This healthy, rich and hearty vegan stew, is the perfect comfort food dinner to enjoy on cold nights. Using simple ingredients such as fresh root vegetables, beans and other classic pantry staples. This is a low-cost, one pot meal, that's very easy to make.
What makes this the best stew?
- The beauty of this recipe is that once the vegetables are prepped all you have to do is put all of the stew ingredients into the pot (in the order shown on the recipe card), stir it all together, and let it cook on a low heat.
- All the ingredients are low cost.
- It's a one pot wonder - meaning minimal cooking and washing up!
- The whole family can enjoy this. To adjust the salt content for young children and infants, you can switch the marmite for coconut aminos, and use a low salt vegetable broth/stock cube.
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What You'll Need
Ingredients
- Apple - We add in an apple to give the stew a hint of sweetness to balance out all the other flavours going on.
- Butter Beans - The healthiest nations in the world all have one thing in common - They all eat a large quantity of legumes (beans & lentils). Studies all point to this being because of their high fiber content. Even the lowest-fiber bean puts most other foods to shame. A cup of high-fiber beans, like pinto or black beans, tallies up 16 grams of fiber. You’d have to eat about eight slices of whole-wheat bread to get the same amount of fiber. Beans can be bought dried or tinned. If you're buying dried beans be sure to soak them overnight (8 hours), then drain and rinse them, before adding to your stew. Cannellini beans would be a good substitute for the butter beans.
- Herbs - Bay leaf & dried thyme - These two give stew it's earthy flavour. Fresh thyme can also be used in place of dried. Just be sure to use more fresh thyme (I'd recommend a small handful). When thyme is dried, the flavour is intensified, so less is needed.
- Gravy Granules - We love the taste that onion gravy granules gives, but any flavour will work (just be sure to check the label to insure they're vegan).
- Mushrooms - Chestnut or white button can go in to your stew.
- Root Vegetables - Inexpensive and delicious. We chose carrots, parsnip, celeriac, turnip, swede, shallots and sprouts. You can add in whatever root veg you like in place of any you're not overly keen on.
- Red Wine (optional) - We have added this because it adds to the rich flavor, but it can easily be omitted. If you are choosing to use it, we tend to have a Malbec or a Cabernet in the kitchen, but any variety will do. Just note that not all wines are vegan. An app like Barnivore is a great tool for checking which brands are vegan.
- Tomato Paste & Marmite - These two add richness, and are key to making a good stew. Ingredients like these are what replaces the rich meat flavour you get from a traditional beef stew. Soy sauce, balsamic vinegar or vegan worcestershire sauce all make a great substitute for the marmite if this isn't something you have at home. Substitute the 2 tsps of marmite, for 2 tbsps of any one of these substitutions.
- Self Raising Flour - You can use all purpose flour instead, just be sure to add in 2 tsps of baking powder to the flour. Mix thoroughly in a separate bowl before adding to the dumpling mixture.
- Vegetable Stock Cube - This is essentially your vegetable broth, but in cheat form. We crumble the stock cube straight in to the pot and give it a good stir. You can however use homemade vegetable broth, you will just need to reduce the amount of water that you add to your stew accordingly.
- Vegetable Suet - We buy Atora Vegetarian Suet (which is also vegan). If you can't find this at your local Supermarket, you should be able to get this, or an unbranded equivalent, on Amazon or a Health Food Store.
Equipment
- Large Pot or Casserole Dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Sharp Knife
Making the Stew
- Firstly prep your vegetables but cutting them in to chunks. How big or small you cut them is up to you, but for reference, we cut ours in to approx 1inch pieces.
- Add the olive oil, shallots (whole or cut smaller) and crushed garlic to the pan and sautee on a low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Crumble in the vegetable stock cube, then add the dried thyme, marmite, tomato paste, the apple and the root vegetables. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- If using, add the red wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate.
