This hearty vegan stew uses tender portobello mushrooms in place of meat, along with potatoes and veggies simmered in a savory herbed red wine broth. You won't miss the meat in this hearty vegan version of classic beef stew!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound portobello or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1 to 2 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1-2 teaspoons Marmite (optional, but highly recommended for savory flavor)
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke, or to taste (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the mushrooms in an even layer. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottoms. Flip and cook for about 5 minutes more, until softened.
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Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook everything until veggies begin to tenderize, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Sprinkle in the flour, a bit at a time, stirring between additions to form a coating on the veggies. Cook the veggies and flour for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Begin adding the broth, a bit at a time, stirring to eliminate any lumps that form from the flour. When all of the broth has been added, stir in the potatoes, thyme, and rosemary.
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Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are just tender but still a bit undercooked, about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
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Stir in the red wine, tomato paste and Marmite. Bring the stew back to a simmer. Allow the stew to simmer for about another 20 minute, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thick and the veggies are very tender.
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Remove the pot from heat and season the stew with liquid smoke, salt and pepper.
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Ladle into bowls and serve.
This is an older recipe from 2016 that I updated in 2020. If you made it before the update, you may have noticed that the instructions have changed a bit. In the original version I had you adding the wine and letting it reduce before adding the flour. I discovered recently that potatoes cook up softer and faster in the absence of wine, which is why it goes in later now. Feel free to stick with the original process if you prefer - just add the wine between steps 3 and 4, and let it simmer for 4 or 5 minutes to reduce.