Seitan and Root Vegetable Stew with Red Wine and Thyme

General Fast With Oil Published August 02, 2026

This is a braise in the full sense — browned protein, deglazed pan, long slow simmer, gravy thick enough to coat a spoon. Seitan takes to it perfectly because it is pure wheat protein and holds its texture through an hour in liquid without falling apart.

Do not skip the browning. Seitan that goes straight into the pot is chewy and pale; seitan that has been seared hard in a hot pan develops a crust that stays through the braise and leaves fond behind for the gravy.

Per serving this delivers more protein than the same weight of beef stew, at a quarter of the cost. Serve it over mashed potatoes or polenta with bread for the gravy.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 500g seitan, torn into rough 1.5-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 carrots, cut into thick coins
- 2 parsnips, cut into chunks
- 300g cremini mushrooms, halved
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 cups (360ml) dry red wine
- 3 cups (720ml) vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper
- Chopped parsley, to finish

METHOD

1. Pat the seitan dry and toss with the flour, a good pinch of salt, and plenty of pepper.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers. Brown the seitan in two batches, 3-4 minutes per side, until well crusted. Do not crowd the pan. Remove and set aside.

3. Add the remaining oil, then the mushrooms. Cook without stirring for 4 minutes to let them brown, then stir and cook 4 more until their liquid has cooked off.

4. Add the onion, carrots, and parsnips. Cook 8 minutes until the onion softens and the edges color.

5. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens.

6. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot hard — every browned patch down there is flavor. Simmer 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

7. Return the seitan. Add the broth, soy sauce, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a bare simmer, cover partially, and cook 45 minutes until the gravy has thickened and the root vegetables are tender.

8. Fish out the bay leaves and thyme stems. Stir in the balsamic, taste hard for salt, and finish with parsley.

NOTES

- For strict no-oil days: skip the flour and browning, dry-sear the seitan in a nonstick pan, and build the braise with broth in place of oil. The gravy will be thinner but the flavor holds.
- No seitan? Use 500g of quartered king oyster mushrooms plus a can of drained chickpeas — brown them the same way.
- The stew is better the second day. Make it ahead if you can.
- A tablespoon of miso whisked into the broth adds depth without any dairy.