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Skillet of Vegan Italian American Goulash

Vegan Italian American Goulash

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  • Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 Minutes
  • Total Time: 33 Minutes (+5 Minutes Rest)
  • Yield: 4-5 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American, Italian

Description

This wholesome, easy to make Vegan Italian American Goulash is brimming with tasty macaroni, nourishing veggies, and aromatic seasonings. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup yellow onion, fine dice
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, small dice
  • 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
  • 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon tamari *
  • ½ cup vegetable broth *
  • ½ cup water (or broth)
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 Tablespoon dried minced onions
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (+/-) *
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (+/-)

Other Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups GF elbow macaroni, uncooked (or elbow macaroni of choice) *
  • 1 – [ 14 oz. can ] lentils, drained and rinsed *

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse well. Shake well to release any excess water. Set aside.
  2. Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the red pepper flakes) into a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
  3. In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot, add the diced onions and green bell peppers. Sauté over medium heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften them.  Add a splash of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
  4. Once the onions and peppers are softened, then turn down the heat a little, and add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté stirring constantly for 1 minute.
  5. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the Spice/Herb Mix (except the red pepper flakes). Do not add the cooked pasta and lentils yet, increase the heat and bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. After the mixture is heated, add the cooked pasta and lentils, stir to incorporate, and cook until the pasta and lentils are heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, then remove from the stove, cover the skillet, and allow the dish to sit for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors.
  7. Remove the bay leaf, serve with your favorite toppings.

Notes

*Tips for Success:  Make sure the onions and green bell peppers are softened and perfectly tender in Step 3.

*Vegetable Stock:   We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.

*Baking Soda:  The baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes.  We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture will bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity.

*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium.  You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.

*Dried Thyme Crushed Leaves:  We use Penzeys French Thyme.  It has amazing flavor.  If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.

*Italian Seasoning:  You can adjust the Italian Seasoning to suit your own personal preferences.  Italian Seasoning typically has predominant marjoram seasoning which we are not huge fans. We love a nice hint of it, but we feel it can sometimes be a bit too much and can overwhelm the dish, resulting in a bitter note on the backend of the palate so we didn’t use a lot.

*Lentils:  We used Delallo Imported Italian Lentils.  They come in a 14 oz. can.  Most grocery stores carry them in the specialty aisles. If using dry lentils, select lentils that hold their shape after cooking, we love Palouse Brand Small Brown LentilsCook dry lentils separately, adjust time accordingly. If cooking dry lentils, the end result measurement should be 1 2/3 cups of cooked lentils.

*Gluten Free Elbow Macaroni: We used Organic Bionaturae Organic Gluten Free Elbows.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Serving:  Makes 4-5 servings.

*Storage:  Refrigerate and use within 5 days.