Vegan Goulash

This hearty vegetable goulash is a low-fat, vegan take on the classic Hungarian stew. We made it with red kidney beans, potatoes, and mushrooms, all spiced with caraway seeds and lots of paprika.

Vegan Goulash

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs59.3 g21.6%
of which Sugars14.4 g16%
Fibers20.7 g74%
Fats8.1 g12.5%
of which Saturates1 g4.8%
of which Omega 31.2 g108.6%
Proteins20.2 g43.9%
Calcium129 mg12.9%
Vitamin A488 mcg69.7%
Vitamin C37 mg49.7%
Iron5 mg33.5%
Potassium1478 mg42.2%
Sodium857 mg37.3%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal391 19.6%
Macro split
  • net carbs 55%
  • sugars 13%
  • fats 7%
  • saturates 1%
  • proteins 19%
  • fibers 19%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
391 per serving
TIME
30m
HEALTH

Hungarian goulash is one of the most delicious stews we've ever tried; it's comforting, hearty, and full of flavour — all you need from a warming winter soup. Today, we'll show how you can make goulash vegan using red kidney beans and mushrooms. Let's jump into it!

For our plant-based goulash, we made a base of red onions caramelised with paprika and caraway seeds. Then, we added potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and beans. Finally, we simmered all with vegetable stock until tender. The result is a mouthwatering stew with a thick dark broth and spicy, aromatic notes.

Classic Hungarian goulash is not vegan, as it's prepared with cubes of beef or mutton fried in lard. It's an ancient dish originally consumed by shepherds and stored in sheep's stomach bags. In our recipe, we kept all the traditional ingredients, but we swapped meat with plant-based alternatives. We chose red kidney beans as a source of proteins and mushrooms for their "meaty" texture and flavour.

The soul of a good goulash is in the paprika. It's earthy, peppery, and it gives the soup a distinctive dark red colour. You can use sweet paprika for a more toned down flavour or go with hot paprika for a spicier finish. As we like our stew bold and fiery, we also added chopped scotch bonnets. They're quite spicy, so either remove the seeds before using them or opt for milder red chillies like bird's eye or cayenne.

To make goulash stock thick, we used a few tablespoons of starch. In the classic stew, the collagen found in meat leeks out into the broth, slowly thickening the soup. Some vegan recipes use flour instead, but we opted for starch to keep the goulash also gluten-free. You can use potato, corn, or arrowroot starch; dissolve it in a bit of cold water first, and then add it to the soup. As it cooks, it will quickly thicken the goulash — easy!

One bowl of this vegan stew has less than 400 calories, and it covers 35% RDI of proteins and 70% RDI of fibres, all with a third of the fats compared to a meat-based goulash. Enjoy it with toasted bread or ladle it on a bed of small egg noodles, Hungarian-style.

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 tbsp
Large Red Onions2
Paprika (sweet or hot)2 tbsp
Caraway Seeds1 tsp
Red Hot Chillies (optional)2
Potatoes400 g
Large Carrots2
Chestnut Mushrooms320 g
Canned Red Kidney Beans480 g
Vegetable Stock1.5 L
Large Tomatoes2
Potato Starch (optional)2 tbsp
Fresh Parsley to taste

Step 1

Let's start by preparing the vegetables.

Peel the potatoes and carrots. Then, chop them into small chunks along with mushrooms and tomatoes.

Next, slice the red onions into thin wedges and finely mince the red hot chillies if you're using them.

chopped vegetables for goulash

Step 2

Heat the oil in a deep pot and add in the onions, paprika, and caraway seeds.

Stir well and sizzle the onions for 5 minutes until softened and caramelised.

onions, paprika, and caraway seeds for goulash

Step 3

Next, add the prepared chillies, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and kidney beans with their canning water.

Then, sizzle them for 3 minutes to absorb the flavours.

vegetable goulash in a pot

Step 4

Now, add in the chopped tomatoes followed by the vegetable stock.

Bring the broth to a boil and simmer the goulash covered for 20-25 minutes over low heat.

vegetable goulash stew in a pot

Step 5

You can now use the starch to thicken the goulash broth, but this is optional.

Dissolve the starch in a little cold water in a cup, and then add the slurry to the stew.

Stir well and simmer the goulash for 1-2 minutes until the broth has thickened.

vegan goulash thickened with starch

Step 6

Divide the goulash among bowls and garnish it with chopped parsley.

Enjoy it with toasted sourdough bread on the side or on a bed of small egg noodles (csipetke/spätzle).

vegetable goulash with parsley in a pot

Tips

Drizzle the soup with lemon juice which helps absorb the iron better; you can also sprinkle the goulash with nutritional yeast flakes for a boost of nutrients.