October Ghoulash

I have come to realize that pretty much any recipe can be transformed into a healthy plant-based version.  This is just one example.  Many years ago I watched Martha Stewart all the time and loved her techniques for making delicious food.  Of course, she is not a plant-based eater, so pretty much every dish had meat or dairy, this one included.  I remember it being super delicious and I made it at least once each fall.  October is just the perfect time for ghoulash (hence the spelling change 😉  So when I went plant-based I wanted to preserve the wonderful taste while replacing the meat with a healthier alternative.

Actually this recipe was pretty easy to make into plant-based.  I simply replaced the meat with mushrooms — a good variety of them.  I also added carrots which was not in the original Martha recipe.  The star of this recipe are the onions which cook down into a sweet and savory sauce.  So hearty for those chilly October days.

INGREDIENTS

5-6 large sweet onions

veggie butter and olive oil

1 quart veggie broth

3-4 carrots, sliced thinly

Dried mushrooms, about a cup  — choose whatever variety you want, chop into small pieces (important!)

Fresh mushrooms — about 2 cups chopped — choose any variety you like

Paprika — at least 1/4 cup, more to taste

Other spices of your choice — bouillon, garlic, salt, pepper, etc.

PROCEDURE

1. Slice the onions thinly by hand or use a food processor (preferred)

2. Melt a couple tablespoons of vegan butter and saute your onions in a large dutch oven.  Your pan will probably be full of onions, but they will quickly shrink down.  Add a splash of olive oil.  Cover and let cook for 30-45 minutes.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

3. Add 1 quart veggie broth and cook another 45 minutes or so.

4. Chop up carrots, as well as both the dried and fresh mushrooms.

5. Add dried mushrooms and carrots — cook about 15 minutes.

6. Add 1/4 cup paprika.  Cook 10-15 minutes.

7. Add fresh mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes.

8. Add other spices to taste.  Continue to cook 10-15 more minutes.

9. Cook noodles, rice, bread, quinoa, farro — whatever you want to serve the ghoulash over.

10. Serve ghoulash over the item you have chosen.  Enjoy!

If you try this recipe I would love to hear about it.  Or if you have an improvement or a better idea for the meat substitute please let me know. I try to stay away from the highly processed meat alternatives available today.  I think it’s better to use a whole food alternative.