22 Hearty and Warming Easy Vegetarian Stew Recipes
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Hearty vegetarian stews filled with colourful and nutrient-dense veggies are one of the greatest comfort foods, regardless of the season. If you’re craving wholesome and tasty options to try out, you’re at the right place.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret; I’m OBSESSED with stews. There’s just something about the varying textures and savoury flavours of the dish that gets me going and once you ditch the meat, the piquancy of the veggies gets to really shine through.
So, in a toast to my undying love for this meal, I decided to write a little poem. I put in a lot of effort into this so please, kind words only.
Roses are red, violets are blue, have I already said, I love a vegetarian stew?
Maybe I’m no Shakespeare, but I think got the point across.
Regardless the time of the year, whether its with broccoli or asparagus,
When it comes to a vegetarian stew, I’m always a big fan,
A nutritious meal that’s easy too, like those in our free 7-day high-protein meal plan,
So check that out but before you do;
Take a look at the 22 Vegetarian Stews I have for you
I know you’re totally mesmerised by my kick-ass poetry skills but stay with me here.
Ranging from options for an easy and satisfying lunch to a quick and filling midweek dinner the whole family can enjoy, these vegetarian stew recipes are as diverse as they come. So tasty one spoon will have you begging for more.
See for yourself!
Bonus: add a cornstarch slurry to thicken as you cook and serve with flatbread or brown rice
After something light and tasty for dinner? Try our high-protein coconut mushroom stew – did we mention it’s vegan too?
Bonus: a heart vegetable stew recipe you can try with your favourite type of rice
The sexiest vegan stew with red lentils you have ever eaten. A nutritional powerhouse, this recipe is here to kickstart your year – and your health.
Protein: 12 g
Calories: 384 kcal
Ready in: 40 minutes
Recipe by: TheFieryVegetarian
Bonus: use vegan butter as a substitute for the olive oil and dry red wine as the dry white wine alternative
The best vegan potato stew with chickpeas – a rich but light and tangy herbed wine broth with chunks of potatoes that melt in your mouth, chickpeas, carrots, onions, and lots of garlic, make it tonight!
Protein: 5 g
Calories: 130 kcal
Ready in: 31 minutes
Recipe by: CorrieCooks
Bonus: leftover stew keeps well in an airtight container for several days
An ultimate combo of meaty mushrooms, vegan Worcestershire sauce, some tomato paste, tender vegetables and flavorful gravy…
Protein: 37 g
Calories: 542 kcal
Ready in: 1 hour
Recipe by: VeganPunks
Bonus: you can use mushroom or veggie broth instead of vegan beef broth!
This vegan beef stew is made like a traditional British beef stew, just using plant-based ingredients. It delivers the same comforting, hearty bowl of comfort food with the same deep flavour. Perfect to serve up with dumplings or mashed potato on cold days!
Protein: 19 g
Calories: 390 kcal
Ready in: 30 minutes
Recipe by: BePlantWell
Bonus: add some vegetable stock or water if you’d like a more soupy texture
The best ever vegan chili recipe packed with flavor, quinoa, beans and corn. Easy to make and perfectly comforting and delicious.
Protein: 10.6 g
Calories: 324 kcal
Ready in: 35 minutes
Recipe by: TheLastFoodBlog
Bonus: a low-fat stew filled with fresh vegetables
Spiced butter bean stew with kale and sweet potato is a rich and warming vegan stew. Tasty, filling and nutritious, this is serious vegan comfort food.
Protein: 21 g
Calories: 535 kcal
Ready in: 1hr 10 minutes
Recipe by: TinAndThyme
Bonus: enjoy with some crusty bread.
A hearty Italian-inspired pumpkin stew with cavolo nero, borlotti beans and barley. It’s an easy one-pot plant-based meal which is perfect for colder autumn days and nights. Make it once and welcome a new staple to your table.
Protein: 15 g
Calories: 285 kcal
Ready in: 30 minutes
Recipe by: TheStingyVegan
Bonus: freezer-friendly meal and one of the best stews
This vegan stew features classic Mediterranean flavours and ingredients in a hearty plant-based dish that’s ready in just 30 minutes.
Protein: 17.2 g
Calories: 421 kcal
Ready in: 30 minutes
Recipe by: InstantPotEats
Bonus: serve the hot stew over rice, couscous or with some crusty bread.
This vegan and gluten-free friendly Instant Pot chickpea stew is a delicious main meal full of Moroccan-influenced spices and flavours. Serve it over rice, couscous or with some crusty bread.
Protein: 13 g
Calories: 343 kcal
Ready in: 56 minutes
Recipe by: VeggiesDon’tBite
Bonus: packs in loads of greens and hearty vegetables
Rich and creamy vegan lentil stew to warm you from the inside out. Full of healthy ingredients and anti-inflammatory benefits, to make a perfect cozy meal!
Protein: 24 g
Calories: 421 kcal
Ready in: 30 minutes
Recipe by: Krumpli
Bonus: serve with rice, noodles or a vegetable stir fry
This simple stew is a gloriously spicy sweet and sour recipe featuring Korean-influenced gochujang tofu cooked with kimchi.
Protein: 7 g
Calories: 143 kcal
Ready in: 30 minutes
Recipe by: HappyKitchen
Bonus: a great stew for the cold months
Vegan Cauliflower Stew with Broccoli, Chick Peas and Kale: Gluten-free, healthy, plant-based, easy and aromatic stew ready in just 30 minutes!
