Unbeef Stew
1 pound extra firm regular tofu, frozen and thawed
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
5 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tamari
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large carrots
4 potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
3 tablespoons margarine
5 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water until not lumpy
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Drain the water from the tofu, and cut into slices and squeeze more water out.
2. Then cut the slices into chunks and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet while chopping the rest of the ingredients (check the tofu about every 10-15 minutes so that it doesn't get browned - it should just be dried out, not burned).
3. The tofu should be well dried out, like croutons. Place all of the prepared ingredients into a crockpot, stir well, and cook on high for at least 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. The stew is ready when it is thick and brown. It makes a lot!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I made this yesterday. It took longer then I thought it would because I didn't defronst my tofu early enough so I cooked it up and refrigerated it to have today. I had to add more water to reheat since it sat over night and got really thick. It was absolutely delisious!! Everyone in my family loved it! Thank you!!
So very, very good. I used Gardein's beefless tips and added kale and yellow & green zucchini and cooked it all in a pot until the potatoes were done. I uploaded a pic (though can't seem to delete a duplicate version). I don't think I added enough cornstarch.
Great recipe, thank you!! ;)b I made a roux with flour, corn starch, Earth Balance and veggie bouillon and added it to the mix to thicken it up. And instead of Worcestershire sauce, I made my own concoction of garlic powder, onion power, salt, pepper and paprika with a dash of soy sauce.
Also, WARNING: to anyone who is vegetarian or vegan (because I know some people aren't and are just trying to cook healthy). Almost all chicken and beef flavored bouillon contains real beef or chicken flavors unless specified otherwise. Even if the ingredients just say "natural flavors," that means that it contains the real deal. You either need to contact the company (the website usually will have the information) or check for the word "vegetarian" on the packaging. If it doesn't specify that it's vegetarian, then chances are it contains real animal flavoring. And also most Worcestershire sauces contain anchovies so, remember to check the labels. :)>>>
This was really tasty, but there were definitely a few modifications I would make.
First, I would add more tofu (or even Gardein beef-less tips), maybe even double, and cut the potatoes back to 3 small potatoes. Like this, it was basically just potato stew. We took the suggestion of cutting back the Worcestershire sauce back to 3 TBSP, but it didn't taste too beefy or too salty to us, but then again, we used a low sodium broth from Trader Joes. We will definitely add celery next time as some had suggested.
Also, I agree with apstaats that this should take less time, but cook it on high and cut those potatoes and carrots into tiny chunks.
We are also thinking of adding some elbow pasta next time, for the kids.
Really, really awesome. I cooked in on the stove top, and it took me close to 2 hours on a slow boil, and it turned out great :) I added 2 tomatoes, 1 celery stalk, frozen peas, dried parsley and thyme. Didn't add in the tofu, and served this with rice. Went with 4 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, as the one we had was low sodium, and used a beef stock (Massells makes a good vegan beef stock, that's what I used).
I've never had beef stew in my life, but my first thoughts upon tasting was that it made me think of the gravy in meat pies, so I guess it has the 'meatiness' factor. I went a little crazy with the pepper, so definitely won't be adding as much next time :P Really tasty, makes heaps of food. I now consider this my 'western' alternative to japanese curry, same base ingredients, different seasonings :P
yep...made this again after a few years..loved it once more! Added barley, peppers, and used seitan instead of tofu. This reminded me a LOT of Campbell's Chunky Soups from back in the day....but in a good way. :D
Frick yes, this stuff is tasty!!
No worschesectshechtershire sauce? That's cool, throw in some steak sauce. It's still good.
No tofu? Hydrate some textured soy chunks, and toss 'em in!
Unbeef stew, you are the best dinner I've had all day.
For those in search of more "beefy" flavor, try adding some button or cremini mushrooms. This recipe is very similar to the one in Vegan with a Vengeance that uses miso and white wine. It is my favorite stew recipe.
I have a (possibly silly) question about the cornstarch. When it says mixed with water, do you mix it with the water from the veggie broth, or is it with additional water not called for in the recipe?
This stew was very good. I used only 2 Tablespoons butter and 4 Tablespoons cornstarch. It was ready in about 5 hours. The secret to shorter cooking time is make sure the potatoes are in small pieces. I read the comment about adding peas, and I will do this next time to give the stew some more color.
Next time, I would "dry fry" (cook in a non stick pan until brown) the tofu as the oven method took too long.
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