Hearty Vegan Stew Recipe (2024)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

Hearty Vegan Stew Italian style featuring gnocchi dumplings, meaty jackfruit, peas and carrots and a thick red wine gravy. No beef, one pot comforting stew that checks all the boxes. Rich, savory and whole foods plant based recipe.

Jump to Recipe

Vegan Stew

You’ll find a number of plant based stews on this blog, it’s really hard for me to actually choose a favorite. From the now famous jackfruit stew to my soy curl veggie stew, spiced chickpea stew, and this comforting mushroom bourguignon, they are all equally delicious stews but also unique in the way they deliver their deliciousness.

And if you make a loaf of this crusty bread to dunk into it you are without a doubt the king / queen of your castle!

Recipe Tips + FAQ

Which jackfruit should you use in this stew ? Glad you asked as this is very important! The jackfruit has to be young unripe, so before it gets sweet. My favorite for making stews are these organic jackfruit pieces i buy in bulk from amazon. You could also use canned jackfruit packed in water / brine not syrup. Make sure to rinse it well before cooking.

How do you thicken the stew ? Before adding the veggie stock to the pot I whisked in some whole wheat pastry flour. This way the stew naturally thickens as it cooks and no lumps are formed. If you prefer a thinner stew or want to make it gluten-free you can omit the flour. The gnocchi will add lots of body and texture too.

Can I use potatoes instead of gnocchi ? Sure you can use about 1 pound of diced golden potatoes if you prefer or any homemade dumplings.

Storage: The leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in lidded freezer proof containers or mason jars up to 4 months. Take care not to overfill the jars or containers and remember to thaw out in the fridge the night before reheating.

How to serve it: Since this is already such a hearty meal, there’s no need for rice or pasta. A thick slice of homemade bread charred under the broiler and rubbed with garlic aka bruschetta is as perfect as it’s gonna get. However you can top it with these olive oil mashed potatoes and turn it into an awesome Italian style Shepherd’s pie.

more hearty stews

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Corned Jackfruit and Cabbage

Hearty Vegan Stew

Hearty vegan stew Italian style featuring gnocchi dumplings, meaty jackfruit, peas and carrots and a thick red wine gravy. No beef, one pot comforting stew that checks all the boxes. Rich, savory and whole foods plant based recipe.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr

Total Time:1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

1 yellow onion diced
2 carrots sliced into rounds
3 cloves garlic minced
2 lb jackfruit pieces rinsed well
1 lb gnocchi Italian potato dumplings
1 cup fresh tomatoes diced
3/4 cup frozen green peas (thawed out and rinsed)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp smoked paprika you can sub sweet paprika
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable stock low sodium
1/3 cup red wine
sea salt + black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat a heavy bottom dutch oven over medium low heat and sautee the onion and carrot in a drop of oil or a splash of water until the onion is translucent. (omit oil to be WFPB & Plantricious compliant).
Stir in the garlic and cook a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the jackfruit pieces, thyme, bay and the red wine. Simmer until the wine is almost evaporated. (It's very important that you allow the wine to evaporate or the stew won't taste right).
Meanwhile whisk the flour with the vegetable stock until combined and add it to the pot with the jackfruit. Bring to a simmer and stir in the paprika and cloves.
Cook everything together for 45 minutes until the jackfruit is fork tender.
Stir in the gnocchi, tomatoes and green peas and cook a few extra minutes until the gnocchi float to the top and the green peas are cooked through to your liking.
Discard the thyme sprigs and whole cloves and season the stew to your taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Stir in the fresh parsley and serve!

Slow Cooker Method:

Saute the onion and carrot with a pinch of salt until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
Add the cooked onion, carrot and garlic to a slow cooker with the jackfruit, red wine and all the spices.
Whisk in the flour and veggie stock and add them to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on slow for 5-6 hours or on hight 2 - 3 hours. Add the gnocchi and green peas and return back to high heat for 20 minutes or so until the gnocchi are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

You can use about 1 pound of diced golden potatoes instead of gnocchi or any homemade dumplings.
The leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in lidded freezer proof containers or mason jars up to 4 months. Take care not to overfill the jars or containers and remember to thaw out in the fridge the night before reheating.
WFPB and Plantricious - for the recipe to be fully compliant you must omit all oil and make sure to use a whole grain gnocchi made with whole wheat, brown rice or corn flour.
If using canned jackfruit but would like to give it a brown color, simply rinse it and marinate in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce for 15 minutes before adding it to the stew.

Nutrition

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: jackfruit, meatless stew, vegan stew

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 508kcal

Author: Florentina