Vegetable Stew from the Crockpot is proof that simple ingredients can make for one incredible meal. It's also healthy and is loaded with two kinds of mushrooms for an easy vegan and vegetable stew recipe.
You are going to love this rich stew concocted with earthy mushrooms, sweet onions, and a couple of our favorite root vegetables. Potatoes and carrots.
This is predominately a mushroom stew focusing on two different varieties. Baby cremini mushrooms for their extreme earthy flavor and button mushrooms for there all-around good taste.
Do you have picky eaters at home? I certainly have some challenges to satisfy fussy eaters in my family but thank goodness they all like mushrooms. What would I do without mushrooms!
They are incredibly nutritious and add a deep richness to a wholesome stew.
I've found many other ways to introduce them into our family meals too. Like with this Stuffed Mushrooms. Those can be used as a side dish or an appetizer.
This vegetable stew recipe has developed over the years. It all started with a stew recipe from, believe it or not, Burt Reynolds. You know, Smokey and the Bandit? Well, maybe you don't know but that's alright. 🙂
Anyway, that was the stew I made for years and I loved the rich flavor that dry red wine added to it. Next came a mushroom stew from the New York Times food column.
It didn't have the red wine but it didn't have meat either and I wasn't eating meat anymore so a lightbulb went off in my head. Combine the two recipes for a deep rich mushroom stew.
I made it for the slow cooker and got an easy and rich vegetable stew. That is now this!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for veggie stew
- Baby cremini mushrooms - have an earthy flavor and a meaty texture.
- Button mushrooms - seem innocent compared to creminis but they are the most versatile for recipes.
- Yellow onion - gives a sweetened caramelized flavor after it is cooked.
- Carrots - are sweet and offer a wonderful balance to the hearty vegetables.
- Potatoes - add another texture along with being very tasty.
- Garlic - just seems to be needed for one of the hidden flavors.
- Dried thyme - has a gentle flavor but is also earthy and lemony in its undertones.
- Ground sage - is my favorite for adding to savory dishes that need to be 'meaty'.
- Salt & ground black pepper - are inescapable because they just add so much flavor with such a little amount.
- Cayenne pepper - came from the NY Times recipe and it adds heat without you knowing it.
- Vegetable broth - is the base liquid that everything else is built on.
- Dry red wine such as a good zinfandel or merlot - adds a deep undercurrent of flavor.
- Diced tomatoes - are acidic but also sweet. I sometimes su
- Tomato paste - is concentrated tomatoes and the flavor is deep and rich.
- Kitchen bouquet - has been around forever. It is concentrated caramel with vegetable flavorings but be careful not to add too much.
- Liquid smoke - is a natural product that makes a savory dish deeper in flavor.
- Flour - for thickening the juices.
How to make crock pot stew
- It's super simple and so rewarding.
- The quickest way to save time is to clean and pare all of the vegetables first. Cut up the potatoes last so they don't have time to turn brownish.
- Add all of the vegetables to a large crockpot. One that's at least 6 qts.
- Measure and start to add the vegetable broth, wine, diced tomatoes and tomato paste, kitchen bouquet and liquid smoke.
- Do NOT add the flour until much later. I'll tell you when in a minute.
- Now add in all of the seasonings and spices.
- It won't look like you have enough juices at this point but believe me a lot of liquid cooks out of the mushrooms and you will have plenty after it cooks a while.
- Stir well and cover. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours or low 8 to 10 hours.
- Now about the flour - sometime after the juices are hot on up to about a half-hour to an hour before serving -scoop out some of the juices into a cup.
- Add the flour to the hot juices in the cup. Stir well until the flour is blended.
- Pour it all back into the stew and stir well. Cover and let finish cooking. This thickens the juices.
This vegetable stew recipe is so comforting and deliciously seasoned. And guess what? You can also serve it over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
Now, THAT is a versatile stew.
I also like to serve it in a bowl with its juices, just like a stew, and dunk crusty bread into it.
If dunking is something you'd like to do too you can add another ½ cup or so of vegetable broth so that there is more dunking liquid.
Everything has become tender during cooking and the seasonings meld together for incredible flavors.
Besides the flavors of the concentrated seasonings, you can't beat tender carrot and potato bites, sweet tantalizing onion, and lots of meaty mushrooms.
Slow cooker hearty meals
Have a little pasta with your Vegan Spaghetti Sauce from the Slow Cooker.
Navy Bean Soup is a classic and so comforting.
Here's a lentil meal that comes in the form of a Lentil Vegetable Soup. Also from the crockpot.
