Rich, flavorful Vegan Beef Stew cooks up in a flash in the Instant Pot, and it's even quick and easy on the stovetop.
This special request recipe has been on my to do list for months, and I'm so happy to finally be getting to it! I made this Vegan Beef Stew early in the winter, and several people asked for the recipe. I'm sorry that it took me this long to write things down for you!
My family is having a real stew renaissance right now. My son - who hates most soups and stews - devoured my Vegan Chicken Stew at every stage of testing, and I'm happy to be adding another healthy vegan stew to our repertoire!
How to Make Vegan Beef Stew
You can make this beefless stew in your Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker), and I'm including stovetop instructions, too, for folks who aren't as gadget-obsessed as I am.
What I like about making Vegan Beef Stew in the Instant Pot is that I don't have to be there for most of the cooking process. You just do a quick sauté, right in the pot, then add everything else. Set it, and walk away.
Vegan Beef Stew, ready to cook!
Vegan Beef Stew, ready to serve!
Supper will be ready before you know it!
Want to know more about the Instant Pot? Check out this post, which answers common question and includes some of my family's other favorite Instant Pot recipes.
If you're making this on the stove, it's almost as easy. You'll just need to keep an eye on your pot and stir occasionally. Easy peasy.
About the Vegan Beef
This recipe is pretty straightforward, ingredients-wise, but we do need to talk about the vegan beef situation. My preferred beef substitute is Gardein Beefless Tips (not a sponsor, but get at me, Gardein!). They're easy to find, and I think the texture and flavor are great.
If you can't find the Beefless Tips (or don't want to use them), you can use beef-style seitan or any vegan beef that comes in chunks (rather than slices or grounds).
If you super don't want to use meat substitutes, I'd recommend making this recipe with a drained can of kidney beans or 2 cups of portobello mushrooms (cut into 1" pieces). I wouldn't call it Vegan Beef Stew at that point, but I would still call it hearty and delicious!
The other key to this recipe's beefy vibe is choosing a good vegan beef broth. I love using the Not-Beef Bouillon Cubes from Edward & Sons (also not a sponsor, but hit me up, y'all!). For this option, you use 1 cube per cup of water. I tend to round up, so if I am using 2 1/2 cups of water, I use 3 broth cubes.
Better than Bouillon (nope, not a sponsor) also makes a great beefless bouillon option, which comes as a paste, rather than cubes. Just use 1 teaspoon of their paste per cup of water.
Got your vegan beefy situation sorted? Let's make some stew, y'all!
Vegan Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - optional - you can water-fry, if you prefer
- 1 9 ounce package Gardein Beefless Tips - still frozen is fine - or use 9 ounces of your favorite vegan beef substitute
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 2 cups sliced carrots - think 1/2" rounds
- 2 large red potatoes - cut into 1" cubes
- 1 1/2 cups water - Use 3 cups water for the stovetop.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Not-Beef Bouillon Cubes - Use 3 cubes for the stovetop.
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
Instructions
Instant Pot (or Other Pressure Cooker) Directions
- Set your Instant Pot to saute, and add the olive oil, Beefless Tips, and onion. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the onions soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, and lock the lid. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a 10 minute natural release.
Stovetop Directions
- In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the Beefless Tips and onion. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the onions soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can add up to 1/2 cup of extra water, as needed.
Jeannette
So....I did a thing, it wasn't intentional, yet turned out to be very good in the end !
Due to lack of stock on the shelves, I couldn't find any of the bullion cubes or better than bullion ( I too am a huge fan of both)
With my heart set on trying this recipe I grabbed Lipton Beefy Onion Soup (Accidentally Vegan per "Is It Vegan" app ) so I took a shot at it and made my broth out of it instead.
I did throw about a tablespoon of flour in the bag of Gardein tips so that when I sauted them them I would get a roux.
I made the soup mix @ 3 cups strength since a packet makes 4 cups, and here's the unintentional thing I did-misreading the stovetop measurements for the instant pot measurements, I added the 3 cups of the soup to my instant pot! In the end I ended up with more of a hearty beef soup !
Salt , Pepper and Nooch at serving and I was a happy girl! (I LOVE soups ,so this was actually not a fail, imo ) Ate two bowls! Wish I could share pictures! Thanks for the awesome and obviously very versatile recipe!
Becky Striepe
Oh, that sounds lovely! And thank you for the tip about the Lipton Beefy Onion Soup. I have been wondering about subs, since stores haven't been well-stocked around here lately.
Kayla Sweeten
I loved this!! So easy too! I’m new to instant pots and some recipes get too complicated but this was perfect. Saving this one for sure
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Kayla! And thank you for taking the time to rate and review - it means a lot to me whenever people do that!