Potato and Carrot Stew with Tarragon
This vegan potato and carrot stew simmers cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, and canned tomatoes with bay leaves, thyme, sweet paprika, and fresh tarragon until everything turns tender and savory. A spoonful of whole wheat flour dissolved in cold water thickens the broth into a light, comforting sauce. It is quick, budget-friendly, and easily feeds a whole family.
I love family recipes that are super-easy to make, delicious, and use budget-friendly ingredients, and this vegan potato and carrot stew with fresh tarragon is one of my favorite recipes. I learned it from my mother, who always cooks dishes that can feed the whole family. So many of the recipes I make today came from her kitchen, and I am glad I get to serve great dishes like this one to my own family.
What turns this from a plain potato stew into something special is the tarragon. This wonderful herb is delicious in potato and white bean dishes, and I think you should always keep some in your pantry. I store mine in vinegar, which means I can keep it around almost indefinitely and reach for it whenever a pot of stew needs lifting.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A budget-friendly dinner built on pantry staples like potatoes, carrots, onion, and canned tomatoes.
- A meal that stretches to feed a whole family from one pot, with leftovers that taste even better the next day.
- A naturally vegan main that needs no special ingredients or substitutions to be plant-based.
- A gluten-free option, since you can swap the whole wheat flour for corn starch and keep the same comforting texture.
- A weeknight dish you can have on the table in about 30 minutes of mostly hands-off simmering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is truly cheap to make. Five potatoes, two carrots, an onion, and a can of tomatoes cost very little yet turn into a hearty pot that serves the whole table.
- The tarragon makes it memorable. That one herb is the difference between an ordinary potato stew and a dish people ask you about, with its faint anise note playing against the sweet paprika.
- It is mostly hands-off. Once the potatoes and carrots are simmering, you have around 20 minutes to do something else while the pot does the work.
- It thickens itself. A tablespoon of flour dissolved in cold water turns the cooking liquid into a glossy, light sauce, so there is no need for cream or extra fat.
- It is family food. This is the kind of gentle, savory stew that pleases children and adults alike, which is exactly why it has stayed in my mother’s rotation and now mine.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes are the backbone of this stew, and I reach for a starchy or all-purpose variety rather than a waxy one. Starchy potatoes release a little of their starch into the broth as they cook, which helps the sauce feel fuller and rounder. Peel them and cut them into even cubes so they cook at the same rate, and look for firm potatoes with no green patches or sprouting eyes.
Carrots bring natural sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Pick firm, brightly colored carrots and slice them into rounds of roughly the same thickness as your potato cubes so the two finish tender together. Older, limp carrots will taste flat, so use ones that snap cleanly.
Fresh tarragon is the star here. Its delicate anise-and-licorice flavor is what sets this stew apart, and I always prefer it fresh over dried because the aroma is far brighter. Add it near the end of cooking so the heat does not dull it. If you find a bunch, store the rest in vinegar the way I do, and it will keep for ages.
Sweet paprika gives the broth its warm color and a gentle, slightly fruity depth without heat. Buy it from a shop with good turnover, because paprika fades fast and a tired, dusty-tasting tin will leave the stew muted. Stir it in with the other dry spices so it blooms in the simmering liquid.
Canned chopped tomatoes add the acidity and body that tie the dish together. A good can of tomatoes is one of the most reliable pantry staples you can keep, and they go in toward the end so they keep a little freshness rather than cooking down to nothing.
Whole wheat flour dissolved separately in cold water is what thickens the stew. Mixing it with cold water first is the key step, because adding dry flour straight to a hot pot guarantees lumps. For a gluten-free version, corn starch works the same way.
Bay leaves and thyme work quietly in the background, layering a savory, herbal base under the brighter tarragon. Add them early with the simmering vegetables so they have time to release their flavor, and remember to fish the bay leaves out before serving.
Tips
- Cut everything evenly. Cube the potatoes and slice the carrots to a similar size so they reach tenderness at the same time. The stew is ready when a fork slides into a potato cube with no resistance, usually around 20 minutes.
