A Hungarian goulash is the perfect comfort food for these chilly autumn evenings. A traditional eastern European dish, goulash is a thick stew made from meat, potatoes and other vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices. Often, sour cream is added to the mix and the stew is topped with dumplings.
Goulash is generally considered to a meat-based dish, but vegetarians can enjoy a good goulash as well, omitting the meat and adding more vegetables to the mix. Here are two recipes for vegetarian goulash to try. Both are delicious served with dumplings or crusty bread.
Borlotti Bean Goulash
Borlotti beans are a type of kidney bean with a pinkish brown colour and reddish brown streaks. They have a smooth, creamy texture and are a popular ingredient in Italian cuisine. This recipe, adapted from the Vegetarian Kitchen Library, has a nice spicy flavour due to the addition of cayenne pepper. Try using different types of paprika, such as sweet, hot or smoked, to change the taste of this delicious goulash.
Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 red peppers, deseeded and diced
- 250g/8 oz sweet potato, cubed
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 600 ml/1 pint vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 can borlotti beans, drained (425g/14 oz)
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole and add the onion, carrot and caraway seed. Fry for 5 minutes and then add the peppers, sweet potato, paprika and cayenne and fry an additional 5 minutes
Stir in the stock, tomato puree and borlotti beans, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the dumplings if desired (see recipes below) and serve.
Vegetable Goulash
This more traditional goulash recipe, adapted from the Family Circle Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, has everything except the meat. Although it calls for sweet paprika, you can again experiment with different flavours to liven up your meal. To make the meal vegan, simply omit the sour cream or use soya cream instead.
Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 large potato, chopped
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g/13 oz)
- 375 ml/12 fl oz/1 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 400 g/13 oz sweet potato, cubed
- 150 g/5 oz broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 courgettes (zucchini), thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
Heat oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and paprika, cooking for 1 minute.
Add the potato, carrot, tomatoes and stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato, broccoli and courgettes and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
Add the sour cream and top with dumplings, if desired. This recipe is particularly good with herb-flavoured dumplings with parsley, thyme and rosemary.
Two Easy Recipes for Dumplings
Dumplings are balls of dough dropped onto hot stew. During cooking, the steam from the stew causes them to expand, making them light and fluffy. Dumplings can be flavoured with herbs or cheese can be added to them.
Traditional Dumplings
Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, these dumplings are quick and easy to make with the ingredients in your pantry.
Ingredients
(Makes 4-6 dumplings)
- 2/3 cup plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- Dried basil, thyme or dill (or other herbs as desired)
Instructions
Mix flour, herbs, parsley, baking powder and salt to taste in a bowl. Mix oil and milk in a separate bowl and pour into the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until combined and drop 4-6 mounds of dough from a tablespoon onto bubbling stew. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Do not lift cover while cooking.
For cheese dumplings, prepare as above, but reduce flour to 1/2 cup and add 1/3 cup cornmeal. Omit herbs. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the mixture after adding the milk and oil and cook as above.
Bisquick Dumplings
If you have Bisquick in the house, this is a really easy recipe for fluffy, tasty dumplings.
Ingredients
(Makes 4-6 dumplings)
- 2 cups of original Bisquick mix
- 2/3 cup milk
Instructions
Mix Bisquick and milk and drop by the spoonful onto bubbling stew. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover the pan and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add herbs to the recipe as desired.
Sources
Pickford, Louise, Vegetarian Kitchen Library, Hamlyn, 1996
Family Circle, The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, Murdock Books
Knox, Gerald M., Editor, Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Meredith Corporation, 1989
Beth MacMillan - Beth MacMillan fulfilled her dream of living and traveling in Europe when she, her husband and their two dogs moved to Denmark in 2001 for ...
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