Vegetable And Pea Stew

Serve this vegetable and pea stew for a comforting and flavorful vegan dinner. Made in under 25 minutes from simple and accessible ingredients, this recipe is perfect for batch cooking and meal prep. It's gluten-free, too.

Who else here is obsessed with stew? I can't get enough of it. Literally any time I have leftover veggies sitting in the fridge, I turn to making stew as my go-to solution. There are just so many options and the flavors that come out during the cooking process never get old.

In my opinion, stews need to be warming, intensely savoury, and thick. This pea stew with lots of vegetables delivers in all of those areas and will leave you coming back for seconds every time! Whether it's soup season or the middle of summer, you need to add this one to your dinner rotation regardless.

Vegan pea stew with vegetables

My love for soy mince goes waaay back to my early vegan days. I was in the phase where I discovered just how many new ingredients the vegan world opened up, and immediately jumped to try out soy mince when I saw it at a health food store. Since then, I have never gone back and use it a lot to make comforting dishes such as spaghetti bolognese.

It works as a great meat replacement for making a meatless stew that can impress any omnivore. You simply soak it in warm water for around 5 minutes, and after that it's ready to use in any way you want. It gives stews a natural thickness and a great texture, so this pea stew is a great recipe to try if you're new to vegan cooking.

If you have 30 minutes to spare and want something quick and delicious, this is THE one to try out. Serve it for your weeknight meals, and cook a large batch to have a family-friendly dinner ready to go for several days, as this recipe is excellent for batch cooking and doesn't lose any flavor.

Ingredients and substitutions for this vegan stew

• Soy mince. You can also use soy chunks, which may need a little bit more soaking in order to not impact cooking time.
• Olive oil for cooking the vegetables. Use a good quality olive oil for the best flavor.
• The vegetables: I used garlic, onion, fresh tomatoes, carrots and broccoli. You can use any other vegetables of your choice, but be sure to use a generous amount because they help to make the stew much more hearty and satisfying.
• Tomato paste. This will help add tanginess and richness.
• Spices: paprika and cumin. These work together really well to create a deep earthy flavor.
• Nutritional yeast. This ingredient is perfect for adding a slight cheesy flavor to this pea stew.
• Mushrooms. I used button mushrooms, but oyster and shiitake varieties work as well.
• Coconut milk. You can use full fat or light. If you can't eat coconut milk, substitute for any other plant based milk of your choice.
• Vegetable stock.
• Sriracha. Adjust the amount that you use depending on your preferred level of spice.
• Green peas. You can use either frozen or tinned peas, depending on preference and what you have available.
• Spinach. Kale also works as an amazing leafy green that is stirred in right at the end.
• Lemon juice. This is also stirred in at the last minute for a great finishing touch and a hint of tanginess.

How to make the best vegan pea stew

Start by heating the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat for around 30 seconds. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, cumin and nutritional yeast. Cook for 5 minutes, until fully softened and fragrant.

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Meanwhile, soak the TVP in twice the amount of water (in cups) for around 5 minutes. Drain if necessary before using.

Now add the mushrooms, carrots and broccoli. Cook for around 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Add the TVP, coconut milk, vegetable stock and sriracha. Lower the heat to a medium, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more vegetable stock if necessary.

Add the green peas and spinach. Stir for a few minutes more, until the spinach had wilted and the peas are bright green. Before serving, squeeze in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

How to serve vegan stew

You can eat this pea stew just by itself, as it's already super tasty and filling. However, you can serve it over a bed of rice of your choice, with some noodles, as a pasta sauce, or with some vegan cornbread on the side.

To garnish, sprinkle on some chilli flakes for extra spice, nutritional yeast for cheesiness, or coriander (cilantro) for vibrancy and extra flavour. I also love adding a dollop of vegan yoghurt or delicious chunky guacamole.

How to thicken stew

I find that as long as you cook it for long enough and don't add too much liquid, this pea stew thickens up nicely by itself. Make sure not to add too much liquid at the start - it's best to start with a small amount, and add more if it starts to look too dry.

However, if you want to, you can stir in around 2 tbsp of cornstarch or flour of your choice for an even thicker texture.

Instructions for storage and freezing

This stew keeps really well in the fridge for up to around 4-5 days. You can reheat it on the stove until fully warmed through, and add more liquid if necessary.

This is also a freezer-friendly recipe. Store it in individual freezer bags, leaving some room for the liquid to expand. Allow to thaw fully in the fridge before reheating on the stove and adding extra liquid.

Other amazing vegan soups and stews

• Vegan gnocchi soup with kale is ready in 20 minutes and packed full of flavor!
• You just can't go wrong with amazing vegan lasagna soup.
• Make vegan chickpea stew for a cozy weeknight dinner.
• My butter bean sweet potato stew is a reader favorite!

Let me know in the comments - what's your favourite comforting and easy dinner? If you give this vegan soy mince and pea stew recipe a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below!