Vegan Seitan Goulash with Bell Peppers and Pasta
When it comes to fall recipes, there are a few unbeatable (but also very classic) combinations that you never go wrong with, like potatoes and (vegan) ground beef, pumpkin and sage, or sauerkraut and mushrooms. But a secret (and rather unpopular) dream team for us are also bell peppers and seitan, which are far too rarely brought together on the plate. Sauteed and braised, we think it's a great combination of sweet, soft bell peppers and the slightly firmer, fibrous seitan. And yes, now you get three guesses where this goes especially well – that's right, in a goulash!
Our recipe for a paprika goulash is based on the Hungarian "paprikás" goulash, which is traditionally prepared with meat and sour cream. The latter has become an absolute game-changer for us because it rounds off hearty soups, stews and goulash incredibly well with its acidity and freshness. Even though our goulash doesn't have much in common with traditional Hungarian goulash, we hope it will make those of you who used to love hearty goulash happy. Since meat usually provides the intense flavor in a goulash, we've added mustard and red wine to the recipe for a nice depth and hearty touch. We use seitan as a meat substitute in this recipe. It's great fibrous texture makes it the best fit for a goulash, which is traditionally made with beef or pork. We like to use canned „Vegetarian Mock Duck“, which we find in the Asia Market. It's best to search for it briefly on the Internet; then, you'll discover the blue cans a little faster when standing in front of the supermarket shelf. The seitan pieces in the can can be used directly. So you don't have to prepare your seitan from wheat gluten first. The rest of the ingredients are basics that you should be able to find in most large supermarkets. You can also serve the seitan goulash with dumplings, tagliatelle, potatoes or rice. And if you don't like bell peppers, the recipe will work without, or alternatively, with cabbage or beans.
The rest of the ingredients are basics that you should be able to find in most large supermarkets. You can also serve the goulash with dumplings, tagliatelle, potatoes or rice. And if you don't like bell peppers, the recipe will also work without them or with cabbage or beans. Are you now also in the goulash mood? Great, then take a look here. Maybe a vegan roulade goulash, a Szeged goulash or a mushroom goulash is waiting for you.
Vegan Seitan Goulash with Bell Peppers and Pasta
Ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) pasta
- 3 onions
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 carrot
- 600 g (1.3 lb) canned seitan („Vegetarian Mock Duck“)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tsp rosy hot paprika powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegan red wine
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable broth
- plant-based sour cream for serving
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
Peel the onions and garlic. Halve the onions and cut them into thin slices. Finely slice the garlic. Halve the carrot lengthwise and cut it into thin slices. Wash the bell pepper and cut into cubes or strips. Drain the seitan pieces and cut them a little smaller if necessary.
Heat the vegan butter in a pot and fry the seitan for about 5 minutes until it is well browned. Then add onions, garlic, carrot and bell pepper. Fry everything together for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are softer – season with paprika powder, salt and pepper.
Add tomato paste and mustard and sauté for another 2–3 minutes. Then deglaze with vegan red wine, pour vegetable broth and mix everything well. Let the goulash simmer on low heat until the pasta is ready.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, skim off a cup of the pasta water and set aside.
Add the cooked pasta to the goulash and mix. Add a little bit of the cooking water and season everything with paprika powder, salt and pepper.
Serve the goulash with a dab of vegan sour cream and chopped parsley.
