Easy Vegetable Stew Recipe
Colder weather calls for hearty meals, and this easy one pot vegetable stew is perfect for an easy dinner that everyone will love! It comes together in about 45 minutes and is loaded with root vegetables and lentils which make this vegetarian stew super filling!
You Will Love This
- Vegan lentil stew is packed with nutrients! Five veggies and lentils mean that your family is getting a full serving of vitamins, fiber, and plant-based protein—all the good stuff they need to maintain a balanced diet in the cold weather months.
- Have I mentioned that it’s vegan?! This stew is an especially great option if you’re just trying to cut back on meat and dairy, or if you’re new to preparing vegan meals for your family. The umami flavor, starchy vegetables, and protein-rich lentils mean no one will miss the meat in this meal.
- It’s so easy! Some simple chopping is all the prep this veg stew requires, and it all comes together in one pot! Lentils are the one dried bean that doesn’t need to be soaked overnight, so dinner is ready in under an hour!
- If you loved this vegetable stew recipe, be sure to check out my Creamy Vegan White Bean Stew, my Simple One Pot Chickpea Stew, or my Creamy Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onion, Carrot, Celery – The classic mirepoix (chopped onion, carrot, and celery) is what gives this veggie stew such a delicious flavor base. To save time, see if your local grocery store offers a pre-chopped mirepoix.
- Baby Bella Mushrooms – I prefer the flavor and texture of baby Bella mushrooms, but feel free to use your favorites!
- Fresh Garlic – Freshly sliced garlic will give this stew the best flavor, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can sub 1/2 a teaspoon or so of garlic powder in its place.
- Dried Herbs – My favorite combo is dried thyme, dried oregano, and dried sage. You could also use dried rosemary, dried parsley, or even dried basil. Italian seasoning is another great substitute.
- Flour – Stick with all-purpose flour for the best flavor and texture in this stew. But if you want to keep it gluten free, you can skip the flour which result in a thinner consistency. Or dissolve two tablespoons of corn starch in two tablespoons cold water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the pot while everything is simmering and it will thicken up beautifully!
- Balsamic Vinegar & Soy Sauce – The combination of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce in this stew is what gives it the classic flavor of beef stew without the meat! If you aren’t a big fan of balsamic vinegar flavor, try adding just half initially and then adding more as needed. As the vinegar simmers in the stew it will loose some of it’s acidity as well and actually sweeten the dish slightly (similar to how a balsamic glaze made from simmered balsamic vinegar ends up being slightly sweet) which balances out the acidity of the tomatoes well. You could also just replace the vinegar with red wine if you prefer.
- Baby Yellow Potatoes – Baby yellow potatoes will work best in this dish because they have thin skins and they cook quickly. If you’re using another type of potato, make sure to dice them into bite-sized pieces and consider adding them along with the onion, celery, and carrot so that they cook through by the time the lentils are cooked.
- Red Lentils – I like to use red lentils for this veggie stew as they cook quickly and they’re so tender. If you are using brown or green lentils, you will want to cook them fully or almost fully before adding them to the stew.
- Tomato Sauce – Canned tomato sauce adds such a delicious depth of flavor to this dish. A great substitute for tomato sauce is equal parts tomato paste and water.
- Veggie Broth – If you aren’t worried about this stew being vegan you can substitute chicken broth or beef broth in place of the veggie broth.
- Bay Leaves – I love to use dried bay leaves to add another layer of delicious aromatic flavor whenever I’m simmering a soup or stew for a while.
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.
Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
Add flour and stir to evenly coat everything.
Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
Stir in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to deglaze pan, scraping the yummy bits off the bottom.
Add potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, broth, and bay leaves, along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring occasionally so that the lentils don’t stick to the pan, but don’t bring to a boil.
Turn heat to low and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley, serve with mashed potatoes, and enjoy!
Tips
- Salt is a very important ingredient in this recipe! You’ll notice that I mention adding a couple pinches of salt and pepper throughout the recipe instructions. Please make sure that you are salting this stew moderately/liberally! The salt is going to help the potatoes to break down and cook in the acidic stew base with tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Acid can prevent potatoes from breaking down and cooking properly, and salt is the best way to counteract this!
- Feel free to switch up the veggies! You can dress up this vegan mushroom stew by swapping the veggies for your favorites. I love frozen peas, frozen green beans, or canned chickpeas. Just make sure you keep the proportions the same and it’ll turn out delicious!
- You can also switch up the flavors of this stew very easily by adding cumin, paprika, or even a pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon!
