I frequently develop an insane hankering for my vegan beef stew recipe. It’s so hearty and cozy with chunks of potatoes, carrots and aromatic herbs. But when I don’t want to work in a hot kitchen to make it, I go to this, my Instant Pot Vegan “Beef” Stew recipe. It’s just as delicious, needs very little hands-on time, and it’s loaded with healthy protein from soy curls.
Best vegan beef substitute for stew
I use soy curls in this recipe because they work so well as a meat substitute here, with just the right chew and texture. They are what I used when I first shared this recipe with you many years ago. But there are even more options out there for meat substitutes now and you can go with your favorite–plant protein chunks, plant-based steak tips and seitan are all great. You don’t have to change the recipe in any way–just proceed with your chosen meat substitute as you would with the soy curls! To make the stew without a meat substitute use portobello mushroom chunks.
Building flavor
Roast the soy curls or meat substitute. This may seem like one more step, but roasting the meat substitute, just as you would roast beef if you were making a beef stew, improves the texture of the meat substitute and also builds lots of flavor. Add lots of chunky vegetables and herbs.This gives this vegan Instant Pot beef stew great texture, and adding lots of garlic and an assortment of herbs gives it great flavor. Flavor is everything here, so you don’t want to skimp! If you have an armload of fresh garden herbs that you don’t know what to do with, this is the recipe that will take that problem off your hands. But you can also just use dried herbs–in fact they are preferred for the first stage of the recipe where you roast the soy curls. Add umami ingredients like soy sauce, tomato paste and red wine to add more depth and layers.
How to make vegan Instant Pot Beef Stew
Storage
Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for up to five days in an airtight container. Freeze: Freeze for up to four months in a freezer-safe container.
More hearty vegan stews
Recipe card
Meat substitute: Soy curls, vegan steak tips, vegan protein chunks, seitan and TVP are all good choices. Herbs: garlic, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried oregano and fresh parsley (for stirring in at the end of cooking). You can switch out the herbs to those you have on hand and the only caveat is to use herbs that are savory, not sweet. In other words, sage, marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary are all good. Stay away from basil and mint. If you have fresh herbs, use 1 ½ teaspoon of dried herbs to coat the meat substitute in step 1, then add 1-2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh herbs to the stew later. The more herbs you add, the more aromatic and delicious the stew will be. Flour. Flour acts as the thickener for the stew, and it also helps the meat substitute brown, developing flavor. You can use all-purpose flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour or rice flour. Vegetables: onions or leeks, carrots, potatoes, celery or green bell peppers and frozen green peas. Red wine (optional). This adds great flavor but you can leave it out. Soy sauce or liquid aminos (optional). I like adding this for umami but if you are keeping the recipe soy-free you can skip it or use a soy-free soy sauce instead. Tomato paste. This is another ingredient that adds umami and it also adds a rich color to the stew. Vegan butter. Vegan butter, added to the stew at the very end, adds a smooth, creamy flavor and also helps further thicken the stew. Vegetable stock or mushroom broth. You can use water instead, but stock or broth will add more flavor to the stew.
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For an even more nourishing meal serve the vegan Instant Pot beef stew over brown rice or quinoa. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with this delicious vegan rhubarb pie!
