Guylas (goulash) is a family favorite that’s rich and satisfying any time of the year, but especially in fall and winter. In Hungary, we always cook it over a live fire in a giant kettle called a Bograc. When we’re in the US, we give goulash the same star treatment for company—but when we’re just cooking it for our family we always cook it on the stove top. Either way, we always make it in a big pot because it gets more delicious every day, so this is the perfect thing to make ahead, or to simply make extra and enjoy for many days throughout the week. (Like so many things in this series—we like to store it in glass jars with lids, so we can see it in the fridge and pull it out and heat whenever the fancy strikes.) Traditionally, you use a lot of chopped hot Hungarian peppers, plus tomatoes and beef or boar for this world-famous Hungarian stew. Since my husband (the Hungarian in our house!) doesn’t eat meat, I use cauliflower and mushrooms to replace the beef. You can use a food processor to chop all those mushrooms as fine as you like for fast and easy prep! In the summer, I make this with zucchini and mushrooms, in the fall and winter with cauliflower and mushrooms. Potatoes make it hearty and familiar for the kids. Range the heat to your liking—more sweet paprika, or go for more hot paprika if your crowd can take it! Remember the sour cream is there to help temper it at the end. I often use Greek yogurt instead to keep it healthier and still rich, and plenty of bright fresh herbs on top.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 40 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 1 pound cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 pounds wild mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
- 1 pound button mushrooms, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 to 3 teaspoons hot paprika
- One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 pound small new potatoes, halved
- 6 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 to 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons unflavored breadcrumbs
- Sour cream or whole Greek yogurt, for serving
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill, for serving
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cauliflower and caraway seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the cauliflower is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally and seasoning with the salt and pepper, until deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Add in the paprika to taste, tomatoes, potatoes, broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cook, maintaining a low simmer, until the stew is richly flavored, about 1 hour.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs and simmer to thicken the stew slightly (it should still have a nice brothyness). Serve warm, with sour cream, dill and parsley.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 225 |
| Total Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 11 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 1 mg |
| Sodium | 323 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 225 |
| Total Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 11 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Cholesterol | 1 mg |
| Sodium | 323 mg |
Reviews
Best goulash I’ve ever had or made! That being said, I only gave it 4 stars because I made a couple changes, not a huge deal but wanted to be fair – but this is a 5 star recipe in our book! I did not add the cauliflower this time because I didn’t have any, and instead of the mixed mushrooms I used 4 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 1” pieces. I also didn’t add the potatoes- instead, I added egg noodles directly to the pot about 8 minutes before serving. We topped each serving with sour cream and a healthy dose of dill, but did not use breadcrumbs. This was crazy good for a meatless goulash or a meatless meal in general!
This is delicious. Used a variety of mushrooms.
A super satisfying and comforting meal, so good!