The scent of the ingredients often fills the rooms in the house with homely smells – they might even be nostalgic.
While the backbone of a stew is normally meat and veggies, you might be surprised to hear that you can forgo the meat altogether. Yes, that is right!
Whether you are vegetarian or a vegan, or you have guests coming over that have this dietary requirement, you can still make a delicious stew without the meat.
You may even start to wonder why you add meat in the first place because vegetarian stews are that delicious.
To find inspiration when it comes to veggie stews, we have gathered 22 easy-to-make vegetarian stew recipes to help you. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s take a look!
Quick Answer: Easy Vegetarian Stew Recipes
A vegetarian stew uses non-animal-based ingredients to create something similar. It does this by including the likes of veggies, potatoes, seasonings, and meat substitutes.
Because the recipes are either vegetarian or vegan, the ingredients can be swapped when it comes to veggies. This can create different variations of the same dish.
Easy Vegetarian Stew Recipes: Quick Table
Recipe
Calories
Preparation Time
Kidney Bean Stew
553
1 hour
Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew
547
60 minutes
Vegan Cassoulet
211
50 minutes
Creamy Mushroom Stew
187
50 minutes
Irish Stew with Guinness
120
50 minutes
Gochujang Tofu
421
20 minutes
Winter Vegetable Stew
n/a
1 hour
Creamy Chickpea and Pumpkin Stew
179
40 minutes
Lemony Butter Bean Stew
189
45 minutes
Best Ever Beefless Stew
n/a
1 hour
22 Easy Vegetarian Stew Recipes
If you are in need of inspiration when it comes to vegetarian (or vegan) stews, then you are in luck. Here are 22 of the best and easy-to-make vegetarian stew recipes to make today:
We thought we would begin this list off with this delicious vegetarian kidney bean stew with tasty dumplings. If you are a big fan of dumplings, then you will love how hearty they are in this dish.
Not only that, but this dish is also very budget-friendly and goes a long way. That is because it serves 4 people. If there is only one or two of you, then you can freeze some to eat later in the week.
The warming part of the stew comes from the chipotle paste. The stew itself has Mexican origins, though you can skip this part altogether if you do not want any spices.
However, the spice itself is not that strong, meaning it is even suitable for those who do not like to eat hot food.
If you just do not like chipotle, then you can skip this stew and move on to the next one. We promise it is not chipotle! However, this delicious stew also has cheddar dumplings.
If regular dumplings seem bland to you, then you will adore these cheesy versions. They are moreish and tasty and are worthy of being tried at least once.
If you do love spicy food, then there is an optional addition of a large green jalapeno. The heat also comes from the chili beans too.
Overall this stew recipe will take up to an hour to make and serves 4 people. It makes it a wonderful midweek family dinner that is budget-friendly to boot.
This French-inspired vegan-friendly cassoulet recipe is a dream come true. It is full of veggies, mushrooms, tempeh, beans, and tasty herbs to top it all off. This makes a wonderful veggie stew that is perfect for the whole family.
This is because it isn’t just vegan, but also gluten-free and nut-free. It also only takes 50 minutes to create in total, making it an easy stew to whip up when you have unexpected guests arriving in less than an hour.
Another reason why this delicious recipe is amazingly good is that it also serves up to 8 people. You can either serve it to everyone at the table or if there is only one or two of you, you can freeze some to eat later in the week.
If it is a hearty stew that you are looking to eat, then this vegan Irish stew recipe is going to be right up your street. In fact, it is the perfect accompaniment to St. Patrick’s Day too.
The original Irish stew is made as a one-pot recipe and is full of root veggies and meat, and served either with mashed potatoes or soda bread.
This vegan recipe, however, uses a vegan-based protein called Heura along with Guinness to add a malty flavor.
If this is something you cannot get a hold of, then tofu or even chunky mushrooms will do.
All-in-all it will only take just under an hour to make, which is great for when you want a cozy and hearty meal during the week.
While this is not a traditional stew, it is an Asian-inspired dish that is both comforting and hearty. This dish does include Korean kimchi, so do make sure that it is suitable to eat as a vegetarian or a vegan before consuming it.
