This Hungarian vegetarian goulash is made with beans and vegetables in a delicious broth seasoned with paprika and ground caraway seeds. The perfect comfort food!
What Is Goulash?
Goulash is a traditional Hungarian stew (or soup) usually made with meat and vegetables and seasoned with paprika. Of course we’re making a vegetarian version so we’ve replaced the meat with beans.
It’s the ideal comfort food and the paprika and ground caraway seeds provide a unique flavor that just works beautifully with the beans and vegetables. It’s definitely a new favorite in our house, and I’m sure it will be in yours too once you’ve tried it.
And if you love this veggie goulash then you’ll also love our recipe for hearty vegetable stew.
What Goes Into Vegetarian Hungarian Goulash:
Ingredient Notes
- Red kidney beans – we used one 15-ounce can of kidney beans (drained).
- Cremini mushrooms – also known as brown button mushrooms, portobellini’s or baby bella’s. You can also use white button mushrooms, or switch for any mushrooms you have on hand.
- Caraway seeds – we ground these down in a mortar and pestle. You don’t have to grind them down to a powder, just grind them down a little. Grinding them ensures that you get the maximum flavor.
- Butter – is the best option, but you can also use oil if you prefer.
- Chopped tomatoes – should be canned chopped tomatoes.
- Stock or broth – my favorite option for this is a vegetarian beef stock/broth like Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef Base. The ‘beef’ flavorings really complement the flavor profile of this recipe. But vegetable stock or broth will also work great.
How To Make Vegetarian Goulash
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add butter and chopped onions and sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add crushed garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes and caraway seeds and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
- Add peeled and chopped potatoes and sliced carrots and toss them with the onions and spices.
- Add all purpose flour and mix it in well.
- Add stock or broth, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, kidney beans, chopped parsley, salt and ground black pepper and mix in.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are soft and cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Your vegetarian goulash is ready to serve!
How To Thicken Goulash
This recipe uses all purpose flour and that combined with the starchiness of the potatoes usually results in the perfect consistency. It’s very saucy, but more of a stew than a soup. If you feel that you would like it to be thicker, then it’s very easy to thicken it up further with a cornstarch slurry.
Simply add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to a measuring jug and whisk in 2 tablespoons of cold water. Add the cornstarch slurry to your goulash (you may need to increase the heat, you want it to be bubbling), stirring it in very well and continuing to stir until thickened. Let it simmer for a few more minutes once thickened. If it’s not thick enough, then repeat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this veggie goulash topped with some fresh chopped parsley and some bread on the side to mop up all that saucy stew.
If you’re in the mood to bake up a loaf of bread from scratch then our recipe for no knead whole wheat bread is really quick and easy, and nothing beats a fresh homemade loaf of bread served warm from the oven.
Storing and Freezing
Leftover goulash keeps very well in the fridge for 4-5 days in a covered container. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.
It also freezes very well for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.
More Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.
Vegetarian Goulash
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds Ground (see notes*)
- 3 Medium Potatoes (~720g) Peeled and Chopped
- 3 Large Carrots Sliced
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour (31g)
- 4 cups Vegetarian Beef Stock (960ml) or Broth (see notes*)
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 14 ounces Canned Chopped Tomatoes (400g)
- 2 ½ cups Cremini Mushrooms (240g) Sliced
- 15 ounce Can Kidney Beans Drained
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley Chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on medium heat. Add butter and chopped onions and sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add crushed garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes and caraway seeds and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
- Add peeled and chopped potatoes and sliced carrots and toss them with the onions and spices.
- Add all purpose flour and mix it in well.
- Add stock or broth, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, kidney beans, chopped parsley, salt and ground black pepper and mix in.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are soft and cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve topped with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley and fresh bread on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Butter – is the best option, but you can also use oil if you prefer.
- Caraway seeds – we ground these down in a mortar and pestle. You don’t have to grind them down to a powder, just grind them down a little. Grinding them ensures that you get the maximum flavor.
- Stock or broth – my favorite option for this is a vegetarian beef stock/broth like Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef Base. The ‘beef’ flavorings really complement the flavor profile of this recipe. But vegetable stock or broth will also work great.
- Cremini mushrooms – also known as brown button mushrooms, portobellini’s or baby bella’s. You can also use white button mushrooms, or switch for any mushrooms you have on hand.
- Storing: Leftover goulash keeps very well in the fridge for 4-5 days in a covered container. You can reheat it in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.
- Freezing: It freezes very well for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat.
Leave a Reply