Winter Vegetarian Stew Recipes


Hearty vegetable stew recipes to keep you warm this winter 

There's something about a hearty vegetable stew that just hits the spot. Maybe it's the warm, comforting flavours, or the fact that they're usually packed with nutritious vegetables, beans and lentils. Whatever the reason, stews or casseroles are always a welcome sight on a cold winter day. And lucky for us, there are plenty of delicious vegetable stew recipes to choose from. We have a great selection of recipes for you, whether you're looking for something new or just want to stick to a familiar favourite.

Lentil stew recipes

Lentils are a fantastic vegetarian substitute for meat, there are many different types usually defined by their colour, yellow, red, brown and green. Our favourites for stews are green, we use tinned rather than dried as they are much easier to cook with. Brown and green dried lentils are particularly difficult to work with, as they tend to soak up a lot of the sauce and gravies making a very dry dish if you are not careful. There's nothing like a hearty stew to warm you up on a cold winter's night. Our selection of pulse-based stews from Italy, France and America are sure to hit the spot.


Veggie Green Lentil Stew – French lentil casserole

A delicious French stew, tinned green lentils, sliced potatoes, chopped leeks, and chunked mushrooms all pre-fried till caramelised. This tasty vegetable mix is baked slowly in white wine, thyme and bay leaf gravy till the vegetables are tender. The flavours blend beautifully in the oven, to give a subtle earthy dish.  You will love this stew, served with crusty bread.


Hearty lentil, potato and mushroom stew recipe


Veggie lentil Meatballs -  Italian Vegetarian lentil bake

Succulent vegetarian meatballs made with green lentils, olives and parmesan, lightly flavoured with paprika, fresh chilli and parsley. The meat-free meatballs are covered in homemade cherry tomatoes, onion, basil and red wine sauce and slowly baked till all the flavours melt together. Serve these tasty veggie balls on a bed of al dente spaghetti with crusty garlic bread


Veggie meatballs in red wine recipe


Veggie lentil chilli – American Veggie Stew

A delicious chilli made with red lentils, red peppers, kidney beans and tomatoes. The chilli is flavoured with chilli, garlic, coriander, cinnamon and cumin. The chilli flavour profile is completed with a small square of dark chocolate which magnifies all the delicious flavours. Make this vegetable stew and serve on a bed of white rice with a sprinkle of lightly chopped coriander or with a crispy-skinned Jacket potato.


American veggie chilli recipe


Bean stew recipes

Beans are a great protein substitute, and there is a great variety to choose from, kidney beans, chickpeas and black beans, too less well-known beans like cannellini beans. A few years ago these beans would all have to be cooked from dried beans but Today most of them can be found in tins in the supermarket. We have picked a traditional English bean and vegetable stew, a Jamaican black bean dish and a Greek garbanzo stew. All these delicious stews and casseroles are packed with healthy vitamins and minerals and healthy proteins


Vegetable and bean stew with cheese dumplings - English vegetarian stew

This hearty vegetable stew recipe is made with cauliflower, green beans, courgettes, frozen peas and cannellini beans. It has a delicious tomato-based gravy flavoured with French herbs. This wholesome dish is topped with cheddar cheese dumplings. The stew is a meal in itself, but if you want to add a side we recommend serving it with crispy skinned jacket potatoes or herby potato cakes.


veggie bean stew with dumplings recipe


Jerk sweet potato and black bean stew – Jamaican Vegan stew

You will love this recipe for a hearty vegan stew loaded with delicious winter vegetables and beans. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, red peppers and black beans, flavoured with scotch bonnet chilli, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make this spicy vegetable stew and serve it with a traditional side dish of spicy coconut rice and aduki beans. if you're in a hurry serve it with microwaved brown rice.


Jerk sweet potato and black bean stew recipe

Chickpea Moussaka - Greek Vegetable and Chickpea stew

This lovely recipe for a Greek vegetarian stew is absolutely delicious, with layers of crispy fried aubergine and courgettes mixed with a rich tomato and chick pea sauce and topped with a layer of soft slice potatoes and creamy cheese sauce. Bake in the oven till all the flavours have melted together and the top is deliciously golden brown. This dish is extra special because of the delicious tomato and garbanzo beans sauce, made from oven-roasted chopped tomatoes and flavoured with cinnamon, garlic and cumin. Serve this delicious dish with a fresh green salad or with warm garlic bread to soak up all that delicious sauce

Greek vegetable and chickpea stew recipe


Frequently asked questions about veggie stews

Adding a meaty taste to your stew

There are lots of ways to make your stew meaty, adding umami-flavoured ingredients like mushrooms. Adding marmite to your gravy will also give it extra flavour. A good stew doesn't necessarily need to be "meaty", you can add flavour using other ingredients such as tomato paste or a tasty vegetable broth. Another way to add extra flavour is to roast your vegetables, especially root vegetables first before adding them to the stew

What goes with our vegetarian stews 

Stew is perfect on its own but if you want a side dish you can't go wrong with, potatoes mashed, roasted or in their jackets. Grains are another great option, you can choose from brown rice, white rice or more unusual grains like barley. My absolute favourite side has to be dumplings

Can you freeze these delicious winter vegetable stews?

Yes, stews are ideal for batch cooking and freezing, cook extra pop in a freezer-proof dish allow it to cool and then place it in the freezer. Filling your freezer with delicious stews makes busy work-night dinners a breeze


Looking for more delicious vegetarian dishes check out or veggie recipe section 

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