Hungarian Vegetarian Bean Goulash

Name: Hungarian Vegetarian Bean Goulash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil (organic, fairtrade); 2 red onions (organic, chopped); 2 red peppers (organic, de-seeded, diced); 2 cloves garlic (organic, peeled and crushed); 2 - 3 tbsp sweet smoked paprika (fairtrade); 800 g chopped tomatoes (organic, use tinned); 400 ml vegetable stock (organic); 1 tbsp brown sugar (organic, fairtrade); 1 dash black pepper (organic, fairtrade, freshly ground); 1 dash salt; 800 g mixed beans (organic, fairtrade, tinned, drained and rinsed); 4 tbsp fresh parsley (organic, chopped, to garnish (optional) ); 4 tbsp fat free soured cream (organic to serve (optional) )

Hungarian Vegetarian Bean Goulash is a spicy mixed bean stew, flavoured with paprika. Hearty, filling, and cheap to make, this goulash is also vegan, gluten and dairy free. Ready in under 30 minutes it's also a great recipe for using Fairtrade ingredients.

bowl of hungarian vegetarian bean goulash topped with soured cream

As well as being super easy, vegetarian goulash uses mainly storecupboard ingredients, making it a perfect standby meal.

Other simple and tasty vegan one-pot meals you'll love include this Vegan Stew with dumplings, Creamy Vegetable Pasta, or this Sweet Potato Chilli.

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Ingredients
Instructions
What to serve with Hungarian Bean Goulash
Substitutions
Sustainability
How to Store Leftovers
Top tip
FAQ
More Tasty Vegan Recipes
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Ingredients

Gather your ingredients and a large casserole dish.

Paprika. The most important ingredient in a goulash is paprika. You can't have a goulash without paprika and lots of it. I've used 2 - 3 tablespoons in the recipe and just to reassure you, yes that is tablespoons and not teaspoons. I use a sweet smoked paprika as I love the flavour but you can use another paprika. A traditional Hungarian paprika is hot paprika.
Red Bell Peppers. Red Bell peppers or yellow peppers work best. You should be aware that green peppers have a slightly bitter taste.
Mixed Beans. As this is a quick vegetarian goulash recipe, I use cooked mixed beans rather than dried ones. You could use any tinned or canned pulses such as butter beans, cannellini beans, or red kidney beans. Make sure they are in water and not vinaigrette as this will alter the taste. Always drain and rinse them first before adding. Dried pulses need a much longer cooking time.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

red bell peppers and red onion frying in pan

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the onions and red peppers over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.

paprika added to red bell peppers and red onion

Stir in the sweet smoked paprika for 1 minute. Be careful not to leave the paprika any longer as overcooking can make it taste bitter.

tomatoes added to red bell peppers and red onion in pan

Stir in the tinned tomatoes, vegetable stock, and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Let it all simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

mixed beans added to tomatoes red bell peppers and red onion

Add the mixed beans and cook for 2 minutes until the beans are heated through. Stir through some fresh parsley and serve with your choice of toppings.

Hint: You can make this mixed bean goulash ahead of time and just reheat it when ready.

What to serve with Hungarian Bean Goulash

I like to serve a mixed bean goulash with a jacket potato, baked in the oven so the skin is nice and crispy. You can also serve it with rice or pasta (typical in the US). It also goes well with fresh crusty bread.

For toppings, you can add a spoonful of soured cream as it provides a contrast to the slightly spicy flavour. For little children, stir the soured cream into their portion to tone down some of the spice if you need to. Grated cheese is also a great addition.

close up of bowl vegetarian bean goulash

Substitutions

These are a few easy substitutions you can make if you need to.

Red Onions. I use red onions in this recipe as they have a slightly sweet flavour that goes well with the sweet paprika. If you don't have red onions, you could use brown ones.
Fresh parsley. Fresh parsley leaves give a lovely flavour and add some colour to the dish. If you don't have any, just leave it out altogether.
Vegan alternative to soured cream. As a vegan alternative to soured cream and also to keep this completely dairy free, a vegan creme fraiche, organic oat cream or even plain soy yoghurt are good alternatives. I would stir in a dash of lemon juice and maybe even a little mustard to make it taste sourer. If you need to thicken it up, mix some cornflour into a paste and stir it in.

Sustainability

Many of the ingredients in this bean goulash can be bought Fairtrade. Olive oil, sweet smoked paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, and mixed beans are now all available as Fairtrade products. Fairtrade is a global movement. It works to make a difference in the lives of the farmers who produce our food and ensures they are paid a fair price. As well as this, the Fairtrade movement works hard to tackle climate change and promote sustainable farming practices. Check out my most popular Fairtrade recipes for more ideas on using Fairtrade ingredients.

How to Store Leftovers

A vegetarian goulash can be kept in the