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This Hearty Potato Stew is a one pot dinner of baby potatoes, carrots, celery, mushrooms and green lentils in a rich tomato and tamari gravy, with a little cacao for depth and colour. It takes 40 minutes, serves 5 and freezes well. If you are short on time, my 15 Minute Chickpea Stew is quicker.
Hearty Potato Stew at a Glance
James's tipThe cacao can make the stew look very dark while it bubbles. Stir it through well and it looks and tastes rich once it is done. Test a potato with a knife before you serve.
Key ingredients
- Baby potatoes
- Green lentils
- Mushrooms
- Cacao powder
Why you'll love it
- About 246 kcal and 13g fibre a portion
- One pot with minimal prep
- Freezes well
Quick summary
This stew cooks garlic, onion, mushrooms and tamari, then adds carrots, celery, baby potatoes, green lentils, rosemary, bay leaves, tinned tomatoes and stock, with cacao powder for depth. It simmers for 30 minutes, serves 5 and is about 246 kcal a portion.
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Why this recipe works
Since cutting out meat I personally miss those deep coloured and flavoured beef stews, but this one really hits the spot. The chunky veg makes it comforting, the lentils and mushrooms give it a meaty texture, and the cacao powder and tamari give it depth in colour and flavour.
There is minimal prep: you simply put everything into one pot and let it cook down. It is a family friendly dinner for cold evenings, and it is easy to batch cook and freeze for busier days. If you like it, my Sweet Potato & Black Bean Stew is another popular stew, and for another lentil dinner, try my Lentil Cottage Pie.
Ingredients to make Hearty Potato Stew
- Garlic Cloves: add a deep savoury base. Crush them before they go in the pot.
- Red Onion: diced, for sweetness.
- Mushrooms: give the stew a meaty texture. If you love them, try my Mushroom Soup.
- Tamari: adds a deep, savoury flavour and plenty of colour. It is salty, so you do not need to add any salt.
- Carrots: chopped into bite sized chunks.
- Celery: chopped, for the classic stew base.
- Baby Potatoes: halved. The earthy flavour of this stew comes mostly from the baby potatoes.
- Green Lentils: 1 tin, drained and rinsed. They add more of the meaty texture. If you have some spare, try my 20 Minute Lentil Bolognese.
- Rosemary: 1 stem, finely chopped. If you have some spare, try making my Rosemary Roast Potatoes.
- Bay Leaves: 3, for a gentle background flavour. Take them out before you serve.
- Tinned Tomatoes: 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (400g each).
- Vegetable Stock: adds depth of flavour.
- Cacao Powder: 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cacao or cocoa. It gives the stew its depth of flavour and rich colour, so try not to skip it.
- Olive Oil: 1 tablespoon, for the first few minutes of cooking.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Tamari: Leave it out if you would rather not use soya, and the stew is still tasty. Regular soy sauce works in its place, but it contains wheat, so check the label if you need it gluten free. A low sodium soy sauce keeps the salt down.
- Cacao Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder works just as well, use the same amount. If you have neither, leave it out. The stew is still good, but it will have less depth.
- Green Lentils: Dried lentils soak up liquid and take longer to cook, so cook them separately first, then add them as in the method. Red lentils can go in about 15 minutes before the end of cooking. Use about 1 cup, as more will turn the stew stodgy.
- Baby Potatoes: Sweet potato or butternut squash both work. The stew will be a little sweeter.
- Celery: Leave it out if you do not have any. The stew is still tasty.
- Vegetables: Use what you have in the fridge, for example a chopped red pepper or some broccoli.
Variations
- Spicy: Add some freshly chopped chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes with the garlic.
- Slow cooker: Add everything to the slow cooker (there is no need to fry the vegetables first) and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 3.5 to 4 hours.
- Extra greens: Stir a couple of handfuls of spinach through at the end, and top with fresh parsley.
How to make Hearty Potato Stew
Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onion, mushrooms and tamari. Stir and cook down for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the carrots, celery, baby potatoes, lentils, rosemary, bay leaves, tinned tomatoes and stock, and stir.
Step 3: Add the cacao powder and stir again until it is well mixed.
Step 4: Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Test a potato with a knife: if it is still firm, simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with brown rice or quinoa (my How to Cook Quinoa shows how to cook it) and top with fresh parsley if you like.
Hint: The cacao can make the stew look very dark while it bubbles. Stir it through and it looks and tastes great once it is done.
Leftovers
Cool the stew quickly, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it within 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat it only once, in a pot over a low heat or in the microwave, until piping hot all the way through. If you like to have a batch of something in the freezer, try my Slow Cooker Vegan Chilli too.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Add everything to the slow cooker, with no need to fry the vegetables first, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3.5 to 4 hours. If you like to cook this way, my Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry is another one that looks after itself.
Yes, either works fine. Use unsweetened cocoa powder and the same amount (2 tablespoons). If you have neither, leave it out. The stew is still good, but it will have less depth.
Yes, but they soak up liquid and take longer to cook. Cook them separately first, then add them as in the method. Red lentils can go in about 15 minutes before the end of cooking, and about 1 cup is enough.