If you take a photo of your rich mushroom stew I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.
Your opinion means a lot to me and if you'd like to leave a comment and possibly a star rating I'd love to hear your thoughts.
📋 Recipe
Vegetable Stew from the Crockpot
Ingredients
- 8 ounces baby cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced - one small onion
- 1 cup carrots, diced - one carrot
- 2 cups potato - one to two potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup dry red wine such as a good zinfandel or merlot
- 15 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon kitchen bouquet
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Clean and pare all of the vegetables first. Cut up the potatoes last so they don't have time to turn brownish.
- Add all of the vegetables to a large crockpot. One that's at least 6 qts.
- Measure and add the vegetable broth, wine, diced tomatoes and tomato paste, kitchen bouquet and liquid smoke. Do NOT add the flour yet.
- Now add in all of the seasonings and spices. It won't look like you have enough juices at this point but believe me a lot of liquid cooks out of the mushrooms and you will have plenty after it cooks a while.
- Stir well and cover. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours or low 8 to 10 hours.
- Now about the flour - sometime after the juices are hot on up to about a half-hour to an hour before serving -scoop out some of the juices into a cup. Add the flour to the hot juices in the cup. Stir well until the flour is blended. Pour it all back into the stew and stir well. Cover and let finish cooking. This thickens the juices.
martha@ simple nourished living
Just saw these on Pinterest and wanted to stop by and say I think they look delicious. I've bookmarked them to try soon. Thanks for the great inspiration.
Laloofah
Thanks, Ginny!
Julia
Is it possible to use various type of mushrooms and do you need to change any of the recipe to do so?
Judee@ Gluten Free A-Z Blog
I came across your recipe on Pinterest. I find making anything in the crock pot makes my life easier. I am so glad to find your site as I am a vegetarian. Your recipes look so good. Can't wait to try this mushroom recipe.
Bailey
I love this recipe! It is so simple and the mushrooms are perfect with absolutely no work. I make them all the time whether they are sliced or not and they get served alone or with other one-pot meals. Thank you!
Erica
Can I cook this without a crockpot?
Ginny McMeans
Yes, you can Erica. I would guess it would be about an hour for cooking in a large stockpot. The steps would be little different but the ingredients would be the same.
Maurice Restivo
Delicious! I loved the combination of flavours. Simple and certainly one I will do again.
Christina Wooters
Delicious one of my favorite recipes
Francine
Made this recipe for the 1st time. It turned out just like in the picture, and it tasted just as good. I added a lb. of stew meat. Cooked it on high for 4 hours. Perfect.
Stacey
I made this and didn’t add the kitchen bouquet. I added 2 tsp of tamarind instead. Used merlot instead of Zinfandel. It came out delicious! Will definately make it again
Ginny McMeans
Wonderful Stacey!
Mary
Can you replace the potatoes with cauliflower? I’m doing low carb.
Ginny McMeans
Yes Mary! That would be really good.
Mike
Making this now! I added a couple things like BOK Chou and sweet potato. I’m excited
Jane
Just love this recipe!
Alice
I've made this a few times, and it is really satisfying! Very rich and flavourful, but without being overpowering. I don't change anything in the recipe, except maybe cooking it for a bit longer (on high) because my crockpot isn't very big (it's quite full at the beginning of cooking, but once the mushrooms shrink everything lowers down a bit). I gauge by sticking a fork in the potatoes and carrots and seeing how hard/soft they are. Each time it's turned out really well!
Amber Rockwell
If I wanted to make this in the instant pot, how long would I cook it for?
Susan
This was delicious! I'm rarely happy with new recipes, but this one is a keeper. I had to improvise because I didn't have any kitchen bouquet or liquid smoke, so I sub'd some vegan oyster sauce and smoked paprika. I also added some marmite and a little bit of better than boullion no beef. I used granulated garlic. I'll get the kitchen bouquet and liquid smoke for the next time. I cooked it for 10 hrs on low and the veggies were perfect. I added some celery too. This will definitely be in our winter comfort food rotation!
Lynda
Looks delicious … I’m making it as ‘we speak’!
A question… once it’s cooked can I freeze any left over portions?
Ginny McMeans
Yes, vegetable stew is easy to freeze and reheat. It's a go to for myself when it comes to makin a big pot and freezing some for later.
Holly
What is "kitchen bouquet "???
Ginny McMeans
We explained and included a link to it in the article. It's a vegetable based browning agent / broth.
Louise Anne Smith
Love this recipe. I've made it often. it has never let me down. Perfect with crusty bread. Also freezes well.