This crazy delicious, hearty vegan mushroom stew rivals any non-vegan version. Served with creamy roasted garlic and chive mashed potatoes (and red wine, of course), it's vegetarian comfort food at its finest!
Today is officially the last day of winter (YAY). We're bidding it a not-so-fond farewell with the ultimate comfort food: vegan stew with mashed potatoes!
It doesn't have to be cold outside to enjoy this cozy stew with mashed potatoes. It does, however, always make me want to curl up by the fireplace with a book, and/or travel to Ireland immediately.
In fact, we were inspired to develop this recipe after last year's family trip to Ireland. While we were able to find plenty of gluten free meals, the Irish aren't too big on vegan food (yet). Most of their meals revolve around meat, and pretty much every single restaurant has beef stew on the menu.
After watching the rest of the family happily indulge in stew + mashed potatoes one too many times, we decided to make our own version at home. Mushrooms are the perfect vegan alternative to beef. They soak up a ton of flavor, and when stewed for a few hours, they take on a tender, meaty texture.
How to make hearty vegan mushroom stew on your stovetop
To start, make sure you carve out enough time for the stew to simmer. We recommend at least 1 ½ hours of simmering time, or even up to 3 hours.
The good news is, once you prep everything and add it to the pot, you can clean all of the dishes and then let it do its thing without any interference. Although stew can be time consuming, it's pretty low-effort. Plus, time allows the flavors to develop, so it tastes like you've been slaving over the stovetop all afternoon!
What kind of mushrooms do I use in vegan stew?
White button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms and portobellos are all good choices for this stew. In fact, they're all technically the same variety of mushroom!
White button mushrooms are the youngest, softest variety. Cremini mushrooms are the "middle child"; much darker in color, a bit sturdier and similar in flavor to button mushrooms. Portobello mushrooms are the oldest variety, which you can obviously tell by their much larger size and more developed flavor.
I personally prefer cremini mushrooms in this stew. They're small enough that they don't need to be sliced, and they're sturdy enough to hold up to multiple hours in a pot. If you do use portobellos, be sure to roughly chop them before adding to the stew.
How to add flavor to your stew base
The key ingredient: red wine! And lots of it. Red wine adds incredible depth of rich flavor to this vegan mushroom stew. Not to mention, it makes your kitchen smell amazing.
Opt for a Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Merlot, or even a red wine blend. Don't skimp on quality! Even though the wine cooks out quite a bit, a better wine makes a better stew. Plus, you only need a cup to a cup and a half, so you can drink the rest with dinner.
Simmer, simmer, simmer!
After you sauté the onions, garlic and carrots for a few minutes, you can essentially dump everything else into the pot and start simmering.
To make sure the stew gets nice and thick (you don't want a soupy texture), you'll need to also add in some gluten free (or regular) flour. Don't just dump it in with everything. Heat up another small saucepan and turn it to medium-low. Add some olive oil and the flour, whisk well, then add broth and continue whisking until smooth.
As long as the mixture is smooth, it's ready to add to the stew. Don't worry if the stew doesn't look thick immediately after you add the flour mixture. After about an hour of simmering, it will start to thicken. By the time you serve, it should be the perfect texture!
Serve with roasted garlic mashed potatoes
As much as I love the mushroom stew, I have to admit that the potatoes are my favorite part.
We added a few cloves of roasted garlic, fresh chives, and lots of vegan butter, so needless to say, they're AMAZING. It's always dangerous for me to make mashed potatoes - I could eat the whole batch without even noticing!
About 1 hour before your stew is finished, turn on the oven and prep your roasted garlic. Here's a quick tutorial on how to make roasted garlic. It makes all the difference in these vegan mashed potatoes and it's well worth the effort!
- Start with an entire head of garlic. Turn on its side and slice the top off, just enough to expose the cloves.
- Drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper (optional), wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400F for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and tender.
Voilà! Perfectly roasted garlic in two steps.
When garlic is roasted, it brings out a much sweeter flavor and removes the harsh bite of fresh garlic. I love garlic as much as the next person, but too much raw garlic doesn't always agree with my stomach (or breath!).
