Vegan Potato Stew

This vegan potato stew is a simple dish that's hearty and very comforting. Serve it with a chunk of your favorite crusty bread or a salad for a no-fuss plant-based feast.

If you love potatoes, this easy vegan potato stew is something that you definitely must try.

It's just one of those recipes that use a handful of very simple ingredients to create an amazingly delicious and comforting dish.

This is a naturally vegan potato stew made with just potatoes, onion, red peppers, and aromatics.

Besides being super easy to make, it's also budget-friendly and extra filling.

You can add other veggies if you like as well as a form of plant-based protein in the form of chickpeas. I personally love to keep it super simple, though.

Why you'll love this potato stew

• Super hearty and delicious — This stew is quite filling and satisfying while also tasting amazing.
• Infused with flavor — The mix of garlic and sweet paprika pairs great with the tomato paste and the potatoes, resulting in an unexpectedly flavorful stew.
• Budget-friendly — Potatoes are inexpensive year-round, and you only need a handful of other ingredients to make this stew.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil — You need a bit of olive oil to saute the onion and red pepper in. Any other vegetable oil, like canola oil or sunflower oil will do.

Onion — Both yellow and red onion work well in this potato stew.

Red pepper — Feel free to use any color of bell pepper you have on hand. I like to dice the bell pepper and onion approximately the same size, so they cook evenly.

Garlic — Fresh garlic gives the best flavor in this stew, but garlic paste or frozen garlic are also ok.

Sweet paprika — I used sweet Hungarian paprika for a rich yet subtle flavor. If you want a bold, smoky flavor, use smoked paprika.

Tomato paste — Double-concentrated tomato paste is perfect for this stew.

Potatoes — You can use any kind of boiling potatoes in this stew — I went for Maris Piper.

Vegetable stock — Use low-sodium vegetable stock as needed. Both shop-bought and homemade vegetable stock work well here.

How to make vegan potato stew

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven, and saute the onion and red pepper for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Add the garlic, cook for another minute, and then stir in the sweet paprika and tomato paste.

Next, add the potatoes, vegetable stock and bay leaves, stir to combine and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Take out the bay leaves and stir in the fresh parsley. Season to taste and serve with a salad or a chunk of crusty bread.

Leftovers and storage

• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• You may need to add a bit of water or vegetable stock when reheating the potato stew if it looks too thick.
• This recipe is not suitable for freezing because the potatoes will likely fall apart when thawed.

Recipe notes and tips

• Stir in 1-2 cups of frozen peas for a boost of vitamins and some extra brightness.
• Make the stew even more flavorful by adding fresh herbs such as fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano.
• Add extra protein and make this soup even heartier by adding some plant-based sausage.
• Break down some of the potatoes with the back of your spoon to make the stew naturally creamy.

If you liked this vegan potato stew, you might also like some of my other easy vegan stews:

• Smoky Chickpea and Lentil Stew
• Loubieh (Green Bean Stew)
• Vegan Jamaican Gungo Peas Stew
• Vegan Jackfruit Stew
• Spiced Coconut Chickpea Stew

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