Gochujang is a hot red paste, so do be aware that the more you add, the hotter this meal will be. However, it is delicious and can be used in other dishes, as well as a dipping sauce.
The recipe itself takes under half an hour to make, so can be created quickly during the week.
This vegan stew has been created with winter in mind. Not only is it full of delightful flavors, but it is incredibly warming in the sense that you are being hugged by a hundred wool sweaters.
It has these delicious cheesy-flavored herb dumplings. While there is no cheese in the actual recipe – it is vegan after all – the cheese flavor is created using a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
It will take you around an hour to make this delightful stew, but the actual cooking time is only 45 minutes long. It will serve up to 4 people making it a great stew for the whole family.
Another stew that screams colder weather is this creamy pumpkin and chickpea stew recipe. Once pumpkin season approaches, this stew is perfect to eat for the whole family. Not only that, it is fully vegan too.
It will take a good 40 minutes to make, but the cooking time of the stew is only half an hour. This makes it an easy stew to put into a saucepan and let cook away.
You can also add some nutrient-packed spinach too, as well as cashew cream to make it extra creamy and tasty. This one is best served fresh!
A lemony butter bean stew might not be the first thing on your mind when you think of stews, but hear us out. This recipe is healthy, vibrant in color, and deliciously hearty.
If you are looking for a stew that is not brown in color, and also not a little drab for the colder seasons, then this stew is going to be right up your street.
It has a slightly zesty flavor due to the addition of lemon, but this marries well with bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach. Also, it is so easy to make and will take you 45 minutes in total.
Being called the ‘best ever beefless stew’ recipe has a lot to live up to – but do you know what? It is darn good!
Because beef is not an option for vegetarians, chunky portobello mushrooms are used instead. They are meaty in flavor and texture, making them a great meat substitute.
The stew will take up to an hour to make. You will also need a blender to blitz some of the ingredients into a smooth texture. Add some parsley at the end for additional flavor.
If you find the flavors are too bland for you, up the seasoning to your liking.
If you are wanting to try vegan-friendly Moroccan-style stew that you can make as an instant pot recipe, then you are in luck.
This delightful stew recipe includes a plethora of Moroccan flavors that are both warming and cozy.
You can use either garbanzo beans or chickpeas for this recipe. You can also use frozen spinach if necessary too. Just don’t forget to add the raisins. They add sweetness.
It will only take around half an hour to complete, and then you can serve a family of 4, or save some for later in the week. You will not be disappointed!
Another instant pot recipe is this delicious portobello pot roast. It includes a very thick gravy alongside tender veggies and meaty mushrooms.
While the flavors are all there, and it is the epitome of winter stews, it also only takes 25 minutes to put together.
You will want to add soy sauce to this recipe, though you can use Tamari if that is all you have available. There are also other substitute options available to make it gluten-free.
Remember to keep the vegetables chunky to provide shape and depth too.
Chili is like a stew, in the sense that it is a bowl of comforting and warming food that is perfect to eat on a colder day.
In fact, this particular recipe is great for a Friday night or weekend when you would like something healthy but cozy.
However, chili is traditionally for meat eaters only, so this vegan recipe is going to blow your mind. There is absolutely no meat in sight and instead, the recipe uses veggies to create that chunkiness of chili.
You can also add some sour cream or green onions for extra flavor if you wish. It will take a good 40 minutes to make, but all you need is your stovetop.
This vegan vegetable stew is the kind that you can make your own. While it has a set recipe to follow, you can also chop and change which veggies you want to make.
This is great if you have some preferences when it comes to ingredients and flavors.
It will take up to an hour to create this scrumptious stew, and you can make up to 6 servings if you wish. It is also completely sugar-free too!
If you need to make a stew this evening but do not have time to head out to the grocery store, this recipe might be your lifesaver. It includes ingredients that you likely already have in your refrigerator or pantry.
Hey, you might even finally have a use for those dried green-colored lentils (Also check out Healthy And Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew) that you didn’t know what to do with.
The recipe will take around 50 minutes to complete in total and serves up to 4 people depending on portion sizes. It is very filling as well.
