Cozy up to a bowl of vegan Irish Stew. Loaded with vegetables and easy to make, this dish is perfect for dinner on chilly evenings. It’s a great dish for St. Patrick’s Day, too! This comfort food recipe is vegan with a gluten-free option.
Vegan Irish Stew
The weather is warming up and spring is almost here! I thought I’d sneak one last comfort food recipe in for the season though, especially since St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away. Vegan Irish Stew is a great dish with which to celebrate the holiday. You’re going to want a slice or two of toasted soda bread to soak up the broth that’s left in the bottom of the bowl when you’re done with the stew.
What is Irish Stew?
The term “Irish stew” refers to any kind of stew made with meat and root vegetables. There’s no real recipe, as the ingredients and method of preparation would vary from region to region. It’s usually made with mutton or lamb as the meat, along with potatoes, onions, and carrots. Sometimes turnips and pearl barley are added, too.
How to Make Vegan Irish Stew
This vegan Irish Stew recipe does require a lot of vegetable chopping, but after that, it comes together easily. You just need to throw everything in the pot and let it simmer until the vegetables are tender. Then serve and enjoy!
- First you cook the onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Then you add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the mushrooms release their liquid.
- Now you sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine everything.
- Next you add everything else except the parsley to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, you reduce the heat and allow the stew to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
- Finally, you remove the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with the parsley. Enjoy!
How to Customize Your Irish Stew
I’ve veganized Irish stew by using hearty mushrooms in the place of meat. Seitan or soy curls would be a great addition, too. In addition to potatoes, onions, and carrots, I’ve also used parsnips. Rutabaga or turnips would be terrific in this dish, if you don’t like parsnips.
Flour is used to thicken the stew, and any kind of flour will do. I like to use brown rice flour, but you can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or whatever you have on hand. (I wouldn’t recommend coconut or chickpea flours though, as they don't behave the same way other flours do it recipes.)
If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure you use gluten-free flour. Also make sure your stout is gluten-free, too.
Vegan Stout
When shopping for stout, make sure it's vegan. You can check Barnivore.com if you're not sure.
If you’re worried about the alcohol content in the stew because of the stout, you shouldn’t be. The alcohol cooks off as the stew simmers leaving behind a rich, umami flavor. If you’d rather not use stout, you can leave it out and use another cup of vegetables stock.
Vegan Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- teaspoon sea salt divided
- ¼ cup flour (Any kind of flour will work. I like to use brown rice flour.)
- 3 carrots chopped
- 2 parsnips chopped
- 1 pound red skinned potatoes diced
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup stout
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until it becomes fragrant and translucent.
- Add the garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and continue to cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine
- Add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to the pot along with the stock, stout, vegan Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme and, rosemary. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and allow the stew to simmer. Allow the stew to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender. Remove the bay leaves and then season with pepper and the remaining salt.
- Serve hot, garnished with parsley.
Originally posted March 14, 2018. Updated March 2, 2022
More Recipes for St. Patrick's Day Include:
- Stout, Seitan, and Cabbage Casserole
- Vegan Colcannon
- Whole Wheat Soda Bread
- Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Millet Mash Crust
More Stew Recipes Include:
Sarah
Tonight is my second time making this -- it is a new favorite in my home!
Dianne
I'm so happy to hear that!