Warm up with a bowl of hearty Vegan Irish Stew! This delicious Vegetarian Stew is easy to make and loaded with veggies and tons of flavor ... perfect for St. Patrick's Day or any day you're craving comfort food!
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There's nothing I love more than a hot, tasty stew on a chilly day, and this Vegan Irish Stew is my new favorite!
Irish Stew is traditionally made with lamb or mutton, so it's definitely not vegetarian / vegan friendly! For this updated version, I've kept the potatoes, replaced the meat with a delicious array of veggies, and added Guinness for a little extra Irish flavor.
The result is a scrumptious Vegetable Stew that's a meatless nod to the traditional recipe, but so much better. Even my husband (who is a meat eater) couldn't get enough of it!
Each bite is packed with chunky vegetables, and the rich, flavor-packed broth will have you licking your lips! It's stick to your ribs comfort food that's actually kinda healthy.
Ready to try this easy recipe for yourself? Keep reading for all the details!
Ingredients
This recipe uses basic ingredients you can find in any store. Here's what you'll need:
- Potatoes - I recommend using small yukon gold or red potatoes for this recipe, both of which will hold their shape well during simmering, especially with the skins left on. Feel free to use one or the other, or both, like I did.
- Mushrooms - Tender mushrooms are a great replacement for the meat found in the traditional recipe. They're super hearty and add a great flavor to the soup.
- Other Veggies - You'll also use an onion, celery, carrots, and parsnips. Feel free to substitute other stew-friendly veggies, too.
- Guinness - The famous Guinness Stout adds a really deep, flavorful taste to the stew's broth while giving the recipe plenty of Irish flair! Feel free to substitute another stout beer (check Barnivore to see if it's vegan-friendly), just make sure to use one that isn't super bitter. You can also leave it out and just use more broth, if you'd prefer.
- Vegetable Broth - I make my own broth using Better Than Bouillon (perfect for making sure you always have broth on hand).
- Tomato Paste + Soy Sauce - A little tomato paste and soy sauce give a great umami flavor that tastes super rich and hearty.
- Garlic + Herbs - You'll use a combo of fresh garlic, dried bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme, and fresh parsley.
- Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper
You'll Also Need
To make this soup, you'll also need a large pot with a lid. I used my fave nonstick dutch oven, which worked perfectly. A Le Creuset dutch oven would also be a great option.
How to Make Vegan Irish Stew
This cozy stew recipe is super easy to make! I'm sharing a quick overview of the steps below, but you'll find a detailed recipe at the end of this article:
- Sauté the onions, celery, and carrot. Cook these veggies just until the onion becomes translucent, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high, then sauté the mushrooms. You want to cook them until they're tender, and any liquid they've released has evaporated. The other veggies should be starting to brown at this point. When the mushrooms are done, mix in the garlic and cook it just until it becomes fragrant.
- Add the Guinness. Stir in the beer, then continue cooking until it's reduced by about half. If you aren't using a nonstick pot, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, too. The liquid with help release anything that's stuck on the bottom.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients. When the beer is reduced, stir in the potatoes, parsnips, broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, and dried herbs.
- Cook the stew. Stir everything together really well, then bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover the pot (leave a small crack) and continue cooking until the potatoes and other veggies are tender.
- Stir in the fresh parsley. Add the parsley and season generously to taste. Enjoy!
And that's all there is to it ... this Vegan Irish Stew is so simple to make and so delicious!
Tip: I did not use anything to thicken this stew. The starch from the potatoes naturally thickens the broth and the onions kind of melt into it. If you'd prefer a thicker stew, you can add a cornstarch slurry once everything is done cooking.
Veggie Tips
Before you start cooking, make sure to prep all the ingredients. Since this is a stew, you'll want to cut everything into large chunks. Here's what I'd recommend:
- Chop the onion.
- Slice the celery about 1-inch thick, and cut the carrots and parsnips into 1-inch pieces.
- Halve or quarter the mushrooms, depending on their size. The pieces should be pretty chunky. If your mushrooms are on the small size, you could even leave them whole.
- Cut the potatoes into large chunks. If you're using small potatoes like me (about 1 ½ to 2-inches in diameter), you can simply cut them in half. For larger potatoes, just chop them into large pieces. I'd also recommend leaving the skins on, which will help the potatoes keep their shape as they simmer.
Variations
Once you've mastered the basic Vegan Irish Stew recipe, here are some easy substitutions you can try:
- Different Veggies - Pretty much any vegetable that you'd use in stew (especially other root veggies) will work here. Add quicker cooking veggies near the end of the cooking time and longer cooking veggies with the potatoes.
- No Beer - Not a beer drinker? If you'd prefer to make this recipe with no beer, just skip the Guinness and use more vegetable broth instead.
- Fresh Herbs - Feel free to substitute fresh thyme and rosemary for the dried herbs.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty Irish Vegetarian Stew makes a great great one dish meal ... just add some bread (such as a crusty artisan loaf, Beer Bread, soda bread, or even Garlic Bread), and you have a feast. A simple salad, like this Chopped Salad, would also make a great pairing.
Looking for more vegetarian Irish recipes to pair with it? Try serving it with my Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie, St. Patrick's Day Mini Cakes, Shamrock Cookies, Iced Irish Coffee, Classic Irish Coffee, or Green Beer.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for three to four days. Warm gently on your stove or in your microwave. I don't recommend freezing this Veggie Stew, because potatoes tend to get mealy when frozen.
Related Recipes
If you loved this recipe, make sure to try my Classic Veggie Stew and this Vegetable Stew with Dumplings, too! And you'll love these hearty soups, too:
- 15 Bean Soup
- Kitchen Sink Soup
- Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Creamy Potato Soup
- Broccoli Stalk Soup
- Barley Vegetable Soup
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, Guinness is vegan-friendly. There are no animal products used to make it.
You can make this hearty stew with another type of stout, if you'd prefer. Or you can leave out the beer altogether, and use vegetable broth instead.
While beer is used to make it, the alcohol in the beer cooks out as the stew simmers, leaving behind only its great flavor.
Vegan Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery, sliced 1-inch thick (about 1 cup)
- 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks (about 1 cup)
- 1 pound large mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup Guinness beer, or other stout beer (see note)
- 2 pounds small yellow or red potatoes, halved (about 5 cups)
- 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks (about 2 cups)
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- kosher salt
- pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a dutch oven (or other large pot) over medium heat.
- Add onions, celery, and carrot to pot. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then cook until onion is translucent, stirring frequently (about 5 to 7 minutes).
- Increase heat to medium-high, then add mushrooms to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, any liquid they release has evaporated, and veggies are starting to brown (about 7 to 10 minutes).
- Mix in garlic, then cook until fragrant, stirring constantly (about 30 seconds).
- Add Guinness, then stir well, scraping up anything that's stuck to the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until beer is reduced by about half (3 to 5 minutes).
- Mix in potatoes, parsnips, broth, tomato paste, soy sauce, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then cover pot, leaving a small crack. Reduce heat to a simmer, then cook for about 20 to 25 minute or until the veggies are tender.
- Stir in parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve stew hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
