Healthy vegan stew is the perfect winter warmer full of nourishing hearty ingredients like beans, quinoa and sweet potato. Serve with crusty bread for an easy dinner.
I'm always looking for healthy comfort food recipes in the winter and this is my new favourite one!
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This stew is just the best guys. It's so nourishing and delicious and makes you feel happy and warm inside while still being super good for you.
Although we're not vegan I'm keen to try more vegan recipes (in fact I just rounded up some of my favourite vegan comfort food recipes) and it seems like they do pretty well on the blog, I guess you guys like them too!
Plant based eating
My new planned switch is to try out a plant based milk alternative. I read an article the other day about how wasteful the production of cow's milk is so that got me thinking about trying some new options. So far I've only tried oat milk but it tasted just like cow's milk in my tea so I'm happy to stick with that one. The only thing I'm unsure about is which one is best to use for cooking.
Any thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments if you have a favourite plant based milk!
Anyway, I wanted to make something really hearty and comforting because, as we all know, I'm not one for eating salads in the winter. I am alllll about that comfort food.
So I really just chucked in all that good stuff.
This is not your traditional vegetable stew. We've got sweet potato, we've got kidney beans, we've got quinoa and we've got kale. I added a mixture of spices including ginger, cinnamon and turmeric which gave it a really warming flavour perfect for this time of year.
I found it amazing served up with a few (ok many) slices of crusty bread but if you'd like a bit extra then you could serve it over some rice.
Why we love this vegan stew:
- Stating the obvious but it's vegan which is great for when we're trying to cut down on meat and dairy but it doesn't feel like you're stereotypical vegan dinner since it's still super comforting
- It's full of flavour thanks to all the spices in there
- It's bulked out with quinoa and kidney beans so you can eat it as a meal in itself
- It's naturally gluten free
- You can make it your own by adding any other vegetables you like or switching the beans and quinoa for different legumes and grains
Vegan Sweet Potato & Quinoa Stew Ingredients:
- Spices: Garlic, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric give this stew a warming and comforting flavour
- Sweet Potato: Peeled and chopped into little chunks
- Beans: I went with kidney beans but really any bean or even a chickpea would work great in here
- Quinoa: Just a little adds that extra bit of bulk to this stew and makes it a meal all in one. Use up in these vegetarian enchiladas
- Kale: Buy the whole leaves if you can and chop it yourself making sure to remove the stems. Use leftovers in this skillet vegetable pie
How to make vegan bean stew:
- Heat the oil and fry the onion for a couple of minutes then add the garlic and ginger and cook for a little longer until everything is soft.
- Add the spices and stir then add the all of the rest of the ingredients apart from the kale and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the kale and simmer for another 5 minutes and allow it to wilt then serve.
Vegan Sweet Potato Stew Variations:
- Add some protein: If you want to bulk this out a bit more you could try adding some tofu. Try frying up some cubes and adding before serving
- Try different spices: If you want to change it up you could switch for smoked paprika or add a hint of spice with some cayenne pepper
- Add extra vegetables: Try adding even more veg to this, broccoli would be good!
Expert tips for making vegan stew
If you're not sure about the cinnamon in this recipe you could easily leave it out or switch it for another spice like cumin. I promise it adds a really lovely warming flavour though!
I always recommend buying whole kale leaves and chopping them yourself. Pre-chopped kale nearly always still has the stems in it and they can be really tough and unpleasant to eat.
If you want to bulk this out even more then a tin of chickpeas would work well or just double the amount of beans.
Although I think this is perfect just served with crusty bread it would also work over rice or another grain of your choice. Or just on its own!
Want more? Try these vegan recipes!
- Vegan Winter Harvest Bowls
- Veggie Chilli with Lentils & Sweet Potato
- Roasted Veggie Bowls with Turmeric Dressing
- Harissa Chickpea Stew with Aubergine
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup with White Beans
- Tofu Curry with Cashew Coconut Sauce
- Vegan Pasta Salad with Creamy Tahini Sauce
Recipe
Vegan Stew with Sweet Potato & Beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 clove Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 400 g tin Chopped Tomatoes
- 1 Sweet Potato cubed
- 400 g tin Kidney Beans drained and rinsed
- 50 g Quinoa
- 1 litre Vegetable Stock
- 100 g Kale chopped
- Bread to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, fry for a couple of minutes then add the garlic and ginger and cook until softened.
- Add the spices and stir to coat then add the sweet potato, passata, beans, quinoa and stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the kale and simmer for another 5 minutes before serving with bread.
Notes
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Joshua says
Really good. Replaced half the cinnamon with cumin, the kale with a diced carrot and some frozen peas and served with mashed potatoes. Will add a touch of spice next time. Hearty winter comfort food, thanks.
Liz @ Bloody Mary Obsessed says
How delicious does this look? I'm all about healthy eating so this is right up my alley and I love soups and stews!
Taylor Kiser says
This looks so hearty and delicious even without the meat! Perfect comfort food for meatless Monday!
Sues says
This is one recipe that actually has me excited for fall and winter. There's so much good stuff in here!
Traci says
Omgosh the colors, flavors, and textures...I'm in love with this recipe. So YUMMMM!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says
Even a meat lover would have a hard time not loving this stew. Packed with flavour. Full of protein. The perfect comfort food.
David says
This recipe looks delicious! Pinning to my recipes to try board. I haven't tried quinoa in a soup or stew. In response to your question, there's a coconut cream product I like to use in place of heavy cream. Works nicely in things like fettuccine.
Amy says
That's a great tip, thank you so much David, I'll look out for it 🙂
Chichi Uguru says
This vegan stew looks delicious and comforting. Everyone would love this. Such a pretty dish. Yum!!
Amy says
Thanks so much!
Julia says
Thanks for the inspiration! I have quinoa in my pantry but usually use it in salads. Now I can be a bit more creative with it :).
Amy says
Thanks Julia, it adds a lovely extra texture!
Danielle Wolter says
This truly sounds like some serious comfort food. I love stews with beans, and the sweet potatoes are a great touch. Yum!
Amy says
Thank you!
Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says
I love such healthy and colorful eat-me bowls this time of the year! What are those black seeds on top?
Amy says
Thanks Alina, they're nigella seeds, one of my favourite things, I add them to everything!