- Always dissolve the flour in cold water first. This is the most common mistake with thickened stews. Whisk the flour into cold water until smooth, then stir that slurry into the pot. Cold water keeps the starch granules separate so they thicken evenly instead of seizing into lumps.
- Add the tarragon and tomatoes last. Both are best with only a few minutes of cooking. Long simmering flattens fresh tarragon’s aroma and cooks all the brightness out of the tomatoes, so stir them in at the end and cook for just 5 minutes more.
- Taste and adjust the salt after the tomatoes go in. Tomatoes shift the balance of the whole pot, so wait until they have warmed through before you do your final seasoning.
- Do not let the potatoes overcook. If they start to fall apart you lose the distinct pieces that make it a stew rather than a mash. Pull the pot off the heat as soon as the vegetables are tender.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it gluten-free. Swap the whole wheat flour for corn starch, dissolved in cold water the same way. It thickens just as well and keeps the stew fully gluten-free.
- Use dried tarragon in a pinch. Fresh is best, but if you only have dried, use about a third of the amount and add it a little earlier so it has time to soften and release flavor.
- Add white beans. Tarragon is wonderful with white beans, so a drained can stirred in with the tomatoes turns this into an even heartier, higher-protein main.
- Adjust the broth. Swap the water for vegetable stock if you want a deeper savory base, and add a little more liquid if you prefer a soupier, more brothy stew.
Storage and Make Ahead
This stew keeps beautifully and, like most family stews, tastes even better the next day once the flavors have settled. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if it has thickened too much. It also freezes well for up to 3 months, though the potatoes can soften slightly on thawing, so a quick stir brings it back together. It is a great make-ahead dish for busy weeks.
If you love this kind of cozy, potato-forward comfort food, try my cream of potato soup with carrot for a smoother, blended take on the same vegetables. For more one-pot dinners along these lines, browse my collection of vegan stews and chilis, or the full roundup of healthy potato recipes for more ways to put a humble bag of potatoes to work.
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Potato and Carrot Stew
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots sliced
- 5 potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 Tbsp tarragon preferably fresh
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 400 g tomatoes canned, chopped
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour dissolved separately in some cold water (or corn starch for gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the chopped onion.
- Saute for a couple of minutes, then add the cubed potatoes.
- Cover the potatoes with water (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups, or more depending on your pot size).
- Add the sliced carrots, bay leaves, sweet paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let it cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the whole wheat flour, which you have dissolved separately in a cup with some cold water.
- Add the canned chopped tomatoes and the fresh tarragon. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes, until the stew thickens.
- Serve with fresh parsley on top!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this potato and carrot stew is fully vegan. It is built on potatoes, carrots, onion, canned tomatoes, herbs, and olive oil, with no meat, dairy, or eggs. The broth is thickened with flour dissolved in water rather than cream, so it stays plant-based without any substitutions.
Dissolve the flour in cold water first, whisking it into a smooth slurry before adding it to the pot. Cold water keeps the starch granules separate so they thicken the broth evenly. Adding dry flour straight into hot liquid is what causes lumps, so the cold-water step is the key.
Yes. Simply swap the whole wheat flour for corn starch, dissolved in cold water the same way. Corn starch thickens the broth just as effectively and keeps the stew completely gluten-free, with no change to the cooking method or flavor.
Tarragon gives the stew a delicate anise-and-licorice note that lifts it above an ordinary potato dish. It pairs especially well with potatoes and white beans. Add it near the end of cooking so the heat does not dull its aroma, and use fresh tarragon when you can for the brightest flavor.
Stored in an airtight container, this stew keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and often tastes even better the next day once the flavors have settled. Reheat it gently on the stove and add a splash of water if it has thickened too much.
Yes, it freezes well for up to 3 months. The potatoes may soften slightly when thawed, but a quick stir while reheating brings the stew back together. Cool it fully before freezing in an airtight container, and thaw it in the fridge overnight for the best texture.
Tarragon is amazing and it’s just perfect in this combination. Yum! 🙂
Happy to hear you liked the recipe! 😀