- To add a little kick to this veggie stew, try adding red pepper flakes right to the pot or add a little pinch to each individual serving.
Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Make Ahead: This vegetable stew recipe is the perfect make ahead dish because the flavors just get better with time!
- Storage: Store leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezing: This vegan stew can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers in a saucepan over medium heat. You may need to add a splash of broth to loosen up the stew as it will thicken as it cools. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Season to taste with salt and enjoy!
FAQ
I try not to think of foods as good or bad. However, this vegetarian stew is loaded with fresh veggies and made with real, whole ingredients which means that you can feel good about feeding it to your family!
Stew might seem a bit complicated, but it’s actually one of the easiest meals to throw together! My vegetable stew recipes come together all in one pot in about 45 minutes and there are no fancy cooking skills required! If you can chop veggies and stir, you can make veggie stew!
No! As I mentioned, all the ingredients cook together in one pot! The veggies are added raw and cooked in a flavorful broth of tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and herbs for a delicious weeknight dinner your family will love!
Vegetarian Family Favorites
Did you love this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
Vegan Mushroom Stew
Colder weather calls for hearty meals, and this easy one pot vegetable stew is perfect for an easy dinner that everyone will love! It comes together in about 45 minutes and is loaded with root vegetables and lentils which make this vegetarian stew super filling!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup sliced carrot
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 16 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, halved
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 16 oz. baby yellow potatoes, halved
- 1 cup uncooked split red lentils
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrot, and celery along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, oregano, sage, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add flour and stir to evenly coat everything. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to deglaze the pan, scraping the yummy bits off the bottom.
- Add potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, broth, and bay leaves, along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so that the lentils don’t stick to the pan.
- Turn heat to low and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, serve with mashed potatoes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Salt is a very important ingredient in this recipe! You’ll notice that I mention adding a couple pinches of salt and pepper throughout the recipe instructions. Please make sure that you are salting this stew moderately/liberally! The salt is going to help the potatoes to break down and cook in the acidic stew base with tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce. Acid can prevent potatoes from breaking down and cooking properly, and salt is the best way to counteract this!
- Feel free to switch up the veggies! You can dress up this vegan mushroom stew by swapping the veggies for your favorites. I love frozen peas, frozen green beans, or canned chickpeas. Just make sure you keep the proportions the same and it’ll turn out delicious!
- You can also switch up the flavors of this stew very easily by adding cumin, paprika, or even a pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon!
- To add a little kick to this veggie stew, try adding red pepper flakes right to the pot or add a little pinch to each individual serving.
This was so fantastic. First snow today and it is cold! This stew was perfect. I didn’t have mashed potatoes so served with a side of tater tots. Delish! I am taking some leftovers to work today! Great recipe.
Wow. I am blown away. I knew this would be good, but it was AMAZINGLY GOOD. I’m a crockpot fanatic so I decided to try it in the crockpot and it worked great. I sautéed the onion carrots and celery first then added them to the crockpot and followed the recipe from there. I used regular sized potatoes and just diced them up. I cooked on low for about 6 hours which was perfect. I added the lentils when there were 2ish hours left, and they still had a bit of a bite to them which we love. If you want them softer, just add them earlier. The potatoes were still firm but cooked through as well, which I love but again if you want them softer I’d maybe boil them first then throw them in. I will definitely be making this again, it was perfect in the crockpot and one of my new favorite vegan dishes! My husband couldn’t believe it wasn’t made with beef stock, it has such a rich and meaty flavor. Absolutely delicious.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE hearing all this, Melissa! Thank you so much for sharing your detailed variation using the crock pot! I have had a few questions about that but haven’t gotten a chance to try it. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and I’m so glad you enjoyed this veggie stew!
I made this tonight. It was delicious. Five stars!
Just made this, and it is wonderful! I used black king oyster mushrooms that I got at the farmer’s market. They are SO meaty! The only other change I made was adding a couple teaspoons of Calabrian chili paste because I love a little heat. I also had it with butternut squash purée instead of mashed potatoes. The sweet heat was fantastic! Thank you for this recipe. I plan on making it again over the holidays when I’ll have visitors with food restrictions. Just perfect all around.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this veggie stew recipe, Laura!
I would also like to know whether this recipe ca be done in a slow cooker. I’m hoping to do this over Christmas holidays, when family, including my vegan niece will be visiting. Planning on doing a dry run next week with friends. Thank you!
