One-pot, hearty Vegan Irish Stew that can be made on the stove, in an Instant Pot, or in a slow cooker. It's loaded with chunky, sweet, tender vegetables, your choice of vegan beef or mushrooms, and Guinness gives the gravy an incredibly rich, deep, delicious flavour!
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FEATURED COMMENT:
"Don't wait for St. Patrick's Day to have this - it's too good for just once a year...This stew is absolutely delicious...Mel's recipes are always terrific, but this one was over-the-top delicious!" - Colleen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
This five-star tried-and-true recipe for Vegan Irish Stew is comfort food at its finest. Loaded with root veggies, seared vegan beef or mushrooms, and a thick, super-rich, and flavourful gravy made from Guinness, it is packed with rich, deep flavour and quite simply amazing.
Serve with fluffy vegan dumplings, Vegan Soda Bread, Vegan Guinness Bread, or No Knead Vegan Dinner Rolls as part of your St Patrick's Day celebrations, or for a tasty vegan weeknight dinner. Don't forget some Vegan Chocolate Guinness Cake for dessert!
Mel x
Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
- Guinness - Or any other similar dark stout. This is what gives this vegan Irish stew its incredible, deep flavour and dark, rich gravy. I've used Guinness because it's widely available worldwide, it's Irish, and it's vegan, but if you can't find it, I recommend searching Barnivore for another vegan-friendly dark stout. Dark stout is necessary to get the best rich, full flavour in the gravy. For an alcohol-free alternative, use Guinness 0.
- 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, so I don't recommend using them.
- Vegan beef or sliced portobello mushrooms - The "beef" in the photos and video is Gardein Be'F Tips. Beyond Steak tips, my vegan beef recipe cubed, or any other vegan beef-style substitute, will work well, or you can use button mushrooms, sliced portobello mushrooms, or soy curls instead.
- Sugar - Just a touch. It's important for balance because stout is quite bitter.
- Soy sauce - For "meaty" flavour. It's my secret weapon in any dish that needs deep, rich, meaty flavour. In combination with the Guinness, it adds a massive flavour punch, which is important in a recipe traditionally made with meat.
- Vegetables - The usual stew crew: Carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, and celery, and then comes swede/rutabaga and green cabbage for flavour and to keep the Irish theme going.
- Flour - Just a touch to thicken. You can use gluten-free flour if necessary. Cornstarch will work well too.
- Herbs - I like to use a combination of fresh and dried for ultimate flavour, but if you don't have access to fresh, you can use all dried herbs. You can even switch the individual herbs for a blend of mixed herbs like Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence if you want to.
How To Make Vegan Irish Stew
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me walk you through the steps to set you up for success in your kitchen. If you're more of a visual learner, watch my recipe video:
1 - Sear the vegan meat or mushrooms in a really hot pan, then remove and set aside for later.
2 - Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the same pot, add the flour and let it cook out, then add the Guinness, stirring as you go to work out any lumps.
3 - Add everything else, give it a good stir and bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are meltingly soft and the gravy is thick.
4 - Pick out the stalks from the fresh herbs, stir the vegan beef or mushrooms back into the stew, and let it warm for about 10 minutes before serving.
For Instant Pot and slow cooker instructions, see the FAQs.
Success Tip
Don't leave the vegan beef or mushrooms in the stew for the entire cooking time, as they will get too soft and lose their texture. By searing them, setting them aside, then adding them back in at the end, you get all the flavour without losing texture.
Recipe FAQs
Guinness in draught, bottle, and canned form has been vegan-friendly since 2018. Read more about it on their website here.
If you don't have Guinness or other dark stout, brown ale or red wine work really well instead. If you don't cook with alcohol at all use Guinness 0 (it's alcohol-free), or replace the beer with more stock, but make sure that it's a really good, flavourful one.
If you are gluten-free, use your favourite gluten-free and vegan beer of choice, cornstarch instead of flour, gluten-free soy sauce, or Tamari and mushrooms instead of beefless tips/seitan.
Guinness is vegan. If you use another brand, most manufacturers are happy to let you know if you shoot them a quick email. Or you can go to Barnivore's website or app and type in the brand name, and it will tell you.
I love to use Yukon Gold in soups and stews. They become very soft yet still hold their shape, they don't get floury, and they are naturally sweet when slow-cooked.
Sear the vegan beef/mushrooms in a pan, then remove them until the end. Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in the same pan and add the garlic for the last 30 seconds. Then transfer them to the slow cooker.