Yes. The tamari and the stock both carry salt, and the stew works out at about 3.3g of salt a portion. Use a low salt stock, a low sodium soy sauce or a little less tamari, and do not add any extra salt. With a low salt stock it is about 2.96g.
Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool it quickly, freeze it in portions in airtight containers, thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it in a pot over a low heat until piping hot.
Brown rice or quinoa, or a slice of Gluten Free Seeded Bread to mop up the gravy. A handful of fresh parsley on top finishes it off.
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Hearty Potato Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red onion, diced
- 350 g mushrooms, chopped
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 500 g baby potatoes, sliced into halves
- 1 can green lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 stem of rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 400g tins tomatoes, chopped
- 300 ml veg stock
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onion, mushrooms and tamari. Stir and cook down for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, baby potatoes, lentils, rosemary, bay leaves, tinned tomatoes and stock, and stir.
- Add the cacao powder and stir again until it is well mixed.
- Put the lid on the pot and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender. Serve with brown rice or quinoa and top with fresh parsley if you like.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I admit I wasn’t totally convinced about the cacao/tamari sauce when I decided to give this a go, but it really works. It shouldn’t – but it does! This makes a rich-tasting and unusual vegan stew. It’s a little salty, which normally isn’t a problem for my taste, but I’m trying to cut down on salt, so I might try low-sodium soy sauce next time. The only downside I found, was it took 90 minutes before the potatoes were cooked enough to eat. I assumed this was because of the acid content of the 2 tins of tomatoes, but nobody else has mentioned this in the comments, so I’m not sure what went wrong for me. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears – I’d be very happy to have this again.
If in a hurry why not use Tinned potatoes….
Love this stew Thank you!!
I made this tonight, and it’s maybe the best stew I’ve ever had! My omnivore fiance also loved it. I made a few changes but nothing major: no celery because I didn’t have any, although I will add it next time, cocoa powder instead of cacao (couldn’t find cacao near me), 1c dried green lentils because I had some leftover, fresh squeeze of lemon and crackers to serve.
I just made this wonderful stew exactly as per your recipe, James, and it is amazing! I have to say I was a bit sceptical about the 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder but it turned out perfectly. The stew looks, smells and tastes as if it was braised with beef for hours. Wonderful!
Always looking for new vegetarian recipes and this fit the bill.
Really enjoyed this,hence the comment
Thanks James.
Thanks Graham 🙂 glad you enjoyed it!
In case it is not clear, what you end up with here is something like a vegan beef stew. I used 1 tablespoon of cocoa and I found it more than enough. Keep the faith while it is cooking — the cocoa bubbling up can make the stew look a bit dark and unappetizing. Once the cook is done and it is stirred up and cooled a bit, it looks and tastes great. Next time, I will stir in a bit of fresh extra virgin olive oil right in the bowl since it lacks meat and wants a touch more fat.
I used dried brown lentils and pre-cooked them about 15 minutes (5 to 10 minutes short of fully cooked). They finished cooking perfectly in the stew and broke up just enough to thicken the broth but leave some whole lentils.
The stew might be a bit strong for some people. If you are used to light, simpler foods you might ease up on the tamari and cocoa, and consider partially or fully draining your canned tomatoes and adding replacement water, so you have better control over the salt level.
Glad you enjoyed it Mike! Thanks for the great review 🙂
This was delicious. Thank you for giving me the ability to cook again while on crutches, convalescing from a broken leg. Quick, simple, nourishing and delicious.
Made this today, I substituted the Tamari with light salt soy, cut the cocoa powder by half and added some red wine = delicious!! Definitely a winner, even my meat eating hubby loved it.
LOVE that 🙂 so pleased to hear Maggie!
Oh. My. Goodness! What a superb recipe. Absolutely gorgeous. I made it in the slow cooker and my husband (meat eater) and I munched through more than 2/3rds of it in one sitting. I must admit, I tried a little on a spoon before it cooked and the cocoa powder was very overbearing and I was a little unsure but, once it has cooked down, it is rich, hearty, ‘meaty’ and wholesome. Absolutely super! For those who don’t eat meat but love the richness of a meat casserole, this is the recipe for you! Thank you so much for this. I am thrilled with it x
Yay 🙂 so happy to hear that Jacqui!!
For how long did you cook it in the slow cooker for, Jacqui?
How long did you cook it in slow cooker please?
I haven’t made it myself in the slow cooker but I know others have. I would say 8 hours on slow would work 🙂
I made this a few hours ago and it was gorgeous! Im gluten and dairy intolerant (don’t eat meat either) and your recipes are a blessing! Especially for someone like me who isn’t the greatest in the kitchen! They are super easy to follow!
I substituted cacao for cocoa powder, (ordered some cacao online just now!) added a chopped red pepper, substituted the garlic for a pinch of garlic granules (Bec I’m not a garlic fan!) it’s now in small containers in the freezer! Thank you so much for yr amazing recipes! Looking forward to receiving your recipe book, Well Done!!