You will have noticed by now that chickpeas form the base of many vegan and vegetarian stews. Not only are they packed full of minerals and protein, but they can thicken up a dish too.
Because of their high protein content, they will also keep you fairly full. This is a great way to curb late-evening snacking!
If you want to get yourself or your children to eat kale, then this stew will do just that. It is hidden away in all of the delicious seasoning. The recipe itself will take just over an hour to make, but the wait is worth it.
This Hungarian goulash recipe is both hearty and comforting. It includes the likes of smoky tofu, tasty portobello mushrooms, and potatoes. You will be in heaven with this dish!
It is a one-pot style recipe that can be made in just under an hour. This makes it an easy stew to make at the weekend when you and your family are feeling the first chills of fall.
You will want to use extra-firm tofu if possible. It will also need to be drained which may take longer to do than first thought. It is very worth it though!
For those who would like to eat a good old fashion stew, vegan style, then this recipe is bound to catch your eye. It is a very thick stew full of creamy, veggie, and savory flavors.
It has plenty of healthy ingredients too, for example, carrots, celery, peas, mushrooms, and so on. It also has a whole host of delicious seasonings too, which includes balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.
While it will not have an umami flavor, the saltiness of the soy sauce gives the stew extra oomph. It will also only take an hour to make and serve.
If you want to make some delicious vegan Lebanese stew, moussaka style, then you are in luck. This stew is packed full of flavor and takes 50 minutes to prepare and cook, ready to serve up to 3 people.
It includes three main ingredients: tomato, chickpeas, and eggplant. There is also a lot of seasoning to give this stew its tasty moussaka flavor.
One of these flavorings includes a Middle Eastern seasoning, so you may need to get a hold of that.
Otherwise, all the ingredients should be available at your local grocery store or already in your pantry. You can add some mint to garnish the stew, but this is optional.
Cauliflower is not everybody’s cup of tea. However, this vegan cauliflower stew with chickpeas, kale, and broccoli is very tasty. In fact, it is a wonderful way to get kids to eat nutritious veggies.
This stew takes 30 minutes to make, which means you can enjoy it during a busy midweek dinner. This recipe also makes 4 servings, so it is enough to feed a family of 4 or to enable you to freeze some to eat later in the week.
There is a slight kick to this stew due to the additions of chili pepper, cumin, paprika, ginger, and turmeric. However, you can adjust the quantities to your liking.
Another cauliflower choice is this delicious golden stew. While it also has chickpeas, it is full of creamy coconut flavors due to the wonderful broth.
It also has turmeric too, which makes the stew its bright yellow color, but it also has added health benefits.
There is a slight heat to this, but nothing crazy. That’s because it includes the likes of ginger, black pepper, and turmeric. If you find the impact isn’t to your liking, add extra quantities.
Overall it will take around 20 minutes to make, which is insane. If you need a quick midweek stew, then this vegan delight will be your go-to.
Last on this list is a simple yet flavorful vegan butter bean stew recipe. It has been created in order for you to be able to make a hearty and delicious stew during midweek, without the faff of spending hours making it.
This particular stew recipe only takes 40 minutes to make. It is also very budget-friendly due to not needing too many ingredients to put it together.
Along with the butter beans, all you need (when it comes to the main ingredients) are cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, tomato paste, walnuts, kale, garlic, red onion, and a lemon.
You can then freeze the leftovers to enjoy again during the week. If you don’t have a lot left but too much to eat once made, you can add crusty buttered bread or mashed potato for a quick comforting meal.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many vegetarian stew recipes to try. The trouble is, you might just struggle to figure out which one to make and try first.
From using chunky veggies to blitzing them into something a little creamy, you have many options when it comes to choosing the types of ingredients that you love to eat and serve.
If you enjoyed this article, why not check out the rest of the website for more food inspiration?
Hey! I’m Lana, the original Soup Chick! I decided to create this website as I am a massive soup fan. I will literally make soup for every occasion. Whether a friend is under the weather, has the flu, or I just want to try out something new in my slow cooker!
I hope that you can find some really interesting and different soup recipes to try out with my site. I know I’ve had a lot of fun curating and trying them all, and I hope that you do too!
