This recipe for Vegan Irish stew results in a delicious plant-based bowl of stew that is so comforting, warming, and sustaining. Irish stew is the perfect family meal especially when served with a wedge of wholesome Irish soda bread to dunk in the rich, savoury gravy, there is just nothing better. Potatoes, carrots, and soya chunks are stewed in a rich savoury gravy flavoured with onions, garlic, bay leaf, soy sauce and thyme. This is a meat-free budget-friendly meal which utilises everyday ingredients, and is very quick and easy to prepare - ideal for St Patrick's Day.
A vegan Irish Stew is a vegetable stew that can be enjoyed as a meat-free alternative to the traditional Irish Stew. You can adapt this recipe to your preferred vegetables and if you don't like soya chunks you can use mushrooms, vegan meat-alternative, or just add extra vegetables such as turnips.
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Origins Of Traditional Irish Stew
Irish Stew, as the name suggests, originates from Ireland and is one of their national dishes. However, in today's globalized world, Irish stew is enjoyed widely.
Traditionally, Irish Stew is prepared simply by stewing mutton or lamb with potatoes, with the odd carrot or two thrown in if available. Like many cultural dishes, Irish stew has evolved, with each family and generation adding different ingredients.
Many people claim that for Irish stew to be authentic, only meat, potatoes, onions, and water are required. Whereas, over the years, others have added ingredients such as swede, carrot, barley, garlic, and various herbs. Potatoes were only added to the stew when they were introduced to Ireland during the 16th century.
Since the 16th century, the potato has been Ireland's most popular food staple. Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) returned from exploring the Americas, introducing potatoes to Britain. It is believed Raleigh was the first to plant potatoes in his home garden in Cork, Ireland.
A simple stew with mutton and potatoes made for an economical and filling dish, which sustained many poorer families for centuries. However, a shortage of potatoes was disastrous for the Irish population during the 1845-1849 potato famine.
Nowadays, Irish stew can be purchased prepared in a can or as a pre-packaged ready-meal and is a popular item on restaurant, café, and pub menus up and down the UK, but especially in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
This meat-free Irish Stew is also added fat-free so no fat or oil is required, and is easily gluten-free with a few changes. Yet the stew is full of flavour, wholesome, and easily adaptable as you can switch out any of the vegetables or add in extra vegetables to suit your family and personal tastes.
Vegan Irish Stew
Our family lived in Northern Ireland for some time, and two of our children were born in Ireland, so we created our version of a Vegan Irish Stew, which we enjoy with a chunk of rustic Irish soda bread.
Our family's vegan Irish stew recipe substitutes the meat and utilises dried soya chunks. Dried soya chunks, also known as textured vegetable protein (TVP), are usually made from one ingredient: defatted soya flour.
Soya chunks may not be the best looking ingredient, but seriously, they actually taste good if prepared properly, as the chunks soak up any liquid or sauce flavour that you add to the dish.
Many UK supermarkets stock TVP, as do most whole-food stores. If you are in the US and can't source soya chunks, then the best equivalent is soya curls. TVP chunks pack a protein punch, as 100 grams of dry TVP adds 51.1 grams of protein to your dish. So, TVP is perfect for vegans looking for high-protein, plant-based meals.
Alternatively, substitute the TVP with sliced tempeh or seitan, or any meat-free chunks or pieces. Mushrooms would make an excellent whole-food replacement or you could just add in some extra vegetables such as turnip, swede, parsnips, or a can of butterbeans [lima beans] or a can of cooked green or brown lentils.
How To Prepare
For our meat-free Irish Stew the ingredients you will require are - potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, soya chunks [TVP], bay leaf, soy sauce, vegan Worcester sauce [or replace with extra soy sauce], marmite, dried or fresh thyme, and vegetable stock.
We like to add kale near the end of cooking for a nice pop of colour as well as extra nutrition.
Step 1: Add the dried soya chunks to a large soup pan.
Step 2: Next add the dried or fresh thyme, bay leaf, vegan Worcester sauce, soy sauce, and marmite (vegetable extract).
Step 3: Pour in the hot vegetable stock.
