Rich and hearty Vegan Beef & Baked Bean Stew with fluffy dumplings. Easy to make, budget-friendly, and a real family favorite!
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"Just finished making and eating this. Delicious! I was a little leery because of the addition of baked beans - that just seemed odd. But I love all of your recipes, so decided to make it, as listed...Both my husband and I really enjoyed this and will be adding it to the rotation!" - Julie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
This Vegan Beef & Baked Bean Stew is hearty, comforting, and cozy. With tasty vegan ground beef, sweet baked beans, and soft, melty potatoes in thick, rich, gravy, all topped with the softest, fluffiest dumplings, it's dangerously easy to eat and will be a hit with the entire family!
Ingredients
Here is exactly what you need at a glance, along with some ingredient notes and substitution ideas (see the recipe card for full and detailed ingredients & instructions):
For the stew:
- Vegan ground beef - Any variety will do but you'll get the best depth of flavor when using one like Beyond or Impossible. It's important to use ground beef style and not chunks for the intended stew texture and thickness.
- Potatoes - Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes are always my go-to for soups and stews. They get really soft and sweet while still keeping their shape. Starchier potatoes like russets will break down more.
- Baked beans - The canned beans in tomato sauce like Heinz or Bush's. Don't replace them with plain beans that aren't in a sweet sauce or you will affect the overall balance of flavor in the recipe. It needs the sweetness from the beans to be extra delicious!
- Diced canned tomatoes - You can use crushed canned tomatoes instead but you'll lose a bit of texture. I really like the chunkiness of the diced ones in this recipe.
- Italian seasoning - Or mixed herbs if you're in the UK. Herbes de Provence makes a good alternative. Or you could just use a teaspoon each of 3 individual herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, or basil.
And for the dumplings:
- Flour - All-purpose flour. If you are in the UK use plain flour. I have not tested these dumplings with gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-free milk - Any plant milk such as cashew milk, soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk will work in this recipe. Make sure it's unsweetened & unflavored though.
- Vegan butter - A hard vegan butter will work best, such as my homemade vegan butter, Earth Balance, or Miyokos.
I LOVE dumplings, but I do actually love this meal with or without them, so if they aren't your thing feel free to make just the stew and serve it with some crusty bread for dunking instead.
How To Make Vegan Beef & Baked Bean Stew
Can't wait to make it? Here's a quick rundown of how it's done. It couldn't be simpler. See the recipe card for the full and detailed version, and if you're a visual learner check out my recipe video:
- Saute the onions and garlic in a large Dutch oven or soup pot, then add the vegan beef, allow it to brown before adding the tomato paste and cook until darkened.
- Add everything else and give it a good stir.
- Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Mix up the easy dumplings mixture.
- Gently float the dumplings on top of the stew, put the lid on.
- Simmer until the dumplings are fluffy and doubled in size.
Serving Suggestions
This truly is a one-pot meal. With the stew and the dumplings you really don't need anything else, that is unless you'd like to mop up the delicious gravy with some bread, and in that case, I recommend:
Storing Leftovers
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Recipe
Vegan Beef & Baked Bean Stew
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pack vegan ground beef (they vary in size but around 12 to 16oz or 340 to 453g)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste , (tomato puree in the UK)
- 4 cups (960 ml) water
- 6 medium (about 2lb / 900 grams) potatoes , cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 medium carrots , sliced
- 1 x 14.5 oz can (1½ cups) diced tomatoes , or crushed (400g can in UK)
- 1 x 14 to 16 oz can (1½ cups) baked beans , (410g can in UK)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning , or Herbs de Provence, or mixed dried herbs
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
For the dumplings
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoon s (30 grams) vegan butter , (very cold)
- approx ½ cup (120 ml) non-dairy milk , unsweetened & unflavored
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Once glistening add the onion and saute until transparent. Then add the garlic & cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the vegan ground beef, break up with a spoon, and cook until brown, stirring frequently.
- Add the tomato puree and keep stirring it for a minute or two until darkened, then add the water, potatoes, carrots, diced tomatoes, baked beans, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered until the potatoes are fork tender (or longer on low of that's more convenient). The time it takes will vary dependent on the size of the potatoes.
- About 20 minutes before you want to eat, make the dumplings.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the vegan butter to the flour mixture and rub it into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add the milk gradually while stirring to form a thick, sticky dough. Drop balls of dumpling dough (about 1 tablespoon each) gently onto the top of the stew then immediately cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes until risen and fluffy looking. They should have at least doubled in size.
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Sharon says
I made this last week. As usual, your recipe didn’t disappoint. It was very tasty and I will be cooking it again (after I’ve defrosted and eaten all I over cooked!!)
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it Sharon! The leftovers always seems to taste even better!
Trista says
SO good!! I was intrigued by the beans in this one which is why I wanted to try it. I really enjoyed it the only thing I added was a teaspoon of better then boullion because I found the broth a little lacking (I tend to double the amount of stock mix I like a strong broth). I will be making this again it does make a lot of stew though not that I'm complaining!
Trista says
I made this again but used maple baked beans instead of tomato wowza! Cut the acidity of the tomato and just added such a nice flavour to the dish. Not sure where they are available but if you have access to them give it a go!
Julie Nichols says
Just finished making and eating this. Delicious! I was a little leery because of the addition of baked beans - that just seemed odd. But I love all of your recipes, so decided to make it, as listed. My only change was not peeling my potatoes (a combination of red and Yukon Gold).
This was super easy and it’s so handy to cook everything in one pot. Both my husband and I really enjoyed this and will be adding it to the rotation.
Diego Gal says
SO good! And really easy. Next time I'll leave out the dumplings and serve with crusty bread. (The dumplings were good but I needed some crunch).
Alexandria Phillips says
I know this is most likely best with the ground beef but we just dont eat it. Any suggestions on what I could sub it with? I love baked beans and would love to give it a try with a little twist.
Melanie McDonald says
For the best results I recommend following the recipe as written. The vegan ground beef adds loads of flavor as well as texture.
Maybe cooked green or brown lentils would be an ok'ish sub, but it really won't be the same.