This vegan goulash is packed with savory flavor! Made with macaroni in a smoky, savory sauce, along with a hearty mix of lentils and mushrooms that stand in for meat, this delicious stew will be your new favorite comfort food meal.
I stopped eating meat when I was pretty young, so I missed out on a lot of classic dishes that other people grew up eating. I'm discovering a lot of those dishes now as I veganize them!
A while back I shared a recipe for eggplant goulash, which is really a meatless version of Hungarian-style goulash. But I later learned that American goulash is a thing too!
So I did a little research on American goulash, and you know what? It's a really weird dish. Most of the recipes for conventional, meat-based American goulash call for ingredients that I'd never really expect to go together, like macaroni, meat, soy sauce and paprika.
I decided to give the dish a try, but replacing the meat with mushrooms and lentils. And you know what? It was delicious! This vegan goulash was an absolute flavor bomb. It's a great comfort food meal and the recipe makes a great big batch, so you can enjoy leftovers for days!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Brown lentils. This recipe calls for uncooked lentils. If you happen to have lentils that have already been cooked (like canned lentils) on hand, you can use them instead. You'll need about 2 cups or one 15-ounce can. Feel free to substitute green lentils if that's what you've got, keeping in mind that they'll take a bit longer to cook. I don't recommend using red lentils for this recipe.
- Olive oil. Just about any high-heat oil can be substituted, such as canola, corn, or coconut oil.
- Cremini mushrooms. These are also known as baby portobellos. White button mushrooms will work as a substitute.
- Onion.
- Red bell pepper.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth. I like Better Than Bouillon brand in seasoned vegetable flavor.
- Tomato sauce.
- Diced tomatoes.
- Spices. We're using a mix of sweet paprika, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves.
- Soy sauce. Tamari or liquid aminos will work if needed.
- Elbow macaroni. Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Tomato paste.
- Salt & pepper.
- Vegan sour cream. Use store-bought sour cream or homemade cashew cream.
- Fresh parsley.
How It's Made
- Cook your lentils by boiling them in water, then drain then when they're done. Make sure they're fully cooked but not mushy. Check on them frequently to prevent overcooking.
- Cook the mushrooms in some olive oil while the lentils boil. Make sure you're letting them sit on the hot surface and not stirring them too much. Too much stirring can prevent them from browning.
- Add diced onion to the pot and cook it with the onion for a few minutes, until it starts to soften.
- Add bell pepper and garlic to the pot and sauté everything briefly.
- Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, spices, soy sauce, and macaroni.
- Raise the heat, bring the liquid to a boil, and let the mixture simmer until the pasta is al dente — fully cooked but a little on the firm side.
- Add the tomato paste and cooked lentils to the pot, let it simmer a couple minutes more, then take the pot away from heat.
- Season your vegan goulash with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle it into bowls and serve each with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan goulash will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Vegan Dinner Recipes
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Vegan Goulash (American-Style!)
This vegan goulash is packed with savory flavor! Made with macaroni in a smoky, savory sauce, along with a hearty mix of lentils and mushrooms that stand in for meat, this delicious stew will be your new favorite comfort food meal.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried brown lentils
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspooon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked papkria (can sub more sweet paprika)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni pasta (2 cups of of uncooked pasta)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Cashew sour cream, or unflavored vegan yogurt
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
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Place the lentils into a small saucepan and cover them with a couple of inches of water.
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Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the lentils, uncovered until they're tender but not mushy, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add water to the pot if it dries up while simmering.
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Drain the lentils into a colander and set them aside.
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While the lentils cook, coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms.
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Cook the mushrooms, flipping them once or twice, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften and brown.
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Add the onion to the pot and cook it with the mushrooms for about 5 minutes more, until the onion is soft and translucent.
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Add the bell pepper and garlic to the pot. Continue to sauté the mixture until the garlic becomes very fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, soy sauce, bay leaves, and pasta. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and allow everything to simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Stir in the lentils and tomato paste and allow everything to cook for about 2 more minutes, just to heat everything throughout and thicken the sauce.
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Remove the pot from heat. Remove the bay leaves and season the goulash with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve with vegan yogurt, cashew cream, and/or fresh parsley.
Recipe Notes
- Two cups of precooked lentils or one (15 ounce/400 gram) can can be substituted if desired. Skip steps 1 through 3 if you do this.
- Recipe makes about 9 cups.
Alissa, if you have any instant pot vegan recipes to share, I would much appreciate it!
