The BEST VEGAN BEEF STEW I’ve Ever Had

This plant based vegan beef stew might be the best thing I've ever made. Packed with comforting umami, tender beef seitan, veggies, potatoes, and simmered in a crazy flavorful stock base - this is perfect to make in cold weather seasons. This was inspired by @JKenjiLopezAlt's version which provided the scaffolding, I had to make quite a few subs and adjustments to get this to work as a vegan version. COME HANG OUT: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_trabert/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@boldflavorvegan Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/BoldFlavorVegan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bold-Flavor-Vegan-104330438306865 GEAR: I+G flavor enhancer: https://amzn.to/3slmhfi Agar Agar: https://amzn.to/3F7GyfW (this is a more concentrated "super" version - I would only use 8-9g of this specific product instead of the 10g that I call for with the other brand) Chef's knife: https://amzn.to/3jMvCIl My fave storage containers: https://amzn.to/3jNkQSb The Vital Wheat Gluten I use: https://amzn.to/3lWjgjG RECIPES: Create stock: - Prep 3 lb veggies (carrot, celery, onion, and garlic) - Add 3 q water to a pot with - Thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and pepper corns - Simmer for 1 hour While the stock simmers, make the seitan dough. Seitan: Dry: 125 g VWG 10 g / 2 T Chickpea Flour Wet: 75 g water 30 g wine 1 T Worcester Sauce (make sure it's vegan) 1/2 tsp Browning liquid 1 T oil 1 T Miso 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp MSG 1/2 T Mushroom Powder 1/2 T Sugar Seitan Instructions: - Mix dry and set aside - Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl - Pour wet mix into dry mix - Incorporate into a dough - To an oiled cutting board, push down the dough, starting from center, into a circle that is 1/2" thick all the way through. **If dough is still crumbly at this point, let it rest and finish the cutting/frying step right before you put it into the oven** - Cut seitan into triangles about an inch wide and two inches long - Smooth any rough edges with your hands. - To a generously oiled pan fry them in oil on both sides and set aside At this point the stock should be just about done. Either strain if it is done, or grab 4 cups off the top while it finishes for the next step. Make the stew liquid base in a blender: - Add 1 q / 4 C stock (added 2 more cups before putting in oven) - 3 T tomato paste (2.5 ounces; 75g) - 1 T soy sauce - 1 T Worcestershire sauce - 2 T vegetable oil - 1 sheet of nori - 1 T miso - 1 tsp MSG - ⅛ tsp I+G (see link above) - 10g agar agar (see link above) **Note: I know I call for a lot of ingredients that might not be typical in everyone's household. If you need to, you can leave out the nori, agar, or even replace the MSG with salt. Just use your judgment. At the end, as with any recipe like this, you'll need to season to your tastes (i.e. add more salt). Just beware that it just won't turn out exactly as I intended. If you try substituting something, I'd love to hear how it went in the comments.** Assemble stew: - Preheat oven to 400F - Simmer mushrooms in a cup of the veggie stock until they start to weep - Add about 1 T of oil and cook half a diced onion. Once fragrant add: - 1 lb small yukon Potatoes quartered, - 3 Carrots coined, - 2 stalk Celery chopped into big but bitesized pices, - 8-10~ oz mushrooms - Add 1 cup red wine or a reasonable substitute - Add 2 cups of leftover stock - Fresh thyme & rosemary (use dry if you need to) - 2~Bay leaves - Bring to a simmer (~200F). - Put in oven with lid partially closed for 1 hour Finish: - Take out from heat - Add/stir in frozen peas - Serve! Chapters: Make a veggie stock: 0:00 - 1:11 Make the beef seitan: 1:12 - 4:26 Blend the stock mix: 4:27 - 5:32 Cook the stew: 5:33 - 7:51 Tasting: 7:52- 8:43