We try to keep some roasted garlic on hand at all times. It's particularly delicious in homemade hummus or this spicy white bean dip!
More vegan comfort food recipes
- Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie. Another favorite classic comfort food recipe, also involving mashed potatoes!
- The BEST Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese. Easy to make and tastes just like the real thing.
- Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza. For your next pizza night at home.
- Vegan Pumpkin Curry. Cozy, flavorful, unique & seasonal.
- Vegan Pasta Bake. This one involves lots of vegan cheese, a rich sauce & PASTA!
If you make this hearty vegan mushroom stew, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.
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Vegan Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This crazy delicious vegan mushroom stew rivals any non-vegan version. Served with creamy roasted garlic and chive mashed potatoes, it's vegetarian comfort food at its finest!
Ingredients
Mushroom Stew:
- 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 5 tbsp gluten free all purpose flour
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 ½ cup yukon gold or russet potatoes, cubed
- 20 oz button or cremini mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley
- 2 ½ tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1- 1 ½ cups red wine
Mashed Potatoes:
- 4-5 cups yukon gold (or similar) potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth or non-dairy milk
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
Stew:
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- While onions are cooking, add remaining 3 tablespoon olive oil to a smaller pot over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until no lumps remain. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of vegetable broth and whisk until smooth.
- Once onions and garlic are softened, add carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, green beans, peas, herbs, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and paprika to pot and stir well. Add red wine and let simmer for a minute or two before adding in broth + flour mixture + remaining two cups of broth.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 ½-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Mashed Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Turn an entire head of garlic on its side and slice the top off, just enough to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in aluminum foil and roast for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and tender.
- Wash, peel and cube potatoes. Add to a large pot of boiling water, salted with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Boil until tender - 15-20 minutes.
- Drain water from potatoes and add to large bowl. Mash well.
- Stir in butter, broth or milk, salt, roasted garlic and chives. Taste and adjust salt + butter as needed.
- Serve stew over mashed potatoes and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, or even chopped portobello mushrooms in this stew.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bowl
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 9.6 g
- Sodium: 1613.3 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.4 g
- Fiber: 7.6 g
- Protein: 8.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan stew
Stella
Absolutely delicious!! I made it last Sunday! Thank you
★★★★★
Lexi
Thanks so much, Stella! Glad you enjoyed!
Josie
What a great easy recipe. I was hesitant with the wine but made it as the recipe said. It was fast, easy to make and DELICIOUS! It will be a staple in our home. My hubby didn’t even miss the meat.
★★★★★
Lexi
Hi Josie, so thrilled you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for your review!
Alizon
Very tasty, very satisfying. Mine didn't thicken up much, leaving me to wonder if I accidentally used to much broth or wine- but it was still so so good. Will make again.
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad you enjoyed! Sometimes if it's not thickening up I'll make a quick roux with 1 tbsp of flour and 1 tbsp of oil or melted butter and stir that into the stew. It works so well!
Mike
2-1/2 TBSP of Thyme made it overpowering. Is that a typo?
Lexi
Hi Mike, did you use fresh or dried thyme?
Mike
It didn't say fresh until now. I have it my my Paprika3 app.
Lexi
Yes, I thought that may have been the issue so I just updated it to say "fresh". I'm so sorry you had that issue - we always specify if we're using a dried herb, but I should have specified fresh! My apologies for that.
Cathy
Delicious! I had a hard time letting it simmer for so long because the gravy is so yummy. I kept sneaking a taste every so often and it got better every time I tasted it. It was worth the wait!
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad you enjoyed, Cathy! Thanks so much for your comment!
Mike
https://web.archive.org/web/20200903041826/https://www.crowdedkitchen.com/vegan-mushroom-stew-over-mashed-potatoes/
Chris
Excellent recipe! Took a while to make but well worth it in the end. I used cremini and shiitake mushrooms. Will definitely make it again.
Lexi
Thanks so much, Chris! So glad you enjoyed.
Lisa
Amazing hands down! House smelled great and shall we talk about how it tasted from top to bottom stew to the mashed potatoes WOW!
★★★★★
Lexi
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for your comment, it means a lot! So glad you enjoyed this stew (and the mashed potatoes, of course, which are my favorite part!). Have a great day!
isabella
tried this recipe today and loved it! thanks!!
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad to hear that, thank you so much for your comment!
Rachel
Omg best strew !!! Yes the red wine and roasted garlic make this dish.. will be a staple from now on
★★★★★
Lexi
Thanks so much, Rachel! So glad you enjoyed!
Lisa D.
Made this today... no wine, garlic powder mashed potatoes... OUTSTANDING! Best beef less stew I’ve ever made. Looking forward to trying your other recipes. Thank you ❤️
★★★★★
Lexi
Thank you so much for your comment, Lisa! So glad you enjoyed!
Stephanie
This was delicious!!! My entire family ate it, even the picky ones.
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad to hear that, Stephanie! Thanks for your comment!
Meggie-mae
This looks great! Can I use white whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose? I’m not sure if that will make a difference or not and white whole wheat flour is all i can find in my area 🙃
Lexi
Hi! That should work. Let me know if you have any issues - hope you enjoy!!
Jessica
Can you make this without the red wine?
Lexi
Hi Jessica, yes, you can sub the wine with more broth! It won't have quite the same depth of flavor but will still work fine. You can always add a dash of red wine vinegar if you're okay with that. Thanks and hope you enjoy!
Flossie
Delicious! It smelt so amazing and tasted even better, I made it about a week ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Thank you!
★★★★★
Lexi
Love to hear that, thank you so much for your comment!!
Jessi Summers
I did try it, but I missed a few crucial pieces to where I can’t leave a fair review right now. I’ll report back once I’ve done it right!
Lexi
Hi Jessi, what did you miss? Let me know if you have any questions - happy to help out! Hope it goes better the second time around!
Jessi Summers
I appreciate the offer, but really it was just my own oversight. I thought I had red wine already, and I didn’t, and I missed the flour step so it didn’t thicken.
Lexi
Ah got it! Yes, those are definitely two essential parts. Hope it works out the next time!
Jessi Summers
Hi, I'm wondering if the stew could be made in the slow cooker. Any tips for a conversion? 🙂
Lexi
Hi Jessi, I definitely think it would work well in a slow cooker! I don't personally have one so I'm not totally sure on the settings, but I think you could probably cook it on low for 6-8 hours. Let me know if you give it a try!
Erika
Jessi did you try it in a crockpot? I’m thinking about trying it this week. I’d love to hear how it ended up!
Beth
I made this stew and I have to say, it is amazing!! Took awhile to pull it all together, but not hard. Smelled wonderful cooking and tastes awesome. I had it with Rice and also with potatoes. Thanks so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Lexi
Hi Beth, thank you so much, we're so glad to hear that you loved it! It's definitely not the quickest recipe, but we think it's well worth the extra time 😉 Appreciate your review!
Charisse
This was amazing!!! My house smelled so good. I did not miss the meat!!
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad to hear that, Charisse!! That's definitely our goal! 🙂
Krista
Made it today. It was so good!
★★★★★
Lexi
So glad to hear that!!
Tara
Looks amazing. I know this is a mushroom stew, but can you recommend another vegetable to substitute for mushrooms?
Lexi
Hi Tara! Sure, you could try substituting with something like parsnips, carrots, rutabaga or even potatoes. Let me know if you give it a try!
Samantha B
Dear Lexi,
Thank you so much for this AMAZING stew. Wow!!! The flavor!! I made this tonight for my boyfriend and I. The sauce was so good he literally licked the pan clean! LOL. Thank you again for the wonderful recipe and all the effort that goes into it.
Take care,
Samantha
★★★★★
Lexi
Hi Samantha, thank you so much for your sweet comment! I'm so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the stew!
Ali
This recipe looks delicious! Any recommendations for a wine substitute?
Lexi
Thank you, Ali! You can sub the wine for more broth, but maybe add a Bouillon cube for a little more flavor. You could also add in a dash of red wine vinegar if you're okay using that! Let me know if you give it a try.
Ali
We'll try and let you know. Thank you!