This version of Hungarian goulash (gulyás) is hearty, comforting and so flavourful. The richly delicious with abundance of vegetables, red lentils, Hungarian sweet paprika and smoked paprika. An easy and perfect weekday meal!
The traditional Hungarian goulash is a classic and all-time favourite stew that consists of beef with vegetables. The main ingredients are chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and of course the Hungarian paprika, the countries national spice. This recipe has similar ingredients, however, the main difference is the beef that is added. I have made Hungarian Beef Goulash with the chunks of beef and a Hungarian Goulash Soup. I must say, this version is surprisingly just as delicious and satisfying. It’s packed with vegetables and lentils for added protein and fiber.
WHAT MAKES THIS VEGAN GOULASH SO DELICIOUS
PAPRIKA: The paprika is added to the sauteed onions and garlic. This Hungarian paprika is sweet yet rich in flavour. It is the only paprika to use in this dish to really get the full authentic Hungarian taste. I highly recommend imported Hungarian sweet paprika from Hungary for best results.
VEGETABLES: when we add a variety of vegetables into a recipe we think of colour, texture and what is essential is the flavours, from sweetness, salty, tangy, bitter and earthy. This recipe pretty much offers a variety of flavours, mostly from the carrots, red pepper, onion, tomatoes, well you get the picture. They all bring a wonderful blend of flavours that make your taste buds sing!
FIRE ROAST DICED TOMATOES: was my choice of tomatoes to add to this recipe. It is organic that has been roasted which gives it another level of richness and flavour to this dish.
GARLIC: don’t be shy with the garlic for this recipe, it adds additional depth and flavour to this dish.
LENTILS OR BEANS: I decided to add lentils to this recipe, it offers flavour and texture to this dish. Red lentils were my choice for their richness of protein and fiber. Other options are green or yellow lentils. Beans can be substituted as well, such as butter beans, navy or Great Northern beans. Both offer many nutritional benefits!
TIPS WHEN MAKING THIS RECIPE
Organic vs non-organic: You will notice I like to use organic products and produce. It all stems from growing up on a farm when we grew our own fruit and vegetables without the use of pesticides. As well, cancer is a disease that has touched our family. So to this day, I look for products and produce that are organic and I do look for sales, as we all know, prices have been become out of reach. If you can use one or two ingredients without pesticides, it is beneficial. I would recommend frozen or canned since organic fresh produce tends to be pricy. The bottom line, you don’t have to use organic vegetables for this recipe to get the nutritional benefits.
Hungarian paprika is a must when making any of the goulash recipes. It is a deep rich flavour and select the sweet paprika with a hint of smoked paprika. Sometimes, hot paprika can be added, but use very little, as it is very hot.
Potatoes: This recipe should only take 30 minutes to cook in order for the vegetables to become tender. I used Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe for their buttery flavour, slight creaminess and they don’t fall apart when cooked. The red potatoes, russet or sweet potatoes are also options to add to this goulash.
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS VEGAN GOULASH
Wash, peel and cut your vegetables, heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onions until transparent and then add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes and add garlic. Stir in both paprikas, sweet Hungarian and smoked paprika.
STORING
This delicious goulash will store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 4-5 months in a well sealed container with a lid or what I like to do is place it in a freezer zip-lock bag.
Garnish with chopped parsley, scallions and/or dill. Serve with vegan yogurt, Greek yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy with crusty bread or rice or pasta if desired.
IF YOU MADE THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE…..I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK, COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS! PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE. 🙂
Hungarian Lentil Vegan Goulash
Equipment
- large sauce pot or Dutch oven pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4-6 oz cremini or button mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 organic carrots, sliced
- 1 tbsp organic tomato paste
- 28 oz can organic diced tomatoes (I use fire roasted tomatoes)
- 6-7 small organic yukon gold potatoes, quartered (or 4 medium organic yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp plant-based yogurt, Greek yogurt or sour cream
- pinch or two red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, half for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large sauce pot or cast iron pot, over medium heat, add onion and sauté until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cooked until the water has released, then add garlic and sauté for another minute. Stir in sweet and smoked paprikas.
- Add red pepper, carrots, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, potatoes, vegetable broth, lentils, salt and pepper.
- Once the liquid starts to come to a slow boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook with lid paritally on for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally while it's cooking. Then add lemon juice, yogurt, red pepper flakes if desired and 2 tablespoons of parsley. Taste and add seasoning if needed.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, scallions and/or dill. Serve with vegan sour cream, crusty bread or rice or pasta if desired.
Since lentils are sooo healthy for us l thought l would try your lentil vegan Goulash and was l glad l did.😋😀 The variety of vegetables and the paprika made the Goulash soooooo , sooooooo very flavourful and tasty. I will definitely make it over and over again. Thankyou for sharing your healthy and vegan recipes and Hungarian at that.❤️😊
Thank you so much Marilyn for the lovely comment and your rating! I am so thrilled you enjoyed it and planning to make it again!