I don't have an Instant Pot (yet!) but I have a few slow cooker recipes that I think would work in an instant pot. Here are a couple of my favorites:
https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-slow-cooker-jambalaya/
https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/slow-cooker-vegan-lasagna-soup/
I harvested so many tomatoes from our garden. This is a good/delicious way to use some of those tasty tomatoes. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely! I hope you enjoy it!!
This sounds like a great idea, I love lentils and I bet with all those herbs and spices this is delicious.
Thank you!!
Oh my gosh, synchronicity! I was just thinking this morning about how to "veganize" my grandmother's Polish goulash recipe, and this recipe popped up! This sounds like an interesting take on goulash that I'll definitely have to try.
Oh awesome! I hope you enjoy it!!
It looks so thick and hearty and delicious!
Thank you!
Alissa, I made the chickpea loaf recipe with some changes, mixed in some grey poupon mustard and some cumin and also added the mustard to the glaze..Delicious. Now I want to make for friend who is allergic to chickpeas, can i use pinto beans?
Thanks,jane
Hi Jane! I think so, but I haven't tried it with pinto beans so I'm not totally sure. I do find then to be a bit softer than chickpeas, so if anything you might need to use a bit of extra breadcrumbs to firm up the mixture. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Would have been much better without the soy sauce. Gave it a weird umami flavor that competed against the paprika. Will try it again without the soy sauce.
Sorry you weren't a fan! I hope you like it better without the soy!
I just made this....delicious! I used only regular paprika, not the smoked. It also looks appetizing. I was pleased to see the addition of the soy sauce...I've been finding it adds a whole new level of flavour to recipes. I am not a huge fan of thyme, so I only used a dash. I have been wanting g to try a few new recipes, but still within the realm of flavours I like...And this one's a keeper!
I'm a big fan of using soy sauce to add savory flavor to my recipes! I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks Lorraine!
This looks delicious and I would love to make it tonight for dinner, but not a fan of mushrooms so wondering what else I could sub.... Thoughts on larger chunks of zucchini and adding them later in the process so they don't overcook? Thanks so much for sharing the recipe :)
I think zucchini or even eggplant would be delicious! Maybe give zucchini 10 minutes and eggplant 15 if you try it. I'd love to hear how it works out!
I cooked the noodles separately for a no-carb friend, and so I left out the broth (but added a bouillon cube), and it was delicious! Non-vegans and children in my home didn’t miss the meat and happily finished their food.Thank you!
I'm so glad it was a hit!! Thanks Crystal!
I made this for dinner last night. It was so tasty and comforting! Once I was finished eating I felt very cozy and relaxed. My husband enjoyed it as well, and I'm looking forward to eating the leftovers today.
Doesn't it just make you all warm inside!?! Hubby had the leftovers for lunch and seemed to think it worked well in leftover form!
Haven't tried it yet, but going to make. We are new to the vegan life and I love trying new recipes. Thanks for this one. I loved it as a kid growing up, now w/o meat it should taste even better. Will keep you posted on the the out come. I will use fresh herbs and tomatoes. I have a garden.
on the pasta...How do I measure this? 2cups in a measuring cup? or two cups by weight which is 16 ounces?
2 cups in a measuring cup. :)
Any suggestions on how to decrease the sodium for someone who is on a low sodium diet?
Try using low sodium broth, tomatoes and soy sauce. Enjoy!!
The joy in my husband's voice when I presented this goulash for dinner, was priceless.
Definitely a "keeper" recipe for this family.
Thank you.
That is awesome!! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Made this and loved it, and so did my picky 4-year-old!! Do you think it would be possible to make in a slow cooker? Thoughts on temp and cook time?
Yay! I'm glad you both enjoyed it! I do think it would work in a slow cooker! I'm thinking 4 hours on high or 8 on low, but keep an eye on it for sure the first time you try. And add the pasta towards the end - it should cook in about 10 to 15 minutes.
This is a perfect recipe for exactly the flavor and comfort of a great goulash. I added some red pepper flakes because I love the flavor, but the recipe was spot on. I'm adding it to my permanent collection. 😂💖Thank you!
Awesome! I'm so glad you like it! Thanks Miranda!
Thank you for working this out, always wondered how it would work in V- land!
Beloved 'Slumgullion' from childhood evokes warm Fall memoires and one of the first things I ever cooked.
Also appreciate that you don't take short cuts with the array of vegan 'meats'!
Thank you for the reminder that comfort can come in a skillet.
This looks like a fantastic recipe. How do you think seitan or tofu would work?
Thank you! I think either would work well! I'd probably go with seitan over tofu - if you mince it very finely it can take on a ground beef-like texture.
Thanks so much! Lol forward to trying!