What would you suggest to use instead of soy sauce and have a similar flavor for people that cannot have soy?
I would try coconut aminos. Great question, Marina!
Hi, you didn’t specify, but if you need to be gluten free I’ve used the coconut aminos but they’re more expensive. Alternatives are Tamari Brewed Soy sauce which is GF and Bragg Liquid Aminos.
We tasted this recipe with friends and it was a huge success – absolutely delicious! I substituted the potatoes in the stew with butternut squash and served it over mashed potatoes. We are even making this for a community event! I am still interested in the slow cooker approach, but for now, we will simply transfer it to the slow cooker to keep it warm. Thank you for this great recipe!
That’s a great idea, Marcia – cooking and moving it to a slow cooker might be the easiest option to ensure that it’s cooked through and warm. So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
hi, quick q (apologies if this has been asked before) can you cook the vegan mushroom lentil stew in a crockpot? can’t wait to try! <3
My husband is newly vegan so we’ve been trying new recipes. I’ve never had lentils before and this was SO GOOD!! I used to love my grandmas beef stew and this reminded me so much of it. I was scared of the balsamic so I replaced with red wine and also added a can of green beans the last couple of minutes so my kids would see a familiar veggie. I also simmered about 20 min so the potatoes were nice and soft for the baby, who scarfed down every bit. The bigger kids, 5 and 9, mostly ate the green beans and potatoes but that’s still a win to me. Thanks for the delicious, easy, FILLING recipe. Will definitely make again!
I love to hear this, Brittany! Sounds like it was a hit for the whole family!!
I (too) saw your recipe in the Costco Connection magazine and it’s a great one to use up the mushrooms that has been sitting in the fridge. I made only 1/2 recipe, and it is quite thick, not much broth when it’s done. I might add an extra 1/4 – 1/2 cup of broth next time. It is delicious. A great recipe I can make for my vegetarian friends.
SO good!! I’m not a huge fan of balsamic but it totally works in this recipe the only thing I’ll change when I make it again (and I WILL make it again and again) is replace some of the celery with edamame cause I love edamame and I think it would be nice with the broth.
Edamame would be such a delicious addition – and a great way to add some more protein! Thanks so much for leaving a review. I really appreciate it 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I grew up on good old fashioned beef stew but have been vegan for years. When the weather gets cold I crave a beefy tasting stew and this was the best one I’ve ever tried!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this vegan stew recipe, Shii! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Great flavor and we loved it!😋
The only issue I had it needed to cook longer, because the potatoes weren’t done.
Thanks for sharing.👩🍳
So glad that you enjoyed this stew recipe, Brenda! Try adding a few extra pinches of salt next time and see if that speeds up the potato cooking time!
Living in Maine, I have many house guests and this is my “go-to” recipe for them, even in the summer, and now is part of my regular dinner rotation. It is so flavorful, nutritious, easy to make, and it can be made ahead, which I love. Unless I know my guests are vegetarian, I use no-sodium chicken broth. But, if they are vegetarian, like tonight, I am using vegetable broth. I just hope it is not too salty. The only comment is that my potatoes were not done at the 20-30 minute mark. So, now I cook it for around 40 minutes, and dice the potatoes into 6th or 8th’s. I buy a delicious bread at the bakery or supermarket and it’s always a hit! Thank you!
Your house guests are so lucky to have you cook for them! Glad this veggie stew is in your regular rotation!
I saw the recipe in this month’s Costco Connection magazine and tried it for supper. I followed the recipe as written except for the flour and I used sweet potato rather than mini potatoes. Everyone enjoyed it and I will make it again. The stew was thick enough to eat with mashed potatoes once it simmered for a while. I was uncertain about the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce but they raised the flavour bar immensely!
I am so glad to hear that you saw this recipe there and tried it out! I agree about the balsamic and soy sauce – so delicious! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Ruth – I really appreciate it 🙂
How does this freeze?
It will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat on the stove until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Hi,
This looks delicious but I was wondering what this stew would be like without the lentils?
Great question, Kal! I think it would be slightly less thick, but still very delicious!
I made this for dinner last night and it was surprisingly very delicious. The balsamic vinegar added so much flavor! I did cook it a little longer than suggested because I like my potatoes soft/mushy and since I didn’t have flour I used cornstarch instead. It tasted even better the next day. I will definitely make this dish again.
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this veggie stew, Tynisha! Nothing wrong with a tender tater 🙂 Leftovers of this stew are amazing – I agree. Thanks for leaving a review. I really appreciate it!