Vegetarian Goulash – A recipe from Hungary

I love cooking and trying new recipes. This Goulash recipe is inspired by my travels to Hungary.

I was in Budapest a few months ago and made it a point to explore the cafe culture that Budapest is so famous for. Read more on that here. While no one can leave unimpressed by the grand cafes of Budapest, there are also these simple recipes like the Goulash which win your heart.

Goulash (Gulyás) is a traditional recipe from Hungary which dates back many many years. It is a stew made with meat and vegetables, laced with spices. Although traditionally, goulash is made using beef, here I have a vegetarian recipe for you. All I have done really is take the meat out. You could probably add some beans or chickpeas to the Goulash for protein. Or maybe serve a bean salad on the side.

The star of this dish is Paprika, which gives it the distinctive bold colour. It was introduced to Hungary by the Ottoman Turks way back in the 16th century. Paprika has made its way into many of their recipes and as a result is now considered the national spice of Hungary.

I like dishing this out for dinners on those slightly chilly evenings, which let’s face it, happens quite often here. Yes, that’s London for you 😉

Here’s the recipe, to make enough for two generous portions.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Sunflower oil

1 large white/yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 large potato, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

1 green pepper, cut into rounds (the long ones, also known as banana peppers)

1 tsp caraway seeds, crushed lightly

few black peppercorns, crushed lightly

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp Sweet Paprika (preferably the Hungarian variety)

Salt, to taste

1 tsp sour cream, optional

Method:

• Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot.
• Add the onions and sauté on medium heat until starts getting brown.
• Once the onions are browned, take them off the heat and add the paprika. This is important because we do not want the paprika to burn.
• Add the vegetables and the spices and salt to taste. Mix well and put it back on the hob.
• Cover with water, put the lid on and simmer on low heat.
• Keep checking on the Goulash and stirring from time to time.
• Once the vegetables are well cooked, adjust the consistency by adding the water as required.
• Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and serve with some bread to dunk into the Goulash.

Just try this recipe and let me know what you think. To make things easier for you, how about this cool recipe card that you can download and save on your phone. Click HERE to get your hands on it!

Cheers,

Ameeta xx