Name: Hearty Vegetarian Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Gluten-free
Ingredients: 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion, chopped small; 8oz mushrooms, chopped small; 1 cup loosely packed basil, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1- 6oz can tomato paste; 6 cups vegetable or no-chicken broth; 2 tsp dry thyme; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste); 3 medium potatoes, diced medium; 1-15oz can chickpeas, with water; 4 cups chopped kale

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This high-fiber vegetarian stew with potatoes kale, and chickpeas is warm and satisfying, while also being a flavorful plant-based dinner filled with nutritious veggies and protein-rich chickpeas.

overhead view of a bowl with vegetarian stew and rice

We love a vegetarian stew! It’s a comforting and filling way to get a ton of nutrients in. Stew is just right for a chilly winter day, but it’s just as satisfying on a busy weeknight. The leftovers make for a delicious lunch as well! If you’ve been craving stew, keep reading or find more of our favorites in this roundup post of 7 Hearty Vegetarian Stews.

A collage of vegetarian stew images on a light brown background

Our Vegetable Stew Ingredients

We included as many good-for-you ingredients in this stew as we could! These savory ingredients all combine to make the tastiest pot of goodness you can imagine.

Onion
Mushrooms
Garlic
Tomato paste
Chickpeas
Kale
Seasonings: basil, thyme, salt, and pepper

How to Make Vegetarian Stew

Making veggie stew from scratch is so simple! The most involved part of making is chopping the vegetables, and if you’re making this on a busy weeknight, you can prep and cut your veggie ahead of time. Start by cooking the onions, then add in mushrooms and seasonings before finishing with potatoes and chickpeas. Let it all simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, then add kale for the last couple minutes! Easy as can be. Store any leftover chickpea stew in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to Thicken a Stew ( including a gluten-free option)

We developed this recipe with a thick, hearty texture in mind! This potato stew has less liquid and more veggies for a perfect texture every time even without adding any flour.

However, if you do want to thicken your stew further, you could:

Cook 1-2 tablespoons of flour with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2-3minutes to form a roux, add some of the liquid from the stew and mix until dissolved, then add to the vegetable stew.
If you want to keep your stew gluten-free in a small bowl dissolve 1 tablespoons of corn starch, arrowroot flour or potato starch in some of the stew liquid. Whisk well until smooth.
You could also use an immersion blender and puree some of the potatoes to give your vegetarian a thicker consistency. A stew shouldn’t be pureed, so be sure to only puree a small amount of potatoes and leave lots of texture in there.

Vegetarian Stew with Kale

We added 4 cups of kale to this stew recipe. Having greens in the dish really boosts the nutrition in each serving and the kale cooks down so much you barely notice it! For more information on cooking kale read our How to Cook Kale post.

A picture collage of 4 different types of kale

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