Stir in the flour, then add everything else (adding the liquid gradually to work out lumps) and stir well. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours or high heat for about 3-4 hours or until the potatoes are very tender. Remove any herb stalks and add the vegan beef/mushrooms back in. Let them heat through for 10 minutes, then serve.
Sauté the vegan beef, set aside, then saute the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. DO NOT add the flour. Turn the Instant Pot off and add everything else except the flour. Give the bottom of the pot a good scrape with a metal spoon to get any burnt-on residue off, close the lid, seal the vent, and cook on manual/pressure cook, high power for 15 mins. NPR for 10 minutes, then release what's left. Make a slurry with the flour and water, scoop out the fresh herb stalks, and discard them. Turn the Instant Pot to "sauté" and pour in the slurry, stirring constantly, then add the vegan beef. Give it a couple of minutes for the gravy to thicken, then serve.
You can safely freeze this stew for up to 3 months; however, the texture of potatoes changes once they have been frozen and defrosted. They become floury in texture and aren't at their best, so be mindful of this and only freeze it if you don't mind this happening.
Recipe
Vegan Irish Stew
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil , or use water for oil-free
- About 9 oz (255 grams ) vegan beef or portobello mushrooms , I like Gardein beefless tips or Beyond Steak. (or omit completely - It's still really good with just the veg)
- 1 large onion , diced
- 3 large carrots , cut into ½ inch chunky pieces
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour , or cornstarch
- 330 mls (11 oz bottle) Guinness , or Guinness 0, or any dark stout (if using a can of Guinness use ¾ of the can, or use it all and reduce the stock to compensate if you want more Guinness flavour).
- 1 medium (about 800 grams / 28 oz) rutabaga/ swede , or turnips, cut into chunky pieces
- 4 large (about 650g / 23 oz) potatoes , cut into large chunks (each potato into about 6 pieces)
- ¼ head green cabbage , shredded
- 4 cups (960 mls) vegetable stock
- ¼ cup (60 mls) soy sauce , or Tamari
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon white or cane sugar
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme , or 2 x 4-inch sprigs of fresh
- 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary , or 2 x 4-inch springs fresh
OPTIONAL
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (that holds at least 6 quarts / 5.7 litres), add the oil and place over medium-high heat.
- When really hot, add the vegan beef or mushrooms and sear in the pan until golden on all sides. Scoop out and put in a bowl or on a plate. Set aside until near the end.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then to the same pot (don't clean it .. we want any stuck-on residue for flavour!), add the onions, carrots and celery. You might also need to add a teeny bit more oil depending on the pan you're using.
- Let them sweat down and just as they are beginning to colour add the garlic.
- After about 30 seconds, add the flour. Stir it around so everything gets coated, then let it cook out for a minute or two.
- Pour in the Guinness very slowly, stirring well as you go to work out most of the lumps. Don't worry about some small lumps remaining.
- Add the rutabaga/swede, potatoes, cabbage, stock, soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and herbs and give it a really good stir.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, then turn it down to medium-low or whatever heat you need to keep it at a very gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are meltingly soft and the gravy is thick. It will take about 45 to 50 minutes, but you can leave it simmering away much longer if you want to. Just turn it down to low and cover with a lid if it's going to be significantly longer.
- About 10 minutes before you are going to serve, add the vegan beef/mushrooms back in and give it a stir.
- If you used fresh herbs be sure to pick out the stalks before serving.
NOTES
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Judy Pojar says
This stew is delicious, I used mushrooms instead meat bites because I could not find them. I also found a stout beer that had a slight chocolate flavor so good. I will definitely be making again. My carnivore husband loved it too.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you both enjoyed it, Judy!
Shelly says
Made this tonight, was really good! We never tried vegan “beef tips” before, and didn’t care for them. Didn’t matter, there were so many good ingredients in the stew we didn’t need them. Hearty and filling, especially paired with he soda bread.
Margaret says
Excellent stew. I didn’t have any stout beer so skipped it but it still turned out great. I did it in the Instantpot for convenience. I’ll make this one often I believe. Thanx
Tara says
This stew was delish. We used baby Bella mushrooms and had to sub in butternut squash for turnip as that’s all we could find. Everyone loved it and we will definitely make it again. Thanks AVV!
Katherine says
Fabulous! My meat-eating husband loved it! Made it exactly as written, used portobello mushrooms. I'm so happy to find a recipe for vegan Irish stew -- thank you!!
Carrie says
This would be wonderful, but between the rutabaga and the stout beer it came out very bitter! I added extra sugar, now it’s bitter and sweet! What else can I do to reduce the bitter taste? I’m serving tonight!
Thanks,
Carrie says
Woah! Our family loved this one. It’s fantastic!!
Megan says
My hubbs made this and wow! So flavorful and delicious! We will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Samantha says
The 3 adults loved it - unique and savory. The two well-versed vegan kids? Didn't care for it at all. It's a strong flavor for sure. I added a splash of maple syrup to theirs and they begrudgingly finished their bowls haha Not a hit for them. I was glad I made it and appreciate your work. Great soup for adults!
Helene says
WOW !
I made the recipe with soy curl and mushrooms !
VERY GOOD!
For the winter season, it's perfect !
Rabbithugger says
My husband isn't keen on garlic or spices, and I avoid soy products, but this recipe was delicious even with the omissions. Definitely a keeper that will be used throughout the year.
ANN MONERASINGHE says
Does anyone know if jackfruit can be usesd instead of soy curls?
Thanks, Ann
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't use jackfruit in this recipe. In my opinion, it does not work well in stews.
Christie says
Very good result, I couldn’t have imagined a better vegan Irish stew. I cut the soy sauce in half based on other reviews (and because
I omitted all but one potato, as I was planning to serve the stew over mashed potatoes). I also added a few tablespoons of tomato paste to the mirepoix along with the garlic to help balance the bitterness of the beer. Thank you for your recipes, I just bought the cookbook!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it Christie and thanks for purchasing my book. I hope you enjoy cooking from it!
Patricia Giannelia says
Made the stew - awesome recipe!
Tried it - some with Gardein Beefless Tips, some with dry-sautéed mushrooms (large ones, quartered) and seasoned with salt-free Montreal steak seasoning - amazing and preferable (imho), but the stew overall was amazing!
A great St. Patrick's Day dinner, thanks!
Incidentally, I usually use potato starch as a gravy thickener - works great and is gluten free for those who need/prefer it.
Lynne Wright says
You come up with the BEST recipes! Thank you. I made it with Soy Curls and it was great. I did vary the recipe slightly by waiting to add the flour (corn starch in my case) until the end as I was concerned that it would stick or burn to the bottom of the pot if added when it needed a long time to cook. It was the first time I used Guinness stout beer and I thought there was a marble in the can!! (Explained to me by my beer friends.). This is an excellent recipe that I will make all winter long --not waiting for St Patty's day! Thanks for making Vegan cooking so DELICIOUS!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Lynne! The "marble" in the can made me laugh. It really does feel like that when it's rattling around in there!
Colleen Neymeyer says
Don't wait for St. Patrick's Day to have this - it's too good for just once a year. Because I have to cook gluten-free meals, I wasn't able to use Guinness, but my substituted red wine provided a nice depth of flavor. This stew is absolutely delicious - lovely comfort food and it makes a large enough quantity for left-overs for the two of us. Mel's recipes are always terrific, but this one was over the top delicious!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Colleen! I'm really pleased you enjoyed it so much! I love it with red wine too.
Patricia Giannelia says
Hi;
I am looking forward to making it for this Wednesday, but a subsidiary question - you mention soy curls, and I have heard of them before, but have not seen them in stores here (Kelowna). What are they exactly, and where can they be purchased.
thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I buy them at a local place here in Victoria, not one that would be in Kelowna unfortunately. You can order them from Vegansupply.ca though. It's an awesome store in Vancouver and they ship Canada-wide (even chilled products like cheese). Soy curls are shrivelled up, dried things that don't look very appetizing, but when you rehydrate them in stock, squeeze it out then cook them as you would meat they are great. They have a really good meaty texture and appearance.
Patricia says
Found them the next day at Choices, so will give them a try - thanks!
Lynne says
I found them at "Quality Foods" in Kelowna but they are a dollar cheaper in West Kelowna at the new "Forks Vegan Foods Store" where I live (the town, not the store!).
DiegoGal says
Very Yum. I added a can of white beans after the fact for some added nutrition (sorry, hope that's not sacrilege). Since I had a 22 oz bottle of Guinness, which was more than the recipe called for, I found a recipe for beer bread and whipped up a loaf while the soup was cooking. Delish!
A Virtual Vegan says
Beer bread is the perfect accompaniment! Glad you enjoyed the stew!
Donxi says
Made it 3 times now and can now say this is the mother of all stews, I lovee it. My friends and family do to. Be carefull to follow the recipe correct or you might have end up like my first stew and have the potatoes to overcooked. Still nice but the crunch add the texture to complete the combination of flavours. I bought me 2 bottles of guinnes yesterday. You already know what time it is hahaha. <3
Cay says
I've just made this. Its definitely not bland like vegans stew usually is!