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.
Marcia says
Heavenly! I followed the recipe as written and it turned out absolutely wonderful. My English husband was so happy as he grew up on Irish stew and hadn’t had it in years. Thank you! Will be making this again!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Kimberly says
I would like to make this...can it be made without the beer?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, just substitute vegetable broth.
Cris says
Hi Sam,
The recipe was appealing to me as I wanted to have a vegan option for a stew tasting party I was having. I had made a Beef & Guinness Stew before that was absolutely great and wanted to give the vegan one a try. Unfortunately, the taste was a bit off, the bitterness of the stout lingered too long and as someone else commented, your timings didn't work for this recipe, it needs at least an hour to not only cook the vegetables all the way but also to reduce the taste of the beer. Overall the concept of this stew is great, but it wasn't a hit with my guests. I think I will try it again, making a few adjustments, less stout and cooking longer might do the trick. Thank you so much for publishing though, great work on your site!
KLoveless says
Agree. No way you can prep all of that in 10 minutes or cook it all in 30.
Lola says
This was dang delicious! The gravy the broth/beer make, I could put on everything. I used Guinness for my stout and it came out very rich and flavorful. Going to experiment with different veggie combos next time. Another great recipe going into rotation at my place. Thanks Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Lola 🙂
Pam says
I made this tonight and it satisfied a non-vegan meat eater (my husband). It was hearty and delicious. I made some subs, I used cooked lentils instead of mushrooms (not crazy about them and I didn’t have any) and I put broccoli cauliflower and Brussels sprouts in (no parsnips, same as mushrooms). The “gravy” this made was delicious. I had no bitterness in mine as I’ve read with other reviews. I will be making this again for sure. Actually, I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow. I bet it will be even better left over!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Pam! 🙂
Jt says
Very good, but needs a few hours to simmer. It was great but tomorrow it'll be better.
Eleanor says
Was looking forward to this meal, but had to make a substitution - no stout available in my area, but online resources suggested coffee as a substitute which I used (1 cup). I also added 1/2 c. dry red wine, which I often have used in pot roasts and stews. There is a bitter taste to this stew - I really did not want to increase the sugar and hope it will be better after it sits. Even the parsnips, which often add a sweet taste to other stews are bitter. Any idea what happened? I would love to figure this out as it would be a great winter meal(s).
Eleanor Miller says
I decided to let the stew sit for 2 days, then added 2 large Cortland apples to it while it reheated. This took the bitterness out. I served it with barley, also added green peas for color.
Amanda says
Coffee is bitter ... which is why yours came out bitter.
Tres Cafe says
Amazing. Well done Sam and your enthusiasm makes it even better.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks so much!
Leanne says
Would any one dare try an IPA instead? I am doing an. Extended Dry-uary and not drinking but have a leftover IPA. Also, don’t want to go back out to the store at this point
Amy says
Great success! I made this for a lunch with my bridge friends, and everyone loved it. I used a small single-serve bottle of Gallo cabernet 'cuz I don't have any stout. I also don't have any brown sugar so I used about a 1/2 tsp of molasses. I used just 2 and 1/2 cups of liquid, and it was much more like gravy. I'll do this again and keep this as a base recipe for mixing things up based on what's in the kitchen already. Thank you for a great recipe
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! thrilled you enjoyed it, Amy !
John says
Hi Sam,
Really sorry to have to give a negative report. However, my stew had a very strong sour-like parsnip taste??
I tried to sweeten it up with sugar but only minor improvement.
Used Mill St Brewery Cobblestone Nitro Stout.
Googled and some online comments about parsnips said things like, never boil them but roast them to get sweetness. Or beer ingredient could be the problem?.
Will try again based on mostly fav outcomes by others who commented...
Blessings,
Sam Turnbull says
Strong and sour likely come from the beer. If it isn't a beer you would enjoy to drink, you won't likely enjoy it in the stew. Hope that helps!
Katie says
Never leave reviews, but felt obligated because of how much I love this stew. I’ve made it like three times now. It’s so rich and tasty and easy. Family loved it too.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww well I very much appreciate you taking the time, thank you Katie 🙂
Lynn V says
I made this tonight only I used my Instant Pot. I used 4 cups of veggie stock and set it on Manual for 5 min and let it release for 10 min before releasing the rest of the steam. It was a little soupy but I didn't want it to burn - it cooked down
It turned out great! Yummy flavors.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Lynn! Thanks for sharing your technique 🙂
Alaina says
I made this a couple years ago and it was delicious!! My family thought it was a bit tomato-y but I loved it as is (I posted a pic of it on Pinterest). I used shiner bock as I didn’t have stout. I’d like to make it again but am wondering, does this freeze well?
