Author: Vegan Irish Stew! Perfect for St. Patrick's Day. Hearty vegetables in a rich, earthy, thick stout beer broth. It's a stick to your ribs kinda stew! This Vegan Irish Stew is just so many good things in a bowl it will make your stomach smile. So dang hearty, I'm pretty much obsessed with the mixture of chunky vegetables in the rich stout based broth. Eeeerrrrrrrrk! ~Record scratch~ I'm sorry, did I say stout, as in beer? Yes, yes I did.
Irish stew is traditionally a lamb stew made with Guinness stout beer. Obviously, lamb isn't vegan, but now Guinness is vegan!! Believe it or not, the people at Guinness announced they changed their 250+ year recipe to make it vegan! Is that a sign of the times or what!?
Back to the broth: The stout beer in this recipe gives the broth rich, thick, and deep earthy tones. The alcohol gets cooked out, and the end result tastes wonderful. Seriously, good things are happening in my kitchen today.
If you don't like Guinness, you can use the handy-dandy Vegaholic app or check out Barnivore online to find a vegan-friendly stout you love.
This Vegan Irish Stew is the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's day, or really any day that you want a warm rich stew. Serve it with a crusty loaf of bread or a soda bread for cleaning up every last bit of broth and you have yourself one mighty fine meal! It's a good thing. 😉
To Make Vegan Irish Stew:
Gather up all your hearty veggie goodness. Omnomnom.
Chop up all the veggies into chunky pieces because this stew is all about rustic chunks of veggie deliciousness... and beer... but we'll get to that shortly.
Sauté the celery, onion, and garlic in the olive oil, until the onion becomes translucent and just begin to brown. Now sprinkle in the flour. Stir well to coat the veggies, and cook for another minute to heat up the flour. Add the vegetable broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan with your spoon to get any bits off the bottom.
Add in all of the remaining veggies, tomato paste, spices, and the beer! (See, I told you we would get to that part). It will probably foam and do beer-like things, but that's ok, the bubbles and alcohol will cook right out.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until the veggies are fork-tender, but not mushy. The stew will be very thick. If you prefer a thinner stew, feel free to thin it out to taste with 1 to 2 more cups of vegetable broth.
Common Questions:
Is Guinness vegan friendly?
Yes, Guinness is 100% vegan!! No animal products have been used in its brewing or filtering, or as ingredients since 2018.
What should I serve with stew?
Be sure to make sure the ingredients are vegan but a nice crusty loaf, soda bread, or dinner roll is the perfect companion to a hearty stew.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Irish Stew
Servings: (makes about 1.5L)
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 - 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (473ml) vegan stout beer
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks (optional)
- 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
- 2 ½ cups baby potatoes, halved (or about 2 regular potatoes and cut into chunks)
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Please note that some people find this recipe bitter. I love the bitter taste, but if you do not like bitter flavors here are my tips: try using less tomato paste to start, adding more later to taste if desired. Make sure you use a beer you like the flavor of, if you don't like it before it goes in the soup, you won't like it in the soup. You can start with less beer to taste or replace the beer completely with a vegan beefless broth. If you find the finished soup too bitter try adding fat such as 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, or vegan butter and some sweetness such as 1 - 2 tablespoons brown or white sugar, agave, or maple syrup.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and when hot add in the celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and just begins to brown about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour. Stir well to coat the veggies, and cook for another minute to heat up the flour. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth, and scrape the bottom of the pan with your spoon to get any bits off the bottom. Add in the beer, all of the remaining veggies, tomato paste, and spices. The beer will foam up, but that’s ok, the bubbles and alcohol will cook right out.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until the veggies are fork-tender, but not mushy. The stew will be very thick! If you prefer a thinner stew, feel free to thin it out to taste with 1 to 2 more cups of vegetable broth. Remove bay leaves before serving, and enjoy hot. Allow leftovers to cool and store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Meighan says
This was absolutely delicious! I thought that the tomato paste was going to be overpowering, but it turned out perfectly. My husband, (sometimes) picky toddler and I loved it with fresh bread to mop up the sauce! Can't wait to try out some of your other recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Meighan 🙂
Cin says
Our appartement smells SOOOO good. I bet the neighbors are saliving just walking pass our door Thanks for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahahaha! Love it! You're most welcome, Cin 🙂
Angela says
Sam, once again you have out done yourself. This is an amazing dish!!!! My whole family (even the teens) love, love, love this stew. I'm sure it will be a "Old standby" from now on. Oh and btw the smell throughout the house as it cooks is also amazing.
Thanks again for sharing your magic,
Angela
Sam Turnbull says
Aww shucks, you're most welcome, Angela. It's my pleasure 🙂
Kayli says
I am so excited to make this stew! However, I am concerned with amount of stout your recipe calls for. It looks like 1 can (473ml) of stout but that it could also be 1,473ml can, as in a whole 6 pack, of stout. Help please!:) I'm sure its the first but that comma is confusing me haha!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Oh no, it's only 1 can (473ml) of stout! Enjoy 🙂
Eve says
Thank you, I thought the same thing. Can't wait to try tonight.
Sue says
I see why Eve was confused. The recipe reads: 1, 473 ml can vegan stout beer. It shows a comma after the 1 making it look like 1,000 instead of 1 (437ml or 16oz.) can.