Step 4: Slice the potatoes, carrots and onions into large chunks and add to the pot, along with the diced garlic.
Step 5: Season with salt and pepper and bring the stew to the boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes.
Step 6: Next, add the sliced kale and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Irish Stew is delicious served with a dollop or two of brown sauce or tomato ketchup. A scoop of vegan creme fraiche (such as the Oatley variety) is also a tasty addition. Slices of bread are highly recommended as they beautifully soak up the delicious stew juices.
Recipe notes
Storing
Leftover Irish stew tastes so much better the next day as the flavours continue to develop as it sits in the refrigerator. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers by placing the stew in a non-stick saucepan and bring to a gentle boil for 2-3 minutes or until piping hot. Add extra vegetable stock if necessary.
FAQ'S
Yes, you can easily prepare this recipe as free from gluten ingredients if you use a gluten-free vegetable stock, gluten-free soy sauce such as tamari or coconut aminos. Marmite is not gluten-free so if using this ingredient choose a gluten-free version or replace it with 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce.
Irish stew is perfect for batch prepping so if you have a large soup-pan and the freezer space, it makes sense to prepare a double batch. Freeze portions for a quick future meal.
For an authentic experience enjoy Irish stew with a chunk of rustic Irish soda bread.
Here are a few other ideas:
*vegan wartime traditional champ (this is a potato, swede, and cabbage mash but you can replace the white potatoes with sweet potatoes, celeriac, or cauliflower seeing as Irish stew already features white potatoes)
*mashed turnip/swede/rutabaga or neeps as its known in Scotland
*steamed greens
*green beans/runner beans/broad beans
*peas, especially tasty with a pat of vegan butter and chopped mint mixed through
* roasted mixed vegetables
*any fresh herbs such as chopped parsley, dill, chives, fresh thyme leaves, spring onions [green onions]
*traditional Scottish oatcakes
*corn bread muffins
*plain scones
*American biscuits
*crusty bread
*vegan-friendly garlic bread
*quick vegan dinner rolls
*canned butterbeans
*pickled red cabbage
*boiled or pickled beetroot
*tomato ketchup or brown sauce
Yes, you can switch out any of the vegetables for those you prefer but do keep in mind that the finished stew will be different from the original recipe.
A few substitution ideas:
* replace the soya chunks with soya curls, tempeh, seitan, any meat-free pieces, mushrooms, cooked brown or green lentils, or extra vegetables such as swede/turnip, parsnips, or even cabbage wedges
* instead of white potatoes replace those with sweet potatoes or butternut squash
* replace the carrot with turnip, swede, parsnips, or celeriac
* replace the onions with shallots or leeks, or 2 teaspoons of dried powdered onion or onion granules
* instead of fresh garlic add two teaspoons of powdered dried garlic or garlic granules
* instead of adding the individual ingredients - marmite, vegan Worcester sauce, and soy sauce, - add some vegan gravy powder at the end of cooking to thicken up the stew as well as flavouring it
* instead of kale you can use collards, cabbage, spinach, spring greens, chard, etc, although only add the spinach a few minutes before the end of cooking or just stir it through the finished stew
* switch out the fresh or dried thyme with dried mixed herbs or your choice of fresh or dried herbs
* if you can't find vegan Worcester or Worcestershire sauce then replace it with the same amount of soy sauce
More traditional stew recipes - made vegan:
As a Scottish family we love our stews year-round so any day of the year is soup and stew season for us. Stews are amazingly budget-friendly, easily adaptable, and are just so homely.
We have lots of favourite stews but here are a few of our family favourite that we have as regular staples - these comfort food Vegan Scottish Stovies and this deliciously rich tomatoey Vegan Traditional British Beef Stew. Home-made fluffy dumplings are always welcomed by our kids and this Traditional Vegetable Stew is prepared with the best suet dumplings and this Vegan Chicken Stew recipe features soft, pillow-like suet-free dumplings surprisingly made with plant-based mayonnaise!
