Chunks of jackfruit, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and potatoes are cooked in a tangy sauce until perfectly tender. You definitely won't miss the meat in this thick and hearty vegan beef stew!
If it is cold or snowy where you live, then you need this vegan beef stew in your life! I live in Florida, so we only get a few weeks of "really cold" weather, but this is always the first meal I make during one of those rare cold snaps. It's cozy, comforting, and satisfying.
This thick and hearty stew is loaded with chunky mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, onions, and jackfruit that have been simmered until tender in mushroom broth and red wine. Who wouldn't love vegetables swimming in thick and flavorful gravy? It's downright DELICIOUS!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This delicious vegan stew is made with a combination of fresh vegetables and pantry staples. Let's go over some of the most important ingredients and substitutions if you need them.
- Low-Sodium Tamari - I used tamari because it adds a lot of flavor and color to the broth. I didn't add any additional salt, but you can always add more to taste. You can substitute soy sauce, but use tamari if you're gluten-free. Coconut aminos can also be substituted in a pinch, but it's a tad sweeter than tamari or soy sauce.
- Vegan Worcestershire - This ingredient also adds a lot of flavor and color to the broth. Make sure that you use a vegan version.
- Canned Young Green Jackfruit - Jackfruit is the best replacement for beef in this vegan stew. If you'd rather not use jackfruit you can substitute seitan, soy curls, beans, or Beyond beef chunks.
- Red Wine - Wine adds loads of flavor to the broth! Use a red wine that you like to drink. However, it's ok if you don't want to use wine, you can substitute 2 additional cups of mushroom broth or water for the wine.
- Mushroom Broth - I usually use vegetable broth to make soup, but mushroom broth is so flavorful and it's darker in color than regular vegetable broth. It really helps the color of stew to look like traditional beef stew. You can substitute vegetable broth for the mushroom broth if you can't find it, but the color of the stew might be a little lighter in color.
- Tapioca Flour - Also known as tapioca starch, this is what makes the stew thick and rich. Tapioca flour comes from the cassava root and it's naturally gluten-free. You can substitute arrowroot powder 1:1 if you need to.
Instructions
In a large dutch oven or soup pot, saute the diced onions until they start to soften. Then add the minced garlic, tamari, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, and dried seasonings. Stir and let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes to let the flavors meld (Photo 1).
Next, add the vegetables, jackfruit, broth, red wine, maple syrup, and a bay leaf to the pot (Photo 2). Bring it to a simmer, cover it, reduce the heat, and let it cook for 45 minutes.
Use a ladle to remove some of the broth and transfer it to a bowl. Whisk together the tapioca flour and the broth until you don't see any more lumps (Photo 3). Pour the slurry back into the pot. Stir it in and let it cook for 15 more minutes until the broth has thickened (Photo 4). Garnish with parsley before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Peeling the carrots and potatoes is optional. I don't always peel the vegetables because I like the texture and the skins are just extra fiber. You could also use whole baby carrots to reduce the prep time.
- You can dice the vegetables bite-sized or you can cut them into large, chunky pieces. If you leave the vegetables large, it might take a little bit longer to cook.
- Rinse and drain the brine off the canned jackfruit before adding it to the stew.
- Don't sprinkle the tapioca flour directly into the pot. It will clump up and be hard to incorporate it evenly into the rest of the stew. It's best to mix it in a separate bowl and then pour the mixture back into the pot.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this vegan beef stew with a couple of toasted slices of crusty no-knead bread for soaking up all the gravy. Roasted lemon turmeric cauliflower or arugula avocado tomato salad would make a delicious side dish to serve with the stew.
How to Store It
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe airtight container for 2-3 months. When you're ready to eat it, take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can transfer it to a bowl and reheat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or warm it in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it's hot.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Jackfruit is my favorite vegan substitute for beef. It tastes delicious, it looks like a chunky piece of beef, and it shreds perfectly! If you don't have jackfruit, you could use beans or Beyond Beef.
You need to use canned young green jackfruit to make this vegan beef stew recipe. Fresh jackfruit is sweet and shouldn't be used as a meat replacement in this recipe.
The canned jackfruit will cook in the pot with the rest of the vegetables and it will become very tender. It's not necessary to trim the cores or remove the seeds. Just drain it well and add it to the pot.
Using red wine definitely adds more flavor to the broth, but you can omit it if necessary. Use extra mushroom broth or water instead of the wine.
Yes, you can make vegan beef stew without cornstarch. Tapioca flour or tapioca starch is the perfect replacement for cornstarch. It thickens the broth, it has a neutral flavor, and it gives the broth a beautiful glossy texture.
It's best to combine the tapioca flour with some of the broth in a separate bowl so you can whisk it thoroughly and get rid of the clumps. If you sprinkle the tapioca directly into the pot it will be difficult to evenly distribute the tapioca and it may stick together in small, gel-like clumps.
Yes, you can make this vegan stew in the slow cooker. Put all of the ingredients except for the tapioca flour and fresh parsley into a large slow cooker. Set it on High and cook for 3 ½ hours. Follow the recipe card instructions to make the tapioca slurry. Replace the lid and let it cook for 30 additional minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.
Want More Jackfruit Recipes?
Vegan Beef Stew
Equipment
- 6-Quart Dutch Oven
- Small Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water (to saute)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 6 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp low-sodium tamari
- 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms quartered
- 4 large carrots sliced
- 4 medium russet potatoes chopped
- (2) 14 oz cans jackfruit rinsed and drained
- 2 cups red wine
- 4 cups mushroom broth
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat, saute diced onions in ½ cup of vegetable broth or water for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, tamari, worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasonings, and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, jackfruit, wine, broth, maple syrup, and bay leaf to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a simmer. Cover with the lid and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 45 minutes.
- Use a ladle to remove 1 cup of the broth and put it in a small bowl. Add the tapioca flour to the bowl and whisk it until smooth and you don't see any white clumps. Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir to mix it in.
- Let it cook uncovered for 15 minutes while the stew continues to thicken, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Notes
- Peeling the carrots and potatoes is optional. I don't always peel the vegetables because I like the texture and the skins are just extra fiber. You could also use whole baby carrots to reduce the prep time.
- You can dice the vegetables bite-sized or you can cut them into large, chunky pieces. If you leave the vegetables large, it might take a little bit longer to cook.
- Rinse and drain the brine off the canned jackfruit before adding it to the stew.
- Don't sprinkle the tapioca flour directly into the pot. It will clump up and be hard to incorporate it evenly into the rest of the stew. It's best to mix it in a separate bowl and then pour the mixture back into the pot.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or you can freeze it for 2-3 months.
I have made this several times. It is sensational! I generally leave out the jackfruit, we don't particularly care for it and it certainly is not missed in this extremely flavorful recipe. Thanks
Thank you, JD!