Vegetable Stew (Hearty and Healthy)

Try this hearty vegetable stew with a medley of fresh, colorful vegetables, chickpeas and quinoa. It will satisfy your tastebuds, your tummy, and your soul!

Vegetable stew with mixed vegetables in black bowl with spoon.

A delicious vegetable curry served with basmati rice is a great dinner for weeknights. But if you want a one-dish meal that is just as healthy and tasty, make this one-pot vegetable stew.

This stew is as comforting and satisfying as my vegan beef stew or my vegan Irish stew, but it has a very different, albeit just as delicious, flavor. It is loaded not just with a medley of chunky, colorful veggies, it also has chickpeas and quinoa for protein, making it one of the healthiest meals you can treat yourself to.

This is a versatile recipe. You can add as many veggies as you like to this veggie stew, and you can change them up according to your preferences. I used onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, summer squash, tomatoes and Swiss chard.

The inspiration for this recipe is a Mediterranean vegetable stew, so to spice it up I used my delicious and spicy Calabrian chili paste. You can also use harissa, if that’s what you have. The paste and a couple of herbs are all you need to add amazing flavor to this already yummy stew.

If you love easy vegetable dishes, be sure to try this Kerala vegetable moilee, a stew of mixed vegetables with coconut milk.

Table of Contents

Why you will love this vegetable stew recipe

Filling and delicious. Great flavor is surely the determining feature of any great dish, and this veggie stew delivers! The vegetables add amazing flavor of their own and great, chunky texture. The quinoa and chickpeas make the stew filling and comforting and oh so satisfying.
Versatile. Use as many veggies as you want, and you can change them up according to your tastes. See ingredients list below for tips.
Healthy. Everything in this veg stew is good for you. Even the fat in the recipe — olive oil — is known to add antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats to keep your heart healthy.
Soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan. Everyone can enjoy this cozy vegetable stew, and they will! Even an omnivore won’t miss the meat.

Ingredients for vegetable stew

See recipe card below for exact quantities of each ingredient

Extra virgin olive oil. This adds both flavor and healthfulness. You can also drizzle some olive oil over the stew before serving for even more deliciousness.
Herbs: garlic, dried oregano and dried thyme. You can also use fresh herbs. Use fresh basil or fresh mint or fresh parsley for garnish.
Vegetables: onions, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes (use yellow potatoes or red potatoes, stay away from starchy potatoes), summer squash (I used a pattypan squash, but zucchini or yellow squash are great too), tomatoes and Swiss chard. Other vegetables you can use here are cauliflower, bell peppers of any color, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, green peas and asparagus.
Calabrian chili paste. This spicy chili paste adds amazing flavor to the stew but because you add just a small amount to a lot of stew, it doesn’t make the stew particularly spicy. Tweak the amount of chili paste you add to suit your taste. You can also use harissa paste instead of the Calabrian paste.
Protein: Chickpeas and quinoa. You can substitute the chickpeas with any white bean, like navy beans, cannellini beans or great northern beans.
Vegetable stock or vegetable broth. This is optional. You can use water instead.

Vegetable stew in bowl with basil garnish and spoon.

Recipe FAQs

What vegetables are best in vegetable stew?

In addition to the vegetables used in this recipe, most root vegetables would be great in this stew. You can also add cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, mushrooms, winter squash and frozen peas.

Can I switch out the Swiss chard for another green?

Kale and spinach would both be wonderful substitutes.

What can I use instead of the Calabrian chili paste?

If you don’t have the Calabrian paste or harissa, make a quick spice paste by crushing red pepper flakes and four cloves of garlic in a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Use that instead.

Serving suggestions

This vegetable stew has everything you want and need in a single dish. I love eating a bowl of this stew with a chunk of crusty French bread or Italian bread.
For a pop of freshness, serve the stew with a simple side salad, like this vegan Caesar salad.

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Store the stew in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.
Freeze: Freeze the vegetable stew in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
Reheat: Thaw and reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave before serving.

More delicious soup and stew recipes

Love this vegetable stew? Be sure to check out more Mediterranean recipes on Holy Cow Vegan.

Vegetable stew in black bowl with spoon.

Vegetable Stew Recipe

This hearty vegetable stew, with a medley of fresh, colorful vegetables, chickpeas and quinoa, will satisfy your tastebuds, your tummy, and your soul!

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Course: Main Course/Stew

Cuisine: Mediterranean inspired

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 55

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

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Instructions

Place garlic and olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Turn on heat to low and let the garlic saute in the oil until very aromatic and lightly blonde.
Add the onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes and summer squash to the pot.
Add ½ teaspoon salt and mix well. Saute for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the dried basil and the dried oregano.
Stir in the chickpeas.
Add the rinsed quinoa to the pot and mix it in.
Add 5 cups vegetable stock or water to the pot. Mix well.
Stir in the Calabrian chili paste.
Bring the stew to a boil, cover and cook 8 minutes or until the quinoa and the veggies are tender.
Stir in the tomatoes, followed by the Swiss chard.
Mix well, bring to a boil, and simmer for another five minutes. Garnish, if desired, with fresh basil, mint or parsley before serving.

Recipe notes

You can substitute the quinoa with a small pasta, like orzo or ditalini.

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Store the stew in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
Freeze: Freeze the vegetable stew in a freezer-safe container for up to four months.
Reheat: Thaw and reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave before serving.