Protein: 71 g
Calories: 467 kcal
Ready in: 30 minutes
Recipe by: TheFieryVegetarian
Bonus: a hearty vegetable stew recipe
Rich savoury vegan Irish stew with chunks of seitan, potatoes, carrots and onion in a savoury brown gravy-like broth with plenty of body from Guinness.
Protein: 6 g
Calories: 257 kcal
Ready in: 50 minutes
Recipe by: Cooktoria
Bonus: add spinach or kale to bulk up this stew
This Healthy Vegan Stew is loaded with veggies and flavor, with just a hint of heat. You’ll love its simple ingredients, easy prep, and delicious taste.
Protein: 6 g
Calories: 306 kcal
Ready in: 40 minutes
Recipe by: TheRealMealDeal
Bonus: adding thyme and chives is a great way to spice up the dumplings
A delicious tomato based winter vegetable stew.
Protein: 10 g
Calories: 122 kcal
Ready in: 50 minutes
Recipe by: Spabettie
Bonus: a hearty vegetarian stew recipe that keeps well for several days
A comfort food dish with flavors that closely match those in a classic meat stew recipe – a warm, hearty and satisfying meal.
Protein: 11 g
Calories: 333 kcal
Ready in: 40 minutes
Recipe by: JackSlobodian
Bonus: serve this hearty stew as a dip for fresh bread
This vegan Hungarian goulash uses delicious traditional flavours while being a quicker and healthier version than the conventional goulash! Made in under an hour and packed with nutritious vitamins and minerals.
Protein: 34 g
Calories: 492 kcal
Ready in: 1 hour
Recipe by: VeganBlueberry
Bonus: make this veggie-packed stew as thick or soupy as you wish
Hearty and delicious, this vegan sausage stew with white beans is a favorite on a cold winter day! You can chop the veggies in advance to save time and make this a true easy weeknight dinner.
Protein: 13 g
Calories: 379 kcal
Ready in: 50 minutes
Recipe by: MasalaHerb
Bonus: loaded with fiber and hearty vegetables
My flavor-packed bowl of comforting homemade vegetable goodness; this vegan Lebanese moussaka stew, is one you can prepare for easy dinners during busy days at home.
Protein: 20 g
Calories: 553 kcal
Ready in: 1 hour
Recipe by: SomebodyFeedSeb
Bonus: serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yoghurt
Our winter favourite – so wholesome, comforting and warming! This Kidney Bean Stew with Dumplings is inexpensive to make, but the result is scrumptious. It also freezes well, so you can double or even triple the stew and only make dumplings at a later date.
Bonus: a great weight loss veggie stew
After a high protein, high fibre, low-calorie vegetarian dinner? Our Mexican bean stew is just the ticket!
Casseroles are comfort foods at their finest and this one is not just healthy and nourishing, bit’s also incredibly tasty too. Try it now!
- If using rice, cook according to packet instructions.
2 cups brown rice, cooked
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic cloves, red onion and jalapeño. Cook at medium heat until the veggies have reduced and begun to brown.
2 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 clove garlic, ½ red onion, 1 jalapeño
- Add cumin, paprika, oregano and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, until the aroma is released from the spices.
1 tsp cumin, ground, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, dried, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Then add the black beans, chickpeas, corn, crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, salt and sugar. Cook over medium low heat, stirring to avoid sticking in the bottom of the pan, for about 10 minutes, or until the stew has a nice, saucy, thick consistency.
1 can black beans, 1 can chickpeas, 1 small can corn, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar
- Taste stew and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve the bean stew, topped with cilantro, with a side of brown rice.
¼ cup cilantro/coriander, fresh
Nutrition Facts
22 Hearty and Warming Easy Vegetarian Stew Recipes
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
FAQs for Vegetarian Stews
I’ve covered some of the most commonly asked questions about vegetarian stews, but if there’s anything else you’d like to know, just drop them in the comments!
What veg is good for stew?
The tastiest and healthiest vegetables make the heartiest meals and are the best vegetables for stews. Some of them include:
- Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and beetroot
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower
- Bulbs like garlic and ginger
- Leafy greens like spinach and kale
- Legumes like peanuts, snow peas and kidney beans
- Fruit “vegetables” like tomatoes and all sorts of peppers
Although each recipe above calls for some pretty solid choices, you can always add any of the aforementioned veggies to make your stew all the more wholesome.
How do you add flavour to vegetable stew?
Including spices like garlic, peppers and onions and using fragrant oils like peanut and olive oil adds flavour to vegetable stews. Herbs like cumin and coriander can also add taste to your stew.
What is the secret to good stew?
The secret to making a good stew lies in combining fresh veggies that complement each other well with carefully measured spices and then tossing them all together in the perfect vegetable broth for a decent amount of time. Your vegetables should maintain their crunch, and the texture of your stew should be uniform as well.
Is vegetarian stew healthy?
Packed with vitamin-rich and nutrient-dense veggies, a vegetarian stew is an incredibly healthy meal.
It doesn’t matter what the main ingredient is either.
As long as you include a range of veggies, you’ll be getting the health benefits of legumes, antioxidizing yourself like the nutritional profile of tomatoes suggests, nourishing your body with the medical advantages of beans and loads more.
Vegetarian stews will always have a place in my heart as some of the greatest comfort foods of all time, and these easy recipes are absolute must-trys.
So look through the list to find what seems the most tantalizing to you and give it a go. Don’t forget to tell us how it went in the comments and follow our blog for more!
