Is this just a mushroomy, buckwheaty version of borscht? Well, basically. If you’re into umami, earthy, sweet and sour flavors, you’ll love this vegan slow cooker beet stew recipe with seitan, wild and white mushrooms, and roasted buckwheat. It’s so hearty and makes a nice, big batch. It’s absolutely delicious in fall, the dead of winter, or whenever you’re in the mood.
This recipe makes ~12 servings.
A few things…
- No dried porcini mushrooms? I chose the porcini mushrooms for this stew recipe, because their earthy, meaty flavor that would pair well with beets, seitan and buckwheat. While I haven’t personally tried it, dried shiitake mushrooms feel like they would work well. If you do, let us know how it goes!
- My crock-pot is the old school variety, which doesn’t allow me to sauté in it. I do my sautéing on the stove in a pot, and then, spoon it into the slow cooker. Feel free to sauté right in your slow cooker, if yours has that option.
- Not super familiar with where to find roasted buckwheat groats? In the U.S., my favorite brand is Wolff’s Whole Kasha, which you can buy at Safeway or Walmart. You can also find other brands at Eastern European or international markets.
- Beets and chard are in the same plant family, and their leaves have roughly the same flavor. If your beets don’t have any greens, then just add chopped red chard to taste (maybe 2-3 handfuls).
- While you can top your beet stew with whatever you’d like, I’d love to make a strong case for vegan sour cream and finely chopped fresh dill. A little creamy and a pop of freshness.
- Leftovers freeze like a dream. I stirred in a little fresh dill before freezing it, because it really does bring it all together. And when I thawed it out and enjoyed it for dinner, it worked out great.
Please enjoy! And make sure to check out other UVK recipes, like Vegan Slow Cooker Jackfruit Porcini Ragú, Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes with Apple Cinnamon Topping, Vegan Roasted Buckwheat Mushroom Patties, Vegan Lentil Loaf with Porcini Mushrooms, Walnuts and Cashews, Carrot Kasha Pierogi and more.
Slow Cooker Beet Stew with Seitan, Mushrooms and Roasted Buckwheat
½ ounce of dried porcini mushrooms
2 Tbsp vegan butter
1 large onion, small dice (OR ~2½ cups of small dice onions)
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 ounce whole white mushrooms, sliced (OR ~2 cups sliced white mushrooms)
1½ tsp dried marjoram
2 bay leaves
Black pepper, to taste
4 cups fake beef broth (I used 2 Edward & Sons Not-Beef Bouillon Cubes + 4 cups of water)
2-3 large beets, peeled and small diced (OR ~4 cups small diced beets)
8 ounce package of seitan chunks (OR ~1 cup homemade seitan chunks)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced (OR ~1 cup peeled and diced carrots)
Chopped beet greens, to taste (see notes above)
⅓ cup roasted buckwheat groats
1-2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
Vegan sour cream, to top
Finely chopped fresh dill, to top
1. First you’ll prep the dried mushrooms for the beet stew. Thoroughly rinse the dried porcini mushrooms–removing any sand or gritty material. Add them to a small bowl. Cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes. Remove, rinse and chop.
2. In a large pot, add the vegan butter, onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onions are golden.
3. Add the garlic, sliced white mushrooms, marjoram, bay leaves and black pepper (to taste). Stir around until the mushrooms sweat out.
4. Add the broth and chopped porcini mushrooms. Bring to a boil.
5. Add the beets, seitan and carrots to the slow cooker. Add the contents of the pot to the slow cooker. Secure the lid. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
6. In the last hour of cooking, add the beet greens. In the last 10 minutes, add the roasted buckwheat.
7. When everything is cooked through, stir in the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Taste the beet stew and adjust flavors of the, if needed (more vinegar? more soy sauce?). Serve topped with vegan sour cream and finely chopped fresh dill.