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Vegan Carrot and Bean Stew Like Grandma Used to Make

Name: Vegan Carrot and Bean Stew Like Grandma Used to Make
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) green beans; 2 onions; 8 carrots (approximately 500 g / 1 lb); 6 potatoes (approximately 650 g / 1.5 lb); 400 g (14 oz) smoked tofu (optional); 1 tbsp soy sauce (optional); 800 ml (3.33 cups) vegetable stock; 2 tbsp savory (or 4 fresh sprigs); 2 bay leaves; 3 thyme sprigs; salt; pepper; nutmeg; neutral vegetable oil for frying

A recipe by Julia Justus | Photos by Julia Justus

Some recipes are so simple that we’re not quite sure whether they’re “worth” publishing on our blog. This stew is one of them. So why did we publish it anyway? Well, some recipes on our blog are mainly about the explanations, so you understand exactly how we cooked or baked something. Others are more of a reminder not to forget them. Because, be honest: when was the last time you ate a stew like this and used ingredients like bay leaves or savory? So that we don’t ONLY think of our childhood and grandparents, we can bring stews, however simple they may be, back to the table more often.

Traditionally, stews often end up with bacon, meat or sausage. Over time, we’ve noticed that you can easily leave them out completely, and a purely vegetable-based stew tastes just as wonderful. If you’d still like a replacement, you can reach for vegan sausages, seitan or smoked tofu, for example. That’s why the tofu is only listed as optional in this recipe.

What Does Savory Actually Do?

Savory (Bohnenkraut in German) is THE classic herb for green beans, lentils and peas, but it also goes well with vegetables and stews in general. You might think you’ve never eaten it, but it’s actually part of many herbes de Provence blends. Traditionally, the herb is also said to be easy on the stomach and to make legumes a little easier to digest. By the way, you can easily replace fresh savory with dried.

And What About the Bay Leaves?

They go into the pot, but get fished out again before serving, because the leaf doesn’t really get soft, even after a long simmer. Go easy on them, their flavor is pretty strong. The same goes for the thyme sprigs.

Two Last Tips

Since stews are usually cooked in big pots, it’s often hard to estimate small portions. But that shouldn’t put you off, because the leftovers freeze beautifully and you’ll be happy to have them later! A little patience pays off, too: when reheated for the second time, the stew has had even more time to soak up flavor and tastes even heartier.

If you’re still not done with stew vibes, check out our vegan lentil stew with sausages, our vegan kale stew with seitan and white beans or our vegan autumn stew.

On the left, you can see all the vegetables for the stew. On the right, the potatoes are being cut.

A three-part photo showing the vegetables being cooked and prepared, step by step.

On the left, a shot of the finished stew in the pot. On the right, a plate is being filled with the stew.

Vegan Carrot and Bean Stew Like Grandma Used to Make

4 servings

45 minutes

Ingredients

200 g (7 oz) green beans
2 onions
8 carrots (approximately 500 g / 1 lb)
6 potatoes (approximately 650 g / 1.5 lb)
400 g (14 oz) smoked tofu (optional)
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
800 ml (3.33 cups) vegetable stock
2 tbsp savory (or 4 fresh sprigs)
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
salt
pepper
nutmeg
neutral vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Wash and trim the green beans, cut off the ends and halve the beans if they’re very long. Peel the onions and cut into small cubes. Peel the carrots and potatoes if necessary. Cut the carrots into slices and the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. If using, cut the smoked tofu into cubes.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot and fry the smoked tofu over high heat until nicely browned. Deglaze with soy sauce. Add the onion cubes and sweat over low heat for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add the carrots and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and fry everything together for 5–10 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil once. Add the green beans, savory, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Reduce the heat and simmer the stew over medium heat with the lid on for approximately 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add more vegetable stock if needed.
Before serving, remove the bay leaves, thyme sprigs and savory sprigs (if using fresh) from the stew. Season generously with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.