Vegan Irish Stew
Author:One-pot, hearty Vegan Irish Stew that can be made on the stove, in an Instant Pot, or 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!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil , or use water for oil-free
- 9 oz (255 grams ) OPTIONAL 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).
- 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 tbsp white or cane sugar
- 2 large bay leaves
- 2 x 4 inch sprigs fresh thyme , or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 x 4 inch sprigs fresh rosemary , or 1½ teapsoon dried
OPTIONAL
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (that holds at least 6 quarts / 5.7 litres), add the oil and place over high heat.
- When really hot add the beefless tips or mushrooms and sear in the pan until golden on all sides. Scoop them out and put in a bowl or on a plate and set them 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. If you are not using vegan beef, seitan or mushrooms begin with this step, adding the oil and warming the pan first.
- 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 and let it cook out for a minute or two to remove the raw flour flavour. If you use cornstarch instead of the flour it will get a bit gloopy and weird but don't worry, once you add everything else it will be fine.
- Pour in the Guinness/stout slowly, stirring as you go, then once it's all in, give it another really good stir to work out most of the lumps. Don't worry about any small lumps.
- Add the rutabaga/swede, potatoes, cabbage, stock, soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and herbs and give it a really good stir.
- Bring slowly to a boil stirring frequently, then immediately turn down to medium-low and let it simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are soft and the gravy is thick. I like to wait until the potatoes are really soft and just starting to break down before I serve. 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 beefless tips/mushrooms back in and give it a stir.
- If you used fresh herbs be sure to pick out the stalks before serving.
NOTES
For Instant Pot and Slow Cooker instruction see the FAQs in the post above.
Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It's also ok to freeze for up to 3 months, just be aware that potatoes can become a little floury once they have been frozen, defrosted, and reheated. Defrost overnight in the fridge then reheat in a pot on the stove until piping hot, or for a few minutes in the microwave. Feel free to add a splash or two of broth or beer to help thin it out if necessary.
To make gluten-free - Use your favorite gluten-free and vegan beer of choice, cornstarch instead of flour, gluten-free soy sauce, or Tamari and mushrooms instead of beefless tips/seitan.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1of 8 servings | Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1675mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4865IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg
