Root Vegetable Stew (Polish-Style)

Root vegetable stew with chopped parsley in large pot.

This hearty root vegetable stew is made using spices popular in Polish as well as Hungarian cuisines. Simple to make, perfect as a vegetarian weeknight meal, potluck food or side dish. Ready in just over 40 minutes.

Course Dinner, Side

Cuisine vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 262kcal

Author Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

2 medium carrots
2 small sweet potatoes
4 medium potatoes
1 parsnip or parsley root
4.94 ounces celery root
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅔ teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon hot paprika or to taste
1 bay leaf
3 allspice berries or ⅓ tsp ground allspice
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1x14.11oz can butter beans use bean water as well
1¼ cups water see **Notes
1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
2 vegan beef stock cubes or use one and add regular vegetable stock cube
4 tablespoons parsley finely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat up the oil, add the bay leaf, allspice berries, caraway seeds, onion and garlic, stir and cook gently for about 3 minutes stirring often.
Chop the carrots, parsnip (peeled or not, see *Notes) and celery root into similar size chunks (cut the potatoes into larger pieces), add into the pot and stir thoroughly.
Pour in most of the water, add the stock cubes, beans (along with the bean water), tomato puree and paprika, cover and bring to the boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Give a stir once in a while but do this carefully.
Towards the end of cooking top up with the remaining water if needed and adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat, garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Notes

*You can, but don't need to, peel the vegetables (except the celeriac, which ideally should be peeled).
I like to cut the root vegetables into similar size chunks with the exception of potatoes as they cook quite quickly (especially sweet potatoes) and can become mushy so I cut these into larger pieces. Your stew is ready when the potatoes are fully cooked.
You can adjust the recommended proportions to your taste - for example use less potatoes and more carrots or another root vegetable, such as turnip or swede/rutabaga.
Use 2 vegan beef stock cubes (this will give your stew lots of depth of flavour). Alternatively use 1 vegan beef stock cube and 1 ordinary vegetarian stock cube.
**I recommend adding most of the water into the stew and topping up if necessary towards the end of cooking (the vegetables will release water as they cook).
You may not need to add any salt into this vegetarian goulash as the stock cubes are salty.
Best served hot. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Serve with fresh bread, garlic bread, cooked buckwheat, millet or barley groats.
This stew with root vegetables can be made ahead and reheated when you are ready to serve it so it's perfect for a party.
Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition