Vegetarian mushroom goulash
Meaty mushrooms and sweet peppers in a rich, smoky paprika sauce with a swirl of sour cream, spooned over buttery egg noodles like the Hungarian original.
- 45 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.98 a serving
- 490 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 yellow onions, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube, check the box: most cubes make 2 cups each
- 8 oz egg noodles
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups water
Each serving has about 490 calories, 14 g protein, 63 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $2.98 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No red bell peppers? Yellow bell peppers work.
- No baby bella mushrooms? White mushrooms work.
- No egg noodles? Fettuccine or penne works.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the onions and bell pepper, the garlic, and or quarter the mushrooms so they’re all about the same size.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Mince. Mincing means chopping something into the tiniest pieces you can, smaller than a grain of rice. Tiny pieces melt into the dish, so you get the flavor without biting into a chunk of garlic.
How you’ll know: Every piece is tiny and about the same size, and the pile starts to look almost like a paste.
Halve. Halving means cutting something into two equal pieces. Even halves cook at the same speed, so one doesn’t dry out while the other finishes.
How you’ll know: The two pieces look like mirror images of each other.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 8 minutes, until .
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 8 min
Turn the heat to medium, add the onions and bell pepper and cook for 6 minutes, until soft.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the garlic, both paprikas, marjoram, tomato paste and flour until everything is coated.
Dolly’s tip: Paprika burns quickly in a hot pot and turns bitter, which is why the heat is off for this.Return to medium heat, stir in the water and bouillon cube, and for 15 minutes, until thick and glossy.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
While it simmers, bring a large pot of salted water over high heat and cook the noodles for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. and toss with the butter.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
High heatTimer: 7 min
Take the goulash off the heat and swirl in half the sour cream. Taste for salt.
Spoon the goulash over the noodles and top with the rest of the sour cream and the parsley.
Food safety: Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, 165°F.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
