Recipe: Veganized American Goulash (Nut Free)

When I was growing up, "goulash" was one of my favorite dinners. It bore little resemblance to what Hungarians call goulash. These days, the dish "American Goulash" is so-called to avoid confusion with Hungarian goulash, but you'll find it to be pretty popular across the American Midwest and South. The gesture it still makes to its Hungarian roots--such that may exist--is the inclusion of meat of some kind and paprika. Of course, I didn't use meat here, but TVP works super well. I have made this dish occasionally in a vegan version for years and I'm happy to finally be able to give you a recipe I'm proud of.

This is not fancy food. Nearly everything in it is pantry staples (at least, in my pantry they're staples!). They're also very cheap things--TVP, macaroni, and canned tomatoes are some of the cheapest foods there are available in the United States. But it's still delicious. It is the kind of meal I would make when I am avoiding the grocery store, since the only perishables are some sturdy vegetables. The vegan version has more ingredients in it than most of the non-vegan recipes would, but I hope you won't let that deter you. Think of it like a curry (those always have a list of ingredients a mile long, but mostly you dump and simmer). It's a one-pot meal and I don't even bother with mise-en-place for it outside chopping up the vegetables before I get started. You can just start dumping things into the pot as you measure them (at the time directed, anyway), then leave it to simmer until it's done. This is cheap, lazy food at its finest.

Because I tend to make things in smaller quantities, there are several half-a-thing ingredients here--half an onion, half a pepper, half a can of tomatoes--but feel free to double the recipe if you like. It's very forgiving! But if you do double it, I suggest cooking it in a soup pot or a Dutch oven rather than a skillet to avoid it overflowing. You'll notice it's a not-too-specific recipe in places, because you genuinely can swap out several of the ingredients to suit what you have on hand. Such is the nature of things like American goulash.

Veganized American Goulash
Serves: 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (use whatever you want, but I used canola)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups of water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 of a 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Bragg's liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon of choice (I used Better than Bouillon No Beef stock paste)
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (I used Annie's)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-2 bay leaves (use one if you have large leaves; two if they're on the smaller side)
1 cup TVP
1 1/2 cups dry macaroni or small pasta shapes of your choosing (about 4 ounces--if you have differently-sized macaroni or pasta shapes, adjust accordingly)
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy cheese (optional)
Parsley, fresh or dried, for garnish (optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves and cook for another minute or so or until fragrant.

Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, nutritional yeast, liquid aminos, vegetable bouillon, liquid smoke, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.

Stir in TVP. When well mixed, add macaroni and stir well. Ensure the macaroni is submerged in the liquid; if not, add a bit more water.

Cover, lower heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is done. You may need to add a bit more water if it gets too dry before the noodles are cooked. 

Remove from heat. Stir in non-dairy cheese and cover for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Stir again to ensure the cheese is well-mixed in, remove the bay leaves, and divide into serving bowls. Top with parsley, if desired.