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 馃槈 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
-
Slice the onions thinly by hand or use a food processor (preferred)
-
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.
-
Add 1 quart veggie broth and cook another 45 minutes or so.
-
Chop up carrots, as well as both the dried and fresh mushrooms.
-
Add dried mushrooms and carrots — cook about 15 minutes.
-
Add 1/4 cup paprika. Cook 10-15 minutes.
-
Add fresh mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes.
-
Add other spices to taste. Continue to cook 10-15 more minutes.
-
Cook noodles, rice, bread, quinoa, farro — whatever you want to serve the ghoulash over.
-
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.
Leave a Reply