- Pour in the water and the butter beans and bay leaves. Stir well. Then cover with a lid, and cook on a low heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
- When there's roughly 20 minutes of cooking time left, stir in the gravy granules (or cornstarch slurry). Re-cover, and continue to cook for the remaining time.
- Then you'll need to make and add the vegan dumplings (see below), before transferring to the oven for the last half an hour of cooking.
Making the Vegan Dumplings
This vegan dumpling recipe is super easy to follow and here are some step by step pictures to show you the consistency at each stage.
- Put the dry dumpling ingredients into a bowl and mix together with your hand, or a spoon.
- Slowly add the water to the bowl, mixing as you go. Be sure to only add a little at a time. You want the dough to form but not to be too sticky.
- Tear off a golfball sized piece of the dough for each dumpling.
- Form the dumpling dough into balls (as pictured above). They don't need to be perfect.
- Place gently on top of your stew (below).
- Cook your stew and dumplings in the oven for 30 minutes
Hint: Garnish your stew with fresh parsley for a pop of freshness and colour.
Storage
Once cooked, the stew can be kept for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge. To re-heat you can use the microwave, or if you have the time, you can pop it back in the oven for 20 minutes, or until piping hot.
Recipe Tips
- When adding water to the vegan dumplings mixture, do it a little at a time. This way you are less likely to make it too wet or sticky.
- If you add too much water to the vegan dumplings mixture, then it's really easy to bring it back. Simply add more Flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired dough consistency.
- When making vegan dumplings, you might find that the dough can stick to your hands. A way of avoiding this is to pour a little flour on your hands before rolling the dumplings.
- When preparing the vegetables for the stew, always leave the skin on everything, except the shallots and garlic. Not only does it save a lot of time, but it's also better for you.
Stew leftovers work reeeeeally well in risotto. Use vegetable broth to cook your risotto rice in as per the packet instructions. Then add your leftover stew when your rice has about 15 minutes left until serving. Season with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, and squeeze over a little fresh lemon juice.
Give it a try and let us know what you think of it.
Serving Suggestions
This is a one pot meal, and as such, it's a really enjoyable dinner all on it's own. Crusty bread or mashed potato go very well with vegetable and bean stew. Or for a lighter option, serve with extra greens such as broccoli, green beans or cabbage.
FAQ'S
Yes you can. This stew keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you're looking for an alternative to dumplings, mashed or jacket potato are both a good choice.
You can mix this up and add whatever root vegetables you fancy. You can also try different beans or lentils as well, such as cannellini beans or red lentils.
These are due to being made with vegetable suet (which is also vegan). In the UK we use Atora vegetable suet, be sure to double check any other brands before buying to ensure they are also vegan.
We use gravy granules to thicken ours, as we find that they add to the depth of flavour. Equally so you can always use a cornstarch slurry, which is a 2 to 1 ratio of water and cornstarch/cornflour. Either way, you add the thickening agent once the stew is ready to come off of the hob, just before you add the vegan dumplings. Then transfer the pot to the oven and cook as per the recipe card.
We have used a wide variety of hearty vegetables but you can use pretty much any vegetables or pulses that you fancy. The only thing to consider is how well the structure of any given vegetable will hold up after 1 & ½ hours on the hob. i.e. Broccoli and cauliflower florets will break down quite a bit. But carrots, parsnip and pumpkin retain their shape.
The basic vegan dumplings recipe is just 3 ingredients - vegetable suet, flour and water (with an optional pinch of salt to taste). You can however elaborate on this. We often add a generous amount of chopped fresh thyme to ours and these are delicious. Equally so they are very nice with herbs such as parsley, sage, oregano or rosemary. Go easy on the rosemary though as it packs quite a punch.
