Vegan Hungarian Goulash

Name: Vegan Hungarian Goulash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 2 large, diced White Onions; 3 cloves, minced Garlic; 2 14.5 ounce cans Organic Tomato Sauce; 1 14.5 ounce can Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes; 3 cups Organic Vegetable Broth; 2 cups cooked brown or green lentils (I used Trader Joe's pre-cooked steamed lentils); 1 cup finely chopped Baby Bellas or Other Mushrooms of Choice; 1 diced Red Pepper; 1 Tablespoon of sauce only Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce; 3 Tablespoons Tamari, Liquid Aminos, or Soy Sauce; 1 Tablespoon Vegan Worcestershire Sauce; 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning; 2 teaspoons Garlic Powder; 2 whole Bay Leaves; 2 1/2 cups uncooked Whole Grain Elbow Macaroni or Gluten-Free Elbow Macaroni; Chopped Basil; Chopped Parsley

February 25, 2020 by Kathy Carmichael 32 Comments

When I want authentic ethnic food, I think of my grandma’s Hungarian Goulash. Authentic traditional Hungarian Goulash, though, is full of flavor but loaded with fat. Although thousands of recipes share similar flavors, most recipes contain meat and cheese. Even in Hungary, chefs create their own unique ingredients when crafting goulash. So, being somewhat of a chef, I created my own vegan Hungarian goulash.

Even though many recipes differ, the sweet, subtly spicy flavors resonate in all goulashes. For instance, Paul and I like it hot, but the level of spice is personal. If you like it hot, add more spice. But remember, you can always add spice, you can’t take it away.

“VEGANIZING” GRANDMA’S GOULASH RECIPE TO MAKE VEGAN HUNGARIAN GOULASH

My Vegan Goulash Recipe, for example, is a one-pot, minimal mess, quick recipe that works perfectly for a weeknight dinner. In fact, this recipe is so easy, it practically cooks itself.

In order to mimic my grandmother’s Hungarian Goulash recipe, I started with her base ingredients. Obviously I deleted the meat, cheeses, and oil, and I added vegan, healthy whole foods. Despite my preference for using a mushroom/lentil combination, you can also use Beyond Meat Crumbles or another soy alternative like Boca Crumbles if you prefer. Also, you can choose gluten-free noodles instead of the whole grain elbow macaroni in the recipe.

If you choose the gluten-free option, please see the cooking notes in the recipe. Depending on the type of gluten-free noodle you choose, however, you may want to add the noodles at the end of the cooking process to avoid overcooking.

DETERMINING YOUR SPICE LEVEL FOR VEGAN HUNGARIAN GOULASH

The sauce and spices, for instance, are the magic to this recipe. Although the sauce is tomato-based, the adobo sauce, soy sauce, vegan Worcestershire Sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic create an incredible combination of flavors. The macaroni actually cooks in the pot at the end with the vegetables and sauce, so everything absorbs the flavors.

WHAT IS ADOBO SAUCE?

Adobo is a type of marinade, which is a mixture of vinegar, salt, garlic, paprika, and oregano. Popular in Spanish cooking, adobo is a sauce or a blend of spices used as a rub. As a sauce, adobo has intensely flavored due to the paprika, containing chipotle chiles, which is very spicy.

When I first started cooking, I searched high and low for what I thought was a rare seasoning. To my surprise, it was right in front of my nose in a small can located in the Mexican section of the store.

I use adobo chili sauce and its peppers in a variety of my recipes because I love the flavor, but remember to add sparingly. A small can, however, goes a long way. So, when you have used the little bit you need for a recipe, just put the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored correctly, it should last approximately a month.

WHAT INGREDIENTS GO IN THE ONE-POT EASY VEGAN GOULASH RECIPE?

White onions
garlic
Red bell pepper
Mushrooms
Cooked lentils
Organic tomato sauce
Organic fire-roasted tomatoes
Italian Seasoning
Adobo chili pepper sauce
Soy or Tamari
Vegan Worchestershire Sauce ( I used Annie’s)
Organic Vegetable broth
Elbow Macaroni (Gluten-free or whole-grain)

THE SIMPLE STEPS TO MAKING VEGAN HUNGARIAN GOULASH IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3

The first step, of course, is to saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Then, add the red pepper and mushrooms and cook down the fluid in the pot.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients, except for the dry noodles. Although the mixture may appear watery at first, everything will absorb together to create an incredible vegan goulash.

Once everything, except the noodles, is in the pot, bring everything to a boil and stir all the delicious ingredients together. Now it’s time to add the dry macaroni. Again, stir the noodles in, bring it to a boil again, and then cover and reduce temperature to simmer for 20 minutes.

When the time has elapsed, remove the cover of the pan, and ladle into bowls. Though not necessary, I always add a sprinkle of parsley or chopped basil to the top.

VEGAN GOULASH IS HUSBAND AND KID-TESTED AND APPROVED!

Despite my husband’s negative childhood experiences with Hungarian Goulash, I figured I could change his mind. Fortunately, he ate two helpings, and I watched as he smeared bread around the bottom of the bowl to sop up the last bit of the sauce. He also took the leftovers to work the next day. Apparently my vegan Hungarian goulash changed his mind.

If you need a quick dinner with very few ingredients, try some vegan goulash recipe. The kids loved it, and I made it all in one pot. I also served each bowl with a hard-crusted whole grain fresh bread I warmed in the oven. The sauce is so delicious; it requires some bread for dipping. Unless of course, you want the kids licking their bowls.

And, if you are all about meal planning, vegan Hungarian goulash packs well for lunches and will last 5 days refrigerated.

IF YOU LOVE GREAT PASTA DISHES LIKE VEGAN HUNGARIAN GOULASH, TRY THESE EASY RECIPES:

6 servings