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This Vegetable Stew is the perfect recipe to make when the weather starts to cool down. It's jam-packed with veggies, and tastes like my mom's classic beef stew– only without the meat!

How Do You Make Vegetable Stew from Scratch?

The key to a good vegetable stew is using lots of fresh vegetables, so the hardest part of this recipe is simply chopping up all of the veggies before you get started.

Once the vegetables are chopped, you'll sauté the aromatic veggies, like onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms, until they are soft. Then, add in the rest of the veggies and herbs, and sprinkle in a little bit of flour. (I use a gluten-free blend to keep this soup gluten-free, but any type of flour should work.)

How to Thicken Vegan Stew

Adding flour is traditional in stew recipes, as it helps to thicken the broth.

If you'd rather keep this soup grain-free, try using an immersion blender at the end of the cooking cycle, to puree the soup slightly instead. That should offer a similar thickened result, but be careful not to over-blend! A good stew should definitely have lots of texture.

spoon in a bowl of vegetable stew

What are the Best Vegetables to Put in Soup?

Soups are a great way to clean out the veggies from your fridge, so you can add in practically anything you have on hand.

Here's what I suggest using:

  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Mushrooms
  • Garlic
  • Potatoes (Yukon gold or sweet potatoes)
  • Canned jackfruit (optional, but adds a meat-like texture)
  • Plenty of seasonings

If you're not a huge fan of mushrooms (like me) try chopping them very small, so that their texture won't be as noticeable. They really blend into this veggie stew, and add extra antioxidants to each bite.

chopped vegetables on board and in pot

Is Vegetable Stew Good for You?

Vegetable stew is a comforting way to eat an entire bowl of vegetables, so you'll be flooding your body with vitamins and minerals with each bite.

Here's what I love about the ingredients:

  • Mushrooms. Mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants, which may help protect your brain as you age. (Researchers at Penn State recommend eating 5 button mushrooms each day.) Mushrooms are also rich in B vitamins, which help the body produce red blood cells, and carry oxygen throughout the body.
  • Onion. Onions are also high in antioxidants, including quercetin. In one study, quercetin-rich onion skin extract was shown to significantly reduce systolic blood pressure. Regularly eating onions may also promote heart health by reducing high triglyceride levels and lowering inflammation.
  • Jackfruit. Jackfruit is rich in antioxidants, and and is a good source of fiber. Jackfruit may help to balance blood sugar levels, possibly because of the flavanoids it contains. It's also high in vitamin C and carotenoids, which may help to lower inflammation.
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes. Did you know one medium Yukon gold potato meets almost half of your daily Vitamin C needs? (According to the USDA database.) This variety of potato is also a good source of potassium, which may help to lower blood pressure.
  • Garlic. In one large study, garlic supplementation was shown to reduce the number of colds by 63% compared to a placebo. (The length of cold symptoms was also reduced by 70% in this study!)

If you have more vegetables to use up, I think bell peppers, zucchini, and even winter squash would be delicious in this soup. And if you don't like something, feel free to leave it out!

vegetable stew on ladle

Best Vegetable Stew (Vegan!)

This Vegetable Stew is a comforting way to eat more veggies and clean out your fridge! It has a meat-like texture, thanks to jackfruit, and tastes like a vegetarian version of my mom's classic beef stew.

Course Soup

Cuisine vegan

Keyword vegan stew, vegetable stew

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 196 kcal

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion , chopped (1.5 cups)
  • 5 carrots , chopped (2 cups)
  • 3 celery ribs , chopped (1 cup)
  • 8 ounces mushrooms , chopped (3 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (see notes)
  • 8 ounces Yukon gold or red potatoes , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 (14 oz.) can green jackfruit , drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms until they start to soften, about 8 minutes.

    satueeing veggies in a pan

  • Add in the garlic, thyme, and tomato paste, and stir for 1 minute. Add in the flour, and stir to coat the vegetables.

    flour added to vegetables in pot

  • Add in the potatoes and water, and bring the liquid to a boil. While you wait for the water to boil, shred the jackfruit with your fingers, to create a shredded meat texture. Rinse again, to make sure you remove as much brine as possible, then add it to the pot, along with the salt and tamari. Add the balsamic vinegar if you want more of a "wine" flavor, or leave it out. (You can also add this at the end, if you'd rather taste it without the vinegar, first.)

    jackfruit added to stew

  • Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and cover. Simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the frozen peas, which will thaw quickly.

    peas added to stew

  • Adjust the seasonings to taste, adding salt and pepper as needed, then serve warm. Leftover stew can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

    ladle lifting up a serving of vegetable stew

Nutrition is for 1 of 4 servings. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

This soup is very adaptable, so feel free to use what you have on hand!

I tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour and King Arthur's cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend, and both worked well. I imagine it will work with any type of flour (gluten-free or not) so please let me know what you try in the comments below!

Calories: 196 kcal | Carbohydrates: 35 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 4 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Sodium: 1837 mg | Potassium: 941 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 13212 IU | Vitamin C: 37 mg | Calcium: 71 mg | Iron: 3 mg

More Vegan Soup Recipes

Need some more cold weather soup ideas? Here are some of my favorites!

  • Creamy Red Lentil Soup
  • Ultimate Detox Soup
  • Easy Butternut Squash Soup
  • Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
  • Miso Soup
  • Tomato Pumpkin Soup
  • Creamy Arugula Soup

If you try this vegetable stew recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I'd love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

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Reader Feedback: What's your favorite cold-weather comfort food?