Mushroom Vegetable Stew

This mushroom vegetable stew is the perfect way to welcome in fall! It is bursting with flavor and interesting textures while being loaded with tons of fresh produce and mushrooms. It’s then topped with fluffy couscous to make it a complete and satisfying meal. Inspired by Moroccan cuisine, in particular a tagine, this hearty dish is seasoned with fragrant spices like cumin, cinnamon, and star anise. Vegetables like carrots, celery, and kale offer color and texture while shiitake mushrooms make this incredibly satisfying. The secret ingredients to the base of this stew are dried plums and olives which offer a savory sweet depth that really make this dish sing.

Spices for this Mushroom Vegetable Stew

First up, the backbone of this mushroom vegetable stew starts off with a power-house combination of spices. Here we have star anise, cinnamon, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cumin, coriander, clove, allspice, and nutmeg. Talk about flavor people… this is the ticket! Now to wake up all of these dried ingredients, we are first going to fry some onion in some olive oil. Once the onion is caramelized as all get out, we throw in the spices and toast them. That’s when you’ll roll your eyes in the back of your head and scream, “Delicious!”

The Secret Ingredient

To give this mushroom vegetable stew a sweet and savory backbone, we are going to add some dried plumes, also known as prunes! This may seem like an odd addition but I promise you it truly elevates the dish. Not to mention, you will not really taste prunes. Instead, they will enhance the overall flavor providing an earthy sweetness that will have guests wondering where that special flavor comes from.

Cooking the Mushroom Vegetable Stew

As you can see here, large chunks of carrots and celery and shiitake mushrooms are sauteed until juicy and combined with cannellini beans. This array of ingredients bulks up this mushroom vegetable stew, making it hearty and filling. For even more flavor, we’re adding chopped green olives. This adds a salty richness to the stew. Once you mix the prunes in, you are left with an incredibly flavorful base.

To balance the acid in this mushroom vegetable stew which creates a beautifully rounded flavor, we’re adding chopped tomatoes. Red wine deglazes the pan (while also providing more acid), releasing all those gorgeous tidbits at the bottom of the pan. With a large pour of vegetable stock and crank of the heat, you will be left with a gorgeous pot of bubbling stew on your very own stovetop.

Final Additions to the Mushroom Vegetable Stew

Right before serving, I like to add large pieces of freshly torn kale. This will only take a few minutes to cook and the hearty texture of these leaves pairs perfectly with this rich stew base. A sprinkling of couscous (or quinoa if you’d like this to be gluten free) with freshly chopped parsley on top seals the deal and makes this stew a complete meal. Of course, if you’d like to serve it with crusty bread I wouldn’t dare stop you!

Enjoy!

And there you have it, my mushroom vegetable stew. I hope that you try this very special dish my friends! It’s just perfect for the cooler weather and is a pleasure to make. It’s also quite fun seeing all of the flavors come together in one big pot of comforting stew. If you do make it, please let me know what you think in the comments below and tag me on social media, as well. Thank you for being here!

-Timothy

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5 from 3 reviews

Mushroom Vegetable Stew

Servings: 6 people

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Author: Timothy Pakron

This mushroom vegetable stew is seasoned with fragrant spices & loaded with veggies. It's completely vegan, hearty, wholesome, and delicious!

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Ingredients

Spice Blend

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 whole star anise pods
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch or two cayenne pepper

Stew Base

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus some more
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
• 3 whole bay leaves, fresh or dried
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 2-3 large carrots, cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups shiitake mushroom caps, cut into chunks
• 1 cup green olives, chopped
• ½ cup prunes, chopped
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 7 cups water + 1 heaping tablespoon bouillon paste
• ¼ cup tamari
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups kale (curly or dinosaur), roughly torn
• 2 cups cooked couscous or quinoa, season with salt, vinegar, and one bay leaf
• Fresh parsley, to garnish

Instructions 

• Add all of the spice blend ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
• In a large pot, drizzle in the olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a good 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden, stirring every so often with a wooden spatula.
• Once the onions are cooked, add spice blend and mix well. Add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil and continue to mix frequently, toasting the spices until fragrant. Throw in the rosemary, bay leaves, and garlic. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often. Pour in wine, to deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up all of the tidbits. Lower the heat to medium low.
• Add the carrots, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, prunes and beans. Gently mix, to avoid crushing the beans, and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes to sweat the vegetables.
• Add the water and bouillon paste (or broth), tamari, and tomato paste. Mix well. Place a cracked lid on top and bring to a simmer. Once at a simmer, stir well and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every so often, until the stew reduces and becomes thick. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to your liking.
• Before serving, remove the bay leaves and star anise. Add the kale, mix, and cook for a few additional minutes, until the leaves are tender and bright green. Transfer to bowls and garnish with couscous and parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information Nutrition Information

Calories: 409kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 1371mg, Potassium: 764mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 5280IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 2mg