Recipe
Hearty Vegan Stew and Dumplings Recipe
Equipment
- Large Pot or Casserole Dish
- Mixing Bowl
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
Stew
- 250 g Carrots
- 250 g Mushrooms
- 250 g Celeriac
- 250 g Swede
- 250 g Brussel Sprouts
- 250 g Parsnips
- 250 g Turnip
- 250 g Shallots
- 235 g Butter beans 1 Can, drained
- 1 Apple - Braeburn Gala or similar
- 5 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
- 2 tsps Marmite
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 250 ml Red Wine optional
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 40 g Gravy Granules (Optional alternative - 1 tablespoon of Cornflour/cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsps water to form a paste)
- 1 litre of water approx
Vegan Dumplings
- 150 g Self Raising Flour
- 70 g Vegetable Suet
- Pinch Salt optional
- 75-100 ml water to bind
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables:
- The Root Veg: Wash and chop all of your root tegetables, and the apple, in to 1inch pieces.250 g Carrots, 250 g Celeriac, 250 g Swede, 250 g Parsnips, 250 g Turnip, 1 Apple - Braeburn
- The Shallots: Cut the ends off of the shallots and peel the outer skins. You can either cut them in to quarters or, if they are quite small, we like to use them whole.250 g Shallots
- The Sprouts and Mushrooms: Brussels sprouts and mushrooms can go in quartered, halved or whole, just make sure that they are cleaned prior to putting in to your pan.250 g Mushrooms, 250 g Brussel Sprouts
- The Garlic: Peel and crush the garlic, or finely chop with a knife.5 Cloves Garlic
Cook the Stew:
- Put the olive oil in a large oven proof pan or casserole dish, turn your hob to medium-low heat and once hot, add the shallots and garlic. Sautee for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.5 Cloves Garlic, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 250 g Shallots
- Crumble in the vegetable stock cubes. Then add the tomato puree, dried thyme apple, celeriac, swede, carrot, turnip, parsnip, sprouts, and mushrooms and continue to stir for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.250 g Carrots, 250 g Mushrooms, 250 g Celeriac, 250 g Swede, 250 g Brussel Sprouts, 250 g Parsnips, 250 g Turnip, 1 Apple - Braeburn, 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme, 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes
- Add the red wine, and leave to cook for a couple of minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. (If not using red wine then add an extra 250ml of water instead)250 ml Red Wine
- Add Water: Pour in 1 litre of water to your pan and stir.1 litre of water
- Simmer: Place the lid on the pan, and simmer on medium heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
- Thicken: Mix the Gravy Granules with ½ litre of boiling water and then add the Gravy mixture to the pan and stir gently through. (You can use Cornflour & cold water if preferred).40 g Gravy Granules
Vegan Dumplings recipe and method:
- Pre-heat: Preheat the oven to 190°C /390°F/Gas Mark 5
- Put the Self-Raising Flour and Suet into a bowl with a pinch of Salt, and lightly mix together using your hands. Add in enough water to bind it all together to form a firm dough. If your dough is too sticky, add in a little more flour.150 g Self Raising Flour, 70 g Vegetable Suet, Pinch Salt, 75-100 ml water to bind
- Separate the dough in to 8, and roll each portion in to balls using your hands. A light dusting of Flour on your hands makes this easier to do.
- Once you've rolled your Vegan Dumplings, place them on top of the Stew, distributing evenly.
- If your ovenproof dish has a lid, place this on top of the Stew & Dumplings and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Alternatively you can cover with foil.
- Remove the lid or foil, and place back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the Dumplings are browned and crispy on top.
Notes
- When adding water to the vegan dumplings mixture, do it a little at a time. This way you are less likely to make it too wet or sticky.
- If you add too much water to the vegan dumplings mixture, then it's really easy to bring it back. Simply add more Flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired dough consistency.
- When making vegan dumplings, you might find that the dough can stick to your hands. A way of avoiding this is to pour a little flour on your hands before rolling the dumplings.
- When preparing the vegetables for the stew, always leave the skin on everything, except the shallots and garlic. Not only does it save a lot of time, but it's also better for you.
Sam says
Best casserole ever !!!
Yasmin says
Hi Sam,
Im glad that you enjoyed it as much as we do!
Yasmin