Vegan Beef Stew

Beef Stew – just like my mama made! Well, almost – this version is vegan.

Perhaps it’s the winter weather – snow and ice is sooo unusual for Charlotte, NC! – but lately my partner and I have been cooking and eating a lot of comfort foods. Rajma and curried red lentils over rice have been finding their way into our bowls with increasing regularity over the past few weeks. And I find myself more and more veganizing my mama’s old recipes – like this vegan Beef Stew.

For this stew I used a bag of Gardein Homestyle Beefless Tips – because that’s what I had on hand. You could also use a package of seitan or a cup of Nutrella (large chunk TVP that’s about the size of small meatballs). If you use large TVP nuggets, of course you’ll skip the browning step, soak the nuggets in hot water first, and add them to the pot when you add your potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Bag Gardein Home Style Beefless Tips
1 Large Onion, sliced as thin as possible
3 Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
2 Stalks Celery, sliced
4 Carrots, sliced into coins (or an equivalent amount of baby carrots)
4 Red Potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks (You could also use other potatoes)
1 Cup Frozen Green Peas
2 Teaspoons dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons dried Rosemary
1 Bay Leaf
3 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 Cup Dry Red Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the beef until warmed through and browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan, if needed, and saute the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and rosemary and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Add the vegetable broth, wine, black pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add the green peas and the browned “beef.” Cook another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender and the onions have more or less “disintegrated” into the gravy. Usually this makes a thick enough broth, but if you feel yours is a little “runny” add a tiny bit of cornstarch.

Add salt if needed. Taste first; some brands of vegetable broth can be quite salty!

Ladle into bowls, serve, and enjoy!