Anyone have a good plant based substitute method for beef stews?

[LuvOrlando]

Feeling nostalgic and making my mother-in-laws Hungarian Goulash for today. I was thinking my SIL would like the recipe but her family are pescatarian so I would prefer to share it with some ideas on how to work around the beef part instead of making her sad because it doesn't fit their lifestyle.

My daughter went through a meatless phase for a while and I think the Impossible brand was preferred for taste but that's all I remember about the market. Maybe there is a good recipe for making little chunks that would complement the stew? I remember the substitute being delicate so best guess is it would get dropped in right before serving.

The main seasonings in the stew beside the beef and beef broth are marjoram, onions and paprika.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Beyond meat makes some fake beef tips that might work, but I don't think they're especially great. You could just use assorted mushrooms in place of the beef, probably brown them first and get them a little caramelized. Actually maybe I'll try that with the beef stew recipe I used to make when I ate meat, I've been craving that with the cooler weather. Use veg broth, and maybe something to intensify the flavors like a bit of vegan worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

Not the same thing, but I've found a mushroom stroganoff recipe that I absolutely love, it's a nice vegetarian alternate to a cold weather stew kind of dish, serve over egg noodles. https://www.littlebroken.com/mushroom-stroganoff/

 

[LuvOrlando]

Thanks! Mushrooms have a really great flavor that would work well with stew, great idea! I have seen vegetable broth but I don't know if some brands are better than others for mimicking the heaviness in a stew. Maybe a vegetable broth heavy on onions and mushrooms?

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Thanks! Mushrooms have a really great flavor that would work well with stew, great idea! I have seen vegetable broth but I don't know if some brands are better than others for mimicking the heaviness in a stew. Maybe a vegetable broth heavy on onions and mushrooms?

I've used lots of different vegetable broth brands and they all seem pretty similar. They are really great substitutes for chicken broth, but I feel like there is a bigger difference between veg broth and beef broth. But your post made me think about mushroom broth, which I've not used, but I think that may definitely come closer to the beef broth. It's not as widely available as veg broth, but I see they have it at whole foods. I might use this when I try my beef-turned-mushroom-stew.

Also, I re-read your post and they are pescetarian, so the regular Worcestershire sauce would be fine if you add a dash or two of that, since it's anchovies that go into that. I'm pescetarian too, but we also have a vegetarian, so I use the vegan Worcestershire.

 

[TwoMisfits]

If you use the mushrooms (which I was also gonna suggest), get a variety and get one or two that fall into the "meaty" category - I like King Oyster as one that gives significant meaty texture that you'll want in the stew.

PS - Don't use the fake meat product. I don't know of a vegetarian or vegan person who actually likes it over real honest veg, legumes, or grains.

PPS - As for beef broth substitutes, don't forget you can also fortify with alcohol...red wine is a good sub for beef broth...that and mushroom broth together should give a tasty combo.