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This is a rich, hearty Vegetable stew made with a handful of chunky vegetables for an ultra-comforting bowl of goodness. I love a good one-pot recipe, and this veggie stew is exactly that, and it is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Made with mushrooms, fire-roasted tomatoes, and classic veggies like onions, carrots, and celery building up a savory base for the stew.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this hearty vegetable stew
- Ingredients to make homemade vegetable stew
- How to make vegetable stew in one pot
- Tips for making The Best vegetable stew
- Popular substitutions & additions
- What to pair with your chunky vegetable stew
- How to store & reheat homemade vegetable stew
- Frequently asked questions
- More vegetarian soup recipes:
- Vegetable Stew Recipe
This recipe hits all the marks for a wholesome and comforting bowl of chunky vegetable stew! Chock full of hearty vegetables that swim in a rich and robust tomato and vegetable broth base, this stew will fill your belly and offer a cozy bowl of goodness. This is a family-friendly kid-approved recipe, especially to warm up during the cooler months.
Why you’ll love this hearty vegetable stew
- Easy to make. You can make this mushroom stew all in one pot on the stove or in an instant pot, much like my beef vegetable instant pot recipe.
- Versatile recipe. You can follow this recipe or substitute some ingredients for what you have. The best part of vegetable stew is the ability to use leftover produce from other recipes to create another family meal.
- A warm hug in a bowl. Delicious, savory, and perfect for cold weather days, this vegetable stew is the ultimate comfort food, warming you from the inside out.
Ingredients to make homemade vegetable stew
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms are the bulk of this veggie stew and add richness and a meat-like texture.
- Other vegetables: I fill this stew up heartily with a combination of garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes.
- Herbs and spices: Fresh thyme adds an earthy, slightly lemony flavor to the stew seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
- Tomato paste: A key ingredient for adding depth of flavor to this vegetable stew.
- Crushed tomatoes: Opt for the fire-roasted crushed tomatoes because they equal more flavor! If you can’t find them in a store near you, regular diced tomatoes will work perfectly here.
- Vegetable broth: I love making my vegetable stock and broth from scratch and freezing it until needed. What’s really fun about this stew recipe is using premade homemade broth and then saving all the vegetable scraps from this recipe to add to a new vegetable stock batch.
How to make vegetable stew in one pot
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and add in onion and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are golden brown and the mushrooms have released moisture.
- Add carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme to the onion-mushroom mixture and cook until the carrots soften. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato paste with a wooden spoon to incorporate evenly and cook until thickened and brown.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat them well, continuing to cook.
- Add diced tomatoes and vegetable broth, scraping up the veggie bits and roux from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the potatoes and simmer.
- Continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender and the stew has thickened.
Tips for making The Best vegetable stew
- Cook down the vegetables. The first step of sauteeing the onions and mushrooms is what starts building the base of your stew. Give them enough time to release their sugars and caramelize before moving on to the next step.
- Make in an Instant Pot. You follow the same basic steps as this stovetop vegetable stew recipe but use the instant pot instead. Set it to saute to cook the vegetables, secure and lock the lid, set it to manual/pressure cook on high, and adjust the time to 5 minutes. Once the timer stops, allow it to release the pressure naturally for about 10 minutes, and then use the quick release.
- Make it more robust. The tomato paste, while small in amount, does something special when cooked into a thick, darkened brown paste. Take that extra minute to allow it to cook, and you’ll be amazed at how much depth in flavor it offers.
- Make ahead. Like most stews, the longer they cook, the better they are. Serve this the next day after all the flavors have married together for a quick meal. It’s also great to divide this hearty veggie stew into meal prep portions for a quick lunch during the week.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Go Gluten Free. If you avoid gluten, don’t skip the recipe just because of the flour! The potatoes also help to thicken the broth, so feel free to ditch the flour altogether; you’ll just have more of a soup than a stew.
- Grab a different potato. I love using Yukon golden potatoes in this traditional vegetable stew, but you could also use other white potatoes or try sweet potatoes.
- Stir in some leafy greens. Add a handful of spinach or kale a few minutes before serving. This is an easy way to include more nutritious ingredients and use up some leftover vegetables you may have in the fridge.
- Give it umami depth. Add a splash of soy sauce to the onion and mushroom mixture towards the end of cooking them. The sauce will soak into the mushrooms and give this vegetarian stew a meaty, umami taste.
- Add in more protein and fiber. Stir in a can of drained chickpeas or a handful of lentils for healthy additions that will also bulk up the stew for a recipe that will keep you full.
What to pair with your chunky vegetable stew
How to store & reheat homemade vegetable stew
Once your veggie stew has cooled down, transfer it to a container and store it in the fridge.
To reheat vegetable stew. add it to a pot and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through. You can also reheat individual bowls of stew in the microwave.
How long will vegetable stew last in the fridge?
Vegetable stew will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze veggie stew?
Yes! The vegetables may lose some of their texture, but it will still taste delicious and can freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Starting with a mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) and building on to that with hearty vegetables like potatoes, mushrooms, and tomatoes, all add substance to the stew.
Time! Like all stews, the more time you give it, the better the flavor. I recommend at least an hour or so for a full-flavored veggie stew. Using vegetable broth and fire-roasted tomatoes also adds big flavor.
The difference between a soup and a stew is the consistency of the base/broth. Soups tend to have a more “watery” consistency, while stews are more robust with less liquid and more chunky pieces of meat or veggies.
This easy vegetable stew loads up a pot with chunky vegetables in a robust and savory broth for a delicious family dinner. Ladle out a comforting bowl of stew with mushrooms, onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, and fire-roasted tomatoes, and pair it with crusty bread. Split the leftovers into individual servings for a quick lunch with a sandwich during the week.
More vegetarian soup recipes:
- Spinach Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Hearty Black Bean Chili
- Orzo Soup with Zucchini
- Lemon Vegetable Rice Soup
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Baked Feta Tomato Soup
- Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Red Curry Soup with Noodles
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
If you try this feel good Vegetable Stew recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Vegetable Stew
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 8-ounce packages baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 3 celery stalks sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 ½ pounds)
- Parsley chopped, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, add olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is golden brown and the mushrooms have released most of their moisture.
- Add the carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the carrots and celery start to soften. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add tomato paste, stirring with a wooden spoon to evenly incorporate. Cook for about 1 minute, then add flour, stirring to evenly coat the vegetables. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Add diced tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add potatoes and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the stew has thickened.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (if using) before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I was interested in making this stew but my family doesn’t like mushrooms, is there anything I should add instead, or just do the regular recipe without mushrooms?
You could try eggplant, tofu, or tempeh to get a similar texture. But you can absolutely make the recipe without mushrooms as well, if you’d like. Hope that helps!
This was delicious! I added nutritional yeast and some tamari which boosted the flavor. Also great with a little Parmesan stirred in after cooking.
Yum, your tweaks sound so good! Thanks, Yarrow!!
I made this for my mom bc she is sick. Added some spinach, chickpeas, small pasta, and oregano. I also used the tiny gold potatoes from Publix, they’re the size of a grape. Mom absolutely LOVED it and hopefully it helps her get better soon!
Aww, you are so sweet to do that for your mom! I’m so happy she loved the soup and I hope she’s feeling better soon!!
Can this be put in a crockpot?
Stews do really well in slow cookers, so I don’t see why not! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out.