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, you're right, Sue! There is a space in there, but it isn't very clear. I've rearranged it now so it should be crystal clear 🙂
Christine says
Could you put this in a crockpot? If so, how long would you suggest and on what temperature.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Christine, I'm sure you could, but I don't have a crockpot and I've never cooked with one so it's not my expertise I'm afraid!
Alyssa says
Is there a way I could substitute something for tomato paste? I have a slight allergy to tomatoes. It's a little hard finding recipes that are vegan without tomato products.
Sam Turnbull says
Tomato paste adds depth and richness, but if you are allergic then you might just want to skip it. You may need to bump up some of the other flavours according to taste. Hope that helps!
Alyssa says
Thank you! I did find that you could use tamarind paste in place of tomato paste. I've tried it in one other recipe today and i couldn't tell the difference.
Sam Turnbull says
Ah! That's a great idea!
Tia says
Do you think replacing the brown sugar with molasses would be acceptable?
This recipe looks delicious! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I think that would work just fine. Enjoy!
Cassie says
Just made this!its absolutely delicious!!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Cassie 🙂
Samantha says
this recipe is amazing! used a bit less stout and a little more broth.... didnt put in parsnips just added more potato. ALSO didnt use tomato paste used blended whole tomatos and it was STILL incredible. YES!
THANK YOU FOR THIS!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Samantha, so happy you enjoyed it! (Great name by the way 😉 ).
Nellie says
What is stout beer?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Nellie, check out this definition on Wikipedia.
job says
You mentioned you can replace the beer with mushroom broth. Would the amount be the same? I don't like even the slightest taste of beer, so I didn't know if the recipe would change much if it was omitted.
Sam Turnbull says
The amount would be the same. Enjoy!
Karma says
This.... was.... PHENOMENAL!!!! I made it exactly as written except I subbed Brussel sprouts for the parsnips, and since my husband was late getting home, it ended up simmering for almost an hour and a half. We couldn't stop eating it. At my husband's request, I'll be making this again and again! Thank you for sharing!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Thrilled you and your husband loved it so much, Karma 🙂 Thanks for the lovely comment!
Nicole says
This stew was a big hit. My 4 year old had 2 bowls. We used herb French bread to soak up the rest of the sauce. Your recipes are making our journey to vegan so easy. Thank you
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it, and that I am helping to make going vegan easier! 😀
Carina says
My partner is Irish and this is the first time i made a stew since going vegan a few months ago. I left out the parsnips just because we didn't have any and Im not the biggest fan of them. Only thing I'd change is quite a bit less tomato paste and let it cook for a lot longer than the recipe says, I'd say at least an hour if not longer to get that real stew feeling. Other than that we loved it 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Carina!
Suzanne says
This recipe was AMAZING! ❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved it, Suzanne 🙂
Jenny says
Hi! Will this work in a crock pot ??? Thanks 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Jenny, I don't have a crockpot so I am not 100% sure, but I can't see why it wouldn't. Enjoy!
Feona says
I just finished making this, very yummy!! I cooked it for a lot longer, probably an hour and the veges were still nice and firm. The only thing I think I'll change for next time is less tomato paste and less stout (although I think mine was a dark stout). I've never cooked using beer before so didn't know what to expect. Very pleased to have stumbled across such a great recipes site. Also currently cooking up a pot of the creamy vegan potato soup, very excited to have a taste. I'm an omnivore but I love having vegetarian dishes.
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Feona. Extra glad that you love enjoying vegetarian dishes! Welcome to my blog 🙂
Srivani says
Late for St.Paddy's Day, but honoring my Irish heritage, made this stew for dinner last night. Super simple and came together quickly!! Love that about your recipes, Sam! The color of this stew is incredibly deep and rich. The flavour was amazing! We loved it. In future, I'd probably skip the parsnips, they were good, but not my fave flavour ... just a personal taste preference. This stew is just sooooo good. Will keep this recipe handy for sure. Thanks Sam... you make me a good cook!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy you loved yet another recipe of mine, Srivani 🙂 For sure, parsnips are not for everyone so feel free to skip and maybe replace with a couple more potatoes and another carrot. 🙂
Kim says
Can't wait to make this Sam! Stew is the ultimate comfort food for me. I used to have it out of a can as a kid haha! But this one is much better (and animal free!). I love that you added the beer 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks, Kim! I hope you love it as much as I enjoyed making it 🙂
Cheryl says
I made the vegan Irish stew tonight. Had to substitute a gluten free beer and couldn't find astout do I used as dark a gluten free as I could find..OMG..delish!
Anna I made the buffalo cauliflower a few nights ago. So good!
Sam Turnbull says
Woohoo! I'm so happy you loved both the stew and the buffalo cauliflower 🙂
Marissa says
Cheryl, if you don’t mind my asking, what did you use to substitute for the flour to make this GF?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Marissa, the flour in this recipe is just for thickening the stew, so an all-purpose gluten-free flour should work just fine. Enjoy!
Hannah says
Wow, this sounds sooo yummy! I can't wait to try it. Thank you for all of your great recipes. 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! I hope you enjoy it. My pleasure 🙂