Beefless Vegan Stew Recipe

When I was a child my mother used to make beef stew. I have been veg since 1995 and haven't had any beef stew since years before that, so I honestly don't remember what it tastes like. However, I wanted to try to make a vegan "beef" stew this week, so I spent some time researching what goes into a "beef" stew and then just veganizing it. This was easy to make and I have to say that it turned out great. I loved it and will be making it again. My husband was a big fan, too!

What you need:

• 2 bags gardein beefless tips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can of stewed tomatoes
• 32 ounces of vegetable broth
• 2-3 potatoes cubed
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste
• Elbow noodles, optional

What to do:

Get a big stock pot and put your olive oil, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion in it. Cook it over medium heat, stirring once in a while, until the items are soft (around 12-15 minutes). Add in the broth, stewed tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Add in gardein beefless tips. Stir in salt and pepper, bring to a boil, and then turn it down to simmer. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring once in a while. Take the corn starch and mix it in water and then mix the combination into the pot. 

I like to add a little bit of elbow noodles, but you don't have to, it's optional. While the soup is cooking, I make a smaller pot of elbow noodles. When I'm ready to serve the dish up, I put some noodles in the bottom of the bowl, and spoon the beefless vegan stew over the noodles. Yum! It's really good! You could also serve this up with a nice crusty baguette.

This pot was enough for all four of us to eat a lot of it and there was some left over. Leftovers are yummy!

Enjoy some beefless vegan stew!