For more Vegan Stew & Casserole Recipes do check out our growing family recipe collection.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Vegan Irish Stew
Equipment
- Large Saucepan/Soup pan/Dutch oven pan
Ingredients
- 100 grams dried soya chunks [TVP] [or dried soy curls, alternatively use 300 grams of fresh/frozen vegan pieces or tempeh or seitan]
- 500 grams potatoes [chopped into big chunk size pieces, leave the skins on if they are unblemished]
- 115 grams onion [1 medium, rough chopped]
- 4 cloves garlic [fine diced]
- 290 grams carrots [2 medium-large, chopped into large chunks]
- 120 grams kale [tough stalks removed and chopped]
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock [use vegan 'beef' stock if available such as OXO beef meat-free OXO stock cubes]
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcester sauce [or replace with extra soy sauce]
- 1 teaspoon Marmite [yeast extract]
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme [or a few sprigs of fresh thyme]
Instructions
- Add the dried soya chunks to your pot and cover with 1.5 litres or 7 cups of hot vegetable stock. Mix through the Marmite, bay leaf, thyme, soy sauce, and Worcester sauce.Leave to rehydrate while you chop the vegetables100 grams dried soya chunks [TVP], 1.5 litres vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vegan Worcester sauce, 1 teaspoon Marmite, 2 bay leaf, 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- Next add the carrot, onion, garlic, and potatoes and mix.500 grams potatoes, 115 grams onion, 4 cloves garlic, 290 grams carrots
- Bring to the boil and lower the heat to a low-medium.
- Simmer for 40 minutes.
- Next add the kale and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the two bay leafs.
- Serve with a few dollops of brown sauce or tomato ketchup if liked.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict analysis as ingredients vary.
- For a gluten-free Irish stew use a gluten-free vegetable stock, a gluten-free soy sauce such as tamari or coconut aminos, and if you can't source a gluten-free marmite alternative then replace this with 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Also if you can't source gluten-free vegan Worcester sauce it can be replaced with the same amount of soy sauce.
- Leftover Irish stew will keep fresh in the fridge, in a covered container, for 3 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a non-stick pot, gently simmering for 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Extra vegetable stock may need to be added if the stew has become very thick.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day either served on toast or with a wedge of wholemeal crusty bread.
- For substitution ideas have a look at our FAQ section above this recipe.
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared our Vegan Irish Stew recipe? We would love to know how you got on with the recipe so do pop back and leave us a comment below and click the star ratings. It's very much appreciated. Thanks so much! Love Jacq x
RC says
This was a really nice stew with simple and easy-to-follow directions. I substituted seitan for the soy curls and soy sauce and vegetable yeast for the marmite because of what was available, and I also added parsnips. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jacq says
Hi RC, You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed the Irish stew. Seitan was a good choice. I'm curious if the vegetable yeast you used was yeast extract? I often use yeast extract as it's the same as Marmite but generally less expensive. Just wondering if you used something different? Parsnips sound like a great addition. Jacq x
RC says
Yes, it was nutritional yeast/yeast extract. That is what I meant to write! 🙂
Jacq says
Great! Thanks for letting us know Jacq x 🙂
RC says
Yes! It was nutritional yeast/yeast extract.
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
I've always been a fan of the taste of Irish stew, but not of the lamb or mutton in the dish. I love that this is meat free, but still so full of flavour!
Jacq says
Thanks so much! Glad you like the recipe!
Jeannie says
very comforting, Id love a vegan meal so this is perfect and very easy to try. thanks for sharing
Jacq says
I agree! This meal is so comforting. Happy cooking!
Gregory Halpen says
Omg. This looks amazing! I want to try this out for an Easter meal!
Jacq says
Thanks so much! Hope you have a great Easter meal!
Lee says
Was looking for something simple to make for dinner and think I have found it as I happen to have all these ingredients in! Apart from the Worcester sauce. What could I use instead? thanks!!!
Jacq says
Try replacing the Worcester sauce with light soy sauce that usually works for me whenever I run out. Let me know how you get on! Happy cooking!
Christina's Bread Bakes says
Your recipes are always so easy to follow. This is very tasty and I agree that the reheated leftovers develop even more flavor. Thanks for the great alternative to a traditional meat recipe.
Jacq says
Thanks so much your very welcome! So glad to know that my recipes are easy to follow. That's what I aim for!