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Alaina! Yes, this recipe should freeze well, but potatoes can get a bit grainy when frozen, so if you are ok with that, go for it!
Lovethescents says
Made this on Sunday and added some chickpea tofu at the end. PHENOMENAL. The sauce is perfect. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
Meg says
Made it for 2019 St. Patrick's Day and we loved it! It did take longer to cook (at least to get everything the perfect tenderness), but we started early and allowed extra time for simmering. Put a lid on the pot during the simmering part and it came out perfectly -- just the right amount of nicely thickened liquid (but not so thick that we had to thin it out), delicious veggies, perfectly seasoned. Used just two cups of veggie broth plus the bottle of stout. With two people prepping the veggies it's fun and takes less time. Exactly the right meal for St. Patrick's Day (and followed by vegan Bailey's ice cream and vegan brownies). Thanks for another outstanding recipe, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Meg! So thrilled you loved it so much 🙂
Lizzy Gee says
Just made this for St-Patrick’s day. I have to say it was incredibly bitter despite adding extra , and I mean EXTRA brown sugar. Also added dumplings to help calm the bitterness. I know some people have the ability to taste bitterness more than others so I am hoping that is the cause. In the past I have used a much lighter tasting beer with a bit of red wine and not had that bitter taste. I am currently using the rest of the liquid and adding more veggies and broth to see if I can make a newer less bitter tasting stew. That being said it seems the longer it sits the more bitter it gets. If this doesn’t work I will just make it with a different beer next time. Adding the dumplings is definitely a MUST! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Lizzy, the bitterness comes from the stout. So I recommend trying a less bitter stout or reducing the amount next time. Also adding acidity will help cut the bitterness, so you could add a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Hope that helps!
Emily Jean Olson says
My new go-to recipe for St. Patrick's Day! Delicious!!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed!
Pela says
Hello Sam! This recipe looks wonderful! I would like to add some vegan “beef crumbles” - do you have any suggestions on how to alter the recipe to allow for - say- one package of crumbles added into this recipe? Thanks for your help! This looks wonderful!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Pela! You can just add the vegan beef crumbles in with the other veggies and it should turn out just fine 🙂
Pela says
Thank you so much - and thank you so much for sharing your wonderful site! ☺️
Joanne says
I have made this recipe several times and I love it! I always add Sam’s tofu crumbles to this recipe because, well why not?? I love those things!
I didn’t think the stew was bitter - but that may depend on the dark beer that’s used.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Joanne!
Erica says
Is there an alternative for the beer? I have never liked the taste to begin with and I am a recovering alcoholic. I was going to try the coffee thing but after reading about the bitterness decided not to.
Chloe’ says
I just used extra veggie broth myself. I also omitted a few things, like the sugar, parsnips (I didn’t have any!), and salt. I added dried parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder. It didn’t turn out super thick (I also used gluten free flour) but the flavor is great and I’m happy with it! I also had to cook it for around 35-40 minutes. I cooked it on medium for about 20 minuets and let it simmer for the rest.
Erica says
Great!! Thank you very much!!! I cannot wait to try it!!!
Shane says
Another awesome recipe, Sam! Thanks!! My wife and I really enjoyed it!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Shane 🙂
Elizabeth says
This is a delicious, savory and relatively easy to make stew. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the prep and cooking time is completely unrealistic. A professional chef with helpers in a gourmet kitchen might be able to prep this in 10 minutes, but no normal cook in a home kitchen. And 40 minutes cooking time? Uh-uh. 10 - 15 minutes of simmering the vegetables? Come on. I couldn't put a fork in them at all, they were still hard as raw. It took another 30 minutes before they were "fork tender".
Make this recipe, it's wonderful. But you need to plan on at least 1 1/2 hours before that meal is on the table.
And PS - if you don't have stout beer, use red wine.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it, Elizabeth. The times are based on the times it took me to prepare the recipe. When recipe writing I use a stopwatch to note the times. Sorry, it took you longer but I am glad you enjoyed the end result!
Cwall says
I haven't made this yet but yeah I can tell prep for me would be 20 - 30 minutes. Also I seem to find when I add any tomatoes product to vegetables it seems to take longer for them to get tender or sometimes they never do. So I always get the veggies cooked first and then add tomatoes. No one else has mentioned it being a problem but it's always been like that for me. Anyway the stew looks yummy and I plan on making for st patricks.