Hearty Vegan Irish Stew
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Privacy Policy.
Old-fashioned Irish stew is a cold-weather hearty tradition. The updated vegan stew recipe has root vegetables, tofu, and rich stout beer broth. One bite and it is hard to believe this simple recipe is meatless.
Similar to traditional beef stew, this vegan stew recipe is made with thick and chunky root vegetables. Perfect for a chilly day, hearty root vegetables are a classic chilly day meal.
This stew is perfect for meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. In fact, my meat-eating family loves this recipe on cold nights! It is funny, but they call it vegan beef stew. When the weather turns chilly, I break out my crockpot, make my favorite hearty vegan stew, and let it simmer slowly all day.
To replicate a beef broth, I used Guinness beer. The rich broth adds a beef-like flavor that I cannot find with any other product. Guinness is also easy to find and vegan.
To complete the meal, I recommend homemade bread and a kale salad.
What I Love About This Recipe
- Hearty meal loaded with veggies.
- Simple cozy vegan stew recipe to make.
- Stout beer mimics a rich beef broth flavor.
- Perfect for cold weather and St. Patrick’s day.
Ingredients
- Extra Firm Tofu – 8-ounce block, cut into one-inch cubes.
- Soy Sauce – 2 tablespoons
- Olive Oil – 4 tablespoons – divided
- Vegetables – Yellow or White Onion (1 cup diced), Carrot (1 cup, sliced in rounds), Celery (1 cup, cut into 1/4 inch slices), Potatoes (2 cups- 1-inch cubes)
- Garlic – 3 -4 cloves, thinly sliced. Garlic powder is an excellent alternative in a pinch.
- Spices – Thyme (2 teaspoons), oregano (1 teaspoon), bay leaf (2), salt, and black pepper to taste
- Vegetable Stock – 2 cups
- Beer – 1 cup – Vegan stout or porter beer add a rich beef-like flavor to the broth.
- Corn Starch – 4 tablespoons divided – Cornstarch creates a thick broth. If you do not have cornstarch, substitute it with all-purpose flour.
Instructions
Step One: Prepare the Tofu
Press the water out of the tofu—cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Evenly distribute the tofu along the bottom of the pan without the pieces touching. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes undisturbed. Turn the tofu over, add soy sauce and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes undisturbed. Remove the tofu and set aside.
Step Two: Saute the Vegetables
Heat olive oil in the same large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute for 5 – 7 minutes until the vegetables become soft. Add the potatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano salt, and pepper, and saute for another 1 – 2 minutes.
Step Three: Simmer and Stew
Add the rest of the ingredients; vegetable broth, beer, and tofu. Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch in a separate container with two tablespoons of water until smooth. Add the cornstarch slurry to the stew and stir all ingredients together. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Step Three Alternative: Slow Cooker
Letting the stew slowly simmer all day is the best way to bring out the vegetable flavor. To use this method, follow steps one and two as written. Then instead of cooking the stew on the stovetop, transfer the ingredients to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Place the cover on the cooker, turn the heat low, and let it simmer all day.
Other Vegan Dinner Recipes to Try
What to Serve With Stew
Oh, so many great things go with the stew. My favorite is hearty winter-type foods. Here are a few recommendations:
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed cauliflower
- Roasted potatoes
- Dumplings
- Rice
- Biscuits
- Crusty bread
- Dinner rolls
Substitutions
Tofu is my go-to substitution for meat, but that might not be yours. If you are looking for a different substitute, on try one of these.
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) – Add one 15-ounce can of rinsed and drained chickpeas when the liquids are added in step three.
- Jackfruit – Substitute tofu with 2 cups of young jackfruit. Add the jackfruit when the liquids are added in step three.
- Kidney Beans – Add one 15-ounce can of rinsed and drained chickpeas when the liquids are added in step three.
- Lentils – 1 cup of uncooked red lentils in step three and simmer. The lentils will absorb the liquid. If the stew is thicker than you prefer, add extra vegetable broth.
FAQ
In addition to the vegetables in the recipe, I recommend baby bella mushrooms (cremini mushrooms), bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, green peas, kale, ad, sweet potato.es
Refrigerator Storage Instructions – Store in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.
Freezer Storage Instructions – Store in an airtight container for up to three months.
Reheating – Reheat leftover stew in a saute pan over low heat. If the stew is too thick, add a little broth while cooking until you reach your desired consistency.
Easy and Hearty Vegan Stew
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, cut into round
- 1 cup celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 cups potatoes, 1-inch cubs
- 3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup vegan stout or porter beer
Instructions
- Tofu: Press the water out of the tofu—cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Evenly distribute the tofu along the bottom of the pan without the pieces touching. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes undisturbed. Turn the tofu over, add soy sauce and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes undisturbed. Remove the tofu and set aside.8 ounce block extra firm tofu, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Saute the Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute for 5 – 7 minutes, until the vegetables start to become soft. Add potatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano salt, and pepper, and saute for another 1 – 2 minutes.1 cup yellow onion, diced, 1 cup carrots, cut into round, 1 cup celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt and black pepper to taste, 2 cups potatoes, 1-inch cubs
- Simmer and Stew: Add vegetable broth, beer, and tofu. In a separate container, mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water until smooth. Add the cornstarch slurry to the stew and stir all ingredients together. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Garnish with parsley and serve.3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, 2 teaspoons thyme, 2 bay leaves, 2 cups vegetable stock, 1 cup vegan stout or porter beer
Notes
Freezer Storage Instructions – Store in an airtight container for up to three months.
Reheating – Reheat leftover stew in a saute pan over low heat. If the stew is too thick, add a little broth while cooking until you reach your desired consistency.
Is the beer necessary? Is there a substitute I can use?
Hello Denise, I have not tried it, but I get you could use vegan beef broth (or regular beef broth if you are not vegan/vegetarian). I only use the beer to get a rich flavor, but broth should come close.
If you make it with broth, let me know how it turns out.
Ruth