Tasty vegan potato cabbage stew
This tasty vegan potato cabbage stew is cozy, comforting, and ultra-delicious. Featuring tender potatoes, silky red cabbage, beans, and lots of savory Mediterranean spices. With a thick ultra-rich sauce this vegan potato stew is thick and perfect paired with crusty bread to sop all the goodness up.
It’s also vegan, gluten-free, loaded with plant-based protein, quick and easy to make, budget-friendly, and versatile. You can make this tasty vegan potato stew on the stove, in a crockpot or slow cooker, or whip it up in less than 20 minutes in an instant pot. Easy, simple, and utterly delicious.
This rustic no-frills, zero-fuss potato stew recipe is packed with flavors. It’s a great all-year-round cozy to the max vegan stew…and it also makes a great recipe for saving leftover potatoes and veggies. Just add any leftover veggies and the deep rich flavors of this stew will turn them into a rustic comfort food feast. Yum!
Jump to RecipeIn this easy Mediterranean potato cabbage and bean stew post
Ingredients for making the best easy vegan potato cabbage stew
Potatoes – a big starchy type of potato works best in this tasty stew. Potatoes like Yukon gold or other very starchy potatoes are best…but you can also make this stew with fresh-form potatoes or even replace the potatoes with pumpkin when it’s pumpkin season.
Cabbage – sliced red cabbage gives this stew a deep color and a rich taste. You can easily substitute red cabbage with any other type of cabbage.
Beans – I used kidney beans in my stew, but you can easily replace them with black beans, butter beans, cannellini beans, or even lentils. The beans give the stew extra texture and add all the plant-based proteins we need.
Tomato paste and canned tomatoes – the tomatoes make up the base of this rich, smoky, and irresistibly tasty sauce. I used fire-roasted tomatoes, but any type of canned tomatoes will work well.
Onions and garlic – diced onions and finely chopped garlic is a must-use ingredient for any stew. If you don’t have red onions, yellow onions or white onions will also work just as well.
Herbs and spices – we’re working with Mediterranean herbs like oregano, thyme, and bay leaves to enhance the delicious flavors of the tomato sauce and the richness of the vegetables. And as a little secret ingredient trick to make the stew extra rich and enhance all the deep flavors we’re using cacao powder. The dark, slightly bitter cacao makes the stew extra luxurious with a dark flavor that brings out the best in the herbs. If you don’t have cacao powder you can substitute it with good-quality dark chocolate.
Chefs tip for making potatoes in the microwave
If you’re looking for a quick way to make potatoes for your vegan potato stew you can cook the potatoes in the microwave. You can easily cook potatoes in the microwave in as little as 7 minutes. Let’s look at how to make deliciously fluffy and tender potatoes.
A step-by-step guide to making potatoes in the microwave:
- Step 1: Place your potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and lightly brush them with vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook in the microwave for 4-5 minutes.
- Step 2: be careful not to burn yourself, gently flip the potatoes over using a tong and cook another 4-5 minutes.
- Step 3: use a fork or a knife to test when the potatoes are cooked all the way through to a fluffy and tender texture. Keep cooking the potatoes for 2-3 more minutes until they are tender all the way through if needed.
- Step 4: Once the potatoes are cooked all the way through, remove them from the microwave and follow the recipe to make potato cabbage stew.
How to make easy secret ingredient Mediterranean stew
Heat olive oil in a pan and add the potatoes, sliced red cabbage, and onions. Sear the potatoes at high heat while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Now, add the beans, and season with smoked paprika, oregano, and thyme. Cocoa powder, and salt. Combine everything and turn the heat down to medium. Let the vegetables cook while stirring once in a while for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are just softened.
Once the onions are softened, add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute before stirring in the tomato paste. Next, add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tamari sauce, and vegetable broth, and combine everything. Bring to a boil before lowering the temperature to a simmer. Leave the stew to simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are completely tender.
Serve with fluffy rice or a side of bread and top with chopped basil. Enjoy.
Easy way to make Mediterranean potato stew in an instant pot
Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add oil, and sauté the onions, sliced red cabbage, and potatoes for a few minutes on each side. Now add the spices and garlic and let them Sauté for a few minutes. Sauté until the onions are softened.
Add all the seasonings and the remaining ingredients to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Release the pressure.
Taste test the sauce and add more seasoning if needed.
Serve with fluffy rice or a side of bread and top with chopped basil. Enjoy.
How to make secret ingredient rich potato cabbage stew in a slow cooker – crockpot potato stew
Step 1:
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; mix well.
Step 2:
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the vegetables are completely tender.
Step 3:
Taste test the sauce and add more seasoning if needed.
Serve with fluffy rice or a side of bread and top with chopped basil. Enjoy.
Great Vegetables to add to Mediterranean potato stews
Chili – if you like a spicy potato stew you can add your favorite green chilies. I tend to go for the milder variety like Fresno chilies, but if you like spicy heat you can use Birds Eye chilies or other hot varieties.
Zucchini – zucchini adds freshness and a hint of crunch to the dish. They also soak up the spices and complement the potatoes in the best way.
Spinach – spinach adds a delicious earthy flavor to the dish and adds extra iron and minerals to the stew.
Lentils – lentils give the potato dish a wonderful tender texture and add plant-based protein to the dish.
Beans – black beans, butter beans, red beans, and more. Beans are a great way to add plant-based protein to the vegan potato cabbage casserole.
Chickpeas – chickpeas are one of my favorite veggies to add to my simple budget-friendly potato dinner. They give the dish extra plant-based protein while also soaking up the spices and adding extra nutrients. Yum.
Bell peppers – green peppers, yellow peppers, or a mix of bell peppers add extra crunch, a hint of spice, and a delicious nutritious boost.
Potato stew toppings and mix-in ideas
Every good stew recipe needs an assortment of delicious toppings. Since everyone in my family has their idea about what they want as a chili stew topping I like to make a plate full of different toppings and set it in the center of the table for everyone to customize their own chili bowl.
Salsa – regular salsa, hot salsa, tomatillo salsa, or my easy tasty salsa (my favorite topping). You can never go wrong with a good salsa topping.
Crushed tortilla chips – crispy, crunchy and salty. Pretty much everything you need as a delicious topping you get in the humble tortilla chips.
Sour cream – whether vegan sour cream or regular sour cream, sour cream is always a great stew topping choice.
Hot sauce – because some people just need more spice in everything, all the time.
Sweet chili sauce – I would happily pour sweet chili sauce over just about anything…and that includes my easy vegan potato cabbage soup. Yum.
French fried onions – crunchy, onion-y, and irresistible. French fried onions are an AMAZING potato cabbage chili bowl topping.
Jalapeños and green chilies – if you want even more spice in your potato stew then this is the topping for you.
Shredded cheese – vegan or vegetarian shredded cheese melting into a hot bowlful of cozy vegan stew? Yes, please.
What to serve with the best easy vegan Mediterranean potato stew
Mediterranean potato stew is great as a side dish, but can also be served as a main with focaccia bread or garlic bread and fluffy rice. Or you can pair the savory vegan potato side dish with these 5 favorites:
FAQs – all your vegan gluten-free savory potato casserole questions answered
Yes, this stew is great for meal prepping.
You can store potato stew in a clean sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving. Note: the potatoes taste best freshly made.
Yes. Potatoes can easily be frozen. Just store in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag for 3-4 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
You can reheat potato stew in several ways
The oven way: Reheat the potato cabbage dish in a casserole dish covered with tinfoil for 20-30 minutes at 400F, or until the potatoes are heated all the way through.
The microwave way: Place the potato stew in a microwave-safe container and reheat at a high temperature for 2 minutes. Check if the potatoes are heated all the way through, then reheat them one more minute if necessary. Check again, and continue heating in intervals until the cabbage stew is hot.
There are just around 350 calories per serving of vegan cabbage stew.
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Easy Vegan Potato Cabbage stew recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups (700g) Potatoes diced
- 1/2 head (5 cups/350g) Red Cabbage or cabbage of your choice, sliced
- 1 15oz can Kidney Beans rinsed and drained
- 1 Red Onion or onions of your choice, diced
- 1 cup (240ml) Vegetable Stock
- ¼ cup (60ml) Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1½ tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 5 Bay leaves
- 2 tbsp Cacao Powder (or 50g dark chocolate)
- 2 14oz cans Fire-Roasted Canned Tomatoes or regular canned tomatoes
- 4 tbsp Tomato Paste
Instructions
How to make easy secret ingredient Mediterranean stew
- Heat olive oil in a pan and add the potatoes, sliced red cabbage, and onions. Sear the potatoes at high heat while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Now, add the beans, and season with smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, cocoa powder, and salt. Combine everything and turn the heat down to medium. Let the vegetables cook while stirring once in a while for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are just softened.
- Once the onions are softened, add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute before stirring in the tomato paste. Next, add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tamari sauce, and vegetable broth, and combine everything. Bring to a boil before lowering the temperature to a simmer.
- Leave the stew to simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are completely tender. Serve with fluffy rice or a side of bread and top with chopped basil. Enjoy.
Easy way to make Mediterranean potato stew in an instant pot
- Turn on the sauté function on the Instant Pot. Add oil, and sauté the onions, sliced red cabbage, and potatoes for a few minutes on each side. Now add the spices and garlic and let them Sauté for a few minutes. Sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add all the seasonings and the remaining ingredients to the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Release the pressure.Taste test the sauce and add more seasoning if needed. Serve with fluffy rice or a side of bread and top with chopped basil. Enjoy.
How to make secret ingredient rich potato cabbage stew in a slow cooker – crockpot potato stew
- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; mix well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the vegetables are completely tender.
- Taste test the sauce and add more seasoning if needed. Serve with fluffy rice or a side of bread and top with chopped basil. Enjoy.
Why do you call this Potato Cabbage Stew when there is no cabbage in it? Should I make it per the recipe or add cabbage to it? If so, how much?
Hello,
The recipe calls for a 1/2 head of red cabbage, which is Approximately 4 to 5 cups of sliced red cabbage/About 300 to 350 grams.
You could also substitute the red cabbage with any other type of cabbage you prefer 🙂