard to add a nice dash of additional flavor that is positively zesty and delicious in this veggie stew.

    Tapioca starch: This is what adds that thickened texture that sets stews apart from soups! It can be swapped out for your starch of choice in a pinch.

    For full ingredients list and instructions, see the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.

    a bowl of silky hot stew

    🔪 How-to Make Vegan Stew

    1.
    2.
    3.
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    5.
    6.

    Step 1: Sauté onion and garlic.

    Step 2: Add spices, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and broth/water

    Step 3: Simmer.

    Step 4: Stir in tapioca starch/water and mustard.

    Step 5: Simmer a bit longer.

    Step 6: Salt to taste and enjoy!

    💭 Tips, Tricks, and FAQ

    Why tapioca starch?

    Tapioca starch helps thicken the texture of this vegetable stew recipe, giving it that "stew-like" feel! Any starch can be used to replace the tapioca variety in this recipe. Corn starch and arrowroot are my two favorite replacements.

    Let it thicken.

    This dish will continue to thicken as it cools, so do not be concerned if it is still soup-like when you pull it off the stove.

    Add protein.

    If you want to add additional heartiness to this veg stew, tofu or tempeh can be added for the last 5 minutes of cooking time!

    Do you like spice?

    Add a pinch of red chili flakes if you like your comfort food on the spicy side.

    a spoon in a bowl of vegan stew topped with sprouts

    🥣 How to Serve Vegetarian Stew

    • On its own (it's perfectly delicious as is!).
    • Serve over rice or quinoa.
    • Topped with fresh herbs or sprouts.
    • Serve with crusty bread, pita bread, or naan.
    • With crushed crackers or tortilla chips.
    • A sprinkle of cheese, sour cream, or plain yogurt.
    a hand holding a bowl of thick red stew

    ♨️ How to Store and Reheat

    Fridge: This leftover stew keeps in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to one week. To reheat simply heat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed throughout.

    Freezer: Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months. To reheat, you can let it thaw mostly before reheating over medium heat. Or you can heat it frozen over low heat until warmed throughout.

    a dark moody shot of a ceramic bowl filled with chunky stew

    🍲 More Comforting Recipes You Might Enjoy

    Jackfruit Chili 

    What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes (Vegetarian)

    Eggplant Curry

    Sweet Potato Soup

    a bowl and a pot of stew with a wooden ladle

    📖 Recipe

    Vegetarian Stew Recipe

    A cozy and comforting Vegetarian Stew recipe filled with rich flavors and a silky-smooth texture. Gluten-free and vegan!
    4.97 from 31 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Course: Appetizers, Entrées, Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Author: Kristen Wood

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 white or yellow onion thinly sliced
    • 6 garlic cloves minced
    • 3 sweet potatoes chopped into 1" cubes
    • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 1 cup baby carrots or 1 cup roughly chopped regular carrots
    • 1 bay leaf dried
    • 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika make sure it's the smoked variety!
    • 5 cups water or vegetable broth
    • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch mixed into 1/4 cup water
    • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    • sea salt or pink salt to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large pot over medium heat add oil, onion and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes or until onions are beginning to caramelize a little.
    • Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, bay leaf, rosemary, oregano, thyme, paprika and vegetable broth/water. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer (med-low). Simmer for 30 minutes.
    • Add tapioca starch/water mixture and mustard. Mix well and simmer 5 minutes longer or until thickened slightly (it will continue thicken when the heat is turned off).
    • Turn off heat, salt to taste, serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    Please refer to the full post above for tips, tricks, step-by-step process photos and more!
    Are you a super-fan of cozy soups, stews and chilis?? Follow our Vegetarian Soups, Stews, Chili and Chowders Pinterest Board for recipe inspiration!
    You might also like 40 Nourishing 30-Minute Vegetarian Meals (Gluten-Free).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 485mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 19067IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg

    Recommended Products

    Tapioca Starch
    Dijon Mustard
    Diced Tomatoes
    Have you tried this recipe?Please Rate + Comment Below!
    Mention on Instagram!@moon.and.spoon.and.yum

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    • Share

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria San Juan says

      January 07, 2022 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      This is lovely. Would love to try these. The appearance reminded me of Japanese curry. Thanks for sharing!!

      Reply
    2. Rachel says

      January 06, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      I love loaded veggie stews and this one is so good! Love the addition of smoked paprika!

      Reply
    3. Heather Perine says

      January 06, 2022 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect dinner for these cold winter nights...and love that's it's vegetarian too!

      Reply
    4. Kristen says

      January 06, 2022 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      This stew was wonderful! It made the perfect meatless Monday meal. Will make it again for sure!

      Reply
    5. Vanessa says

      January 06, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe for the colder weather, and so full of flavour. Really enjoying it!

      Reply
    6. Shadi Hasanzadenemati says

      January 06, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      This is absolutely deilcious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family

      Reply
      • Kristen Wood says

        January 06, 2022 at 12:48 pm

        So happy to hear! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

        Reply
    7. Shadi Hasanzade says

      December 23, 2021 at 8:00 am

      5 stars
      This is such a delicious dinner, the combination of all the herbs add a lot of flavor! With some crusty bread, this would be perfect!

      Reply
    8. Claudia Lamascolo says

      December 23, 2021 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      This was fantastic and we never add meat to anything so it was perfect for us!

      Reply
      • Kristen Wood says

        December 23, 2021 at 11:16 am

        So happy to hear! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Toni says

      December 23, 2021 at 6:55 am

      5 stars
      This is such an amazing recipe!! Super comforting, easy to make and so healthy!

      Reply
    10. Lauren Michael Harris says

      December 23, 2021 at 6:47 am

      5 stars
      Such a hearty stew! I had no trouble convincing my meat-loving husband that this vegetarian stew would be equally as satisfying - delicious!

      Reply
    11. Danielle Wolter says

      December 23, 2021 at 4:37 am

      5 stars
      This sounds delicious! We are working on eating less meat for 2022 so this is a perfect way to get started.

      Reply
    12. Mandy Applehate says

      December 23, 2021 at 1:20 am

      5 stars
      This is perfect for the cold days, delicious!

      Reply
    13. Jess says

      December 06, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      This is perfect for meatless Monday!

      Reply
    14. Kristen says

      December 06, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      This stew turned out great! Nice rich flavors!

      Reply
    15. Vicky says

      December 06, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      I have family visiting at Christmas and some of them are on a gluten free diet. I love that I can make this hearty stew for dinner as it is perfect for a chilly night leading up to the holidays.

      Reply
    16. Andrea says

      December 06, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so hearty, rich and comforting. A perfect stew for these cold winter days.

      Reply
    17. Nic says

      December 06, 2021 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      YUM! I love stew, and this is perfect for meatless Mondays! Thanks!!

      Reply
    18. Mahy says

      November 16, 2021 at 5:39 am

      5 stars
      Healthy and delicious stew - what else to wish for at this time of the year, huh? I love all the ingredients that yuo are using here!

      Reply
    19. Lucy says

      November 16, 2021 at 2:59 am

      5 stars
      This is such a warm, comforting and filling stew that is perfect for the colder months.

      Reply
    20. Farah Abumaizar says

      November 16, 2021 at 2:22 am

      5 stars
      I love sweet potatoes and this is the perfect comfort stew for this weather. Can't wait to try this out! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    21. Mandy Applegate says

      November 16, 2021 at 1:12 am

      5 stars
      A lovely hearty stew - loved it!

      Reply
      • Kristen Wood says

        November 16, 2021 at 1:35 pm

        Yay! Thank you!

        Reply
    22. Tavo says

      November 16, 2021 at 12:20 am

      5 stars
      I loved this stew! So flavor-packed. I made a huge batch and froze it in portions to have as a convenient dinner! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kristen Wood says

        November 16, 2021 at 1:35 pm

        I'so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

        Reply

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    kristen wood

    About Kristen Wood

    Hi, I'm Kristen! A mama, food writer, photographer, recipe developer, and cookbook author. I enjoy sharing both wildly creative and ridiculously practical gluten-free vegetarian recipes that are approachable for all. Welcome!

    Learn more about me →

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