On the Emerald Isle, a rich, hearty Guinness stew—made with vegetables, beer, beef, and mashed potatoes—is standard pub fare. I’ve been to Ireland, and I like a Guinness beer every now and then. So, I made the Irish inspiration into a completely plant-based (vegan) version of Irish Guinness Stew, featuring tempeh and lots of vegetables. This is an easy, one-dish meal—perfect as a St. Patrick’s Day recipe. Patrick’s Day or any other day of the year—pure comfort food bliss. All you have to do to make this Vegan Guinness Stew is make a thick vegetable stew with carrots, onions, celery, peas, and tempeh—with tomato and Guinness beer broth. Place the stew in the bottom of a baking or casserole dish. Then mash up some potatoes quickly to “freeze” the top of the stew. Pop it in the oven to get golden brown and melty, and you’ll have a great one-dish meal on the table in no time.
Just pair this Vegan Guinness Stew dish with a cabbage salad and you are set to go for your St. celebrations. Patrick’s Day, or a simple one-dish meal any night of the week. Alternatively, you can make individual small “pies” of this stew by dividing the stew and mashed potatoes among four oven-proof soup bowls or soufflé dishes. This is an absolute favorite dish in my household. My kids love it, as they did on their first trip to Ireland years ago. If you want to switch up the ingredients a bit, you can try heirloom carrots in yellow or purple for added color, and zucchini or broccoli instead of peas.
I use tempeh in this recipe, because it’s a fantastic plant-based protein made from fermented soy and grains—so easy to dice and throw into casseroles, like this dish. You can find it in most supermarkets. If you want to skip the tempeh, you can simply replace it with diced tofu or a canned bean, such as chickpeas, kidneys, or white beans.
Follow along with the step-by-step directions for making this Vegan Guinness Stew recipe below.
Step-by-Step Guide
Watch me make this recipe on my Instagram TV Plant-Based Cooking Show here.
Description
This plant-based pub food is a vegan take on the classic Guinness Stew served in Ireland. Filled with tempeh, vegetables, Guinness beer stew, and topped with mashed potatoes, this Vegan Guinness Stew is the perfect one-dish meal for St. Patty’s Day or an easy weeknight dinner any time of year!
Guinness Stew:
Mashed potatoes:
- 4 small potatoes (about 6 ounces each), peeled, cut into pieces
- ¼ – 1/2 cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- To make the stew: Heat oil in a a medium pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, tempeh, and peas, and sauté over medium heat for 8 minutes.
- Add beer, vegetable broth, thyme, parsley, and tomato paste; cover, and cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally.
- Mix the flour with 1/4 cup of plant-based milk in a small dish until smooth. Pour into the stew, and stir for a few more minutes, until the stew thickens. Additional water may be added to replace moisture lost through evaporation—the texture should be moist, and thick.
- Season the stew with salt and pepper to your liking.
- While the stew is cooking, prepare the mashed potatoes: Place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with water, and cover. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until tender but firm.
- Drain, and mash the potatoes with a potato masher, adding just enough plant-based milk to create a creamy texture. Add dairy-free margarine, and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Pour the stew into a medium (about 2 1/2 quarts), deep casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes, smoothed over stew.
- Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
- Remove from oven and garnish with chopped parsley.
Stars
*While Guinness does not contain animal products in the ingredients list, some (from Dublin) may use isinglass (made from fish products), which can be used in the clarification process of the product. However, Guinness Extra Stout brewed and bottled in North America does not use isinglass. Read these articles from HuffPost and Chicago Tribune for more information.
To make it gluten-free use gluten-free tempeh, gluten-free dark beer, and cornstarch instead of flour.
- Time allowed to fix: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Food: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 395
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 657 mg
- fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 73 g
- fiber: 10 g
- protein: 15 g
Keywords: beer, stew, Guinness stew, St. Patrick’s Day
Try some of my other classic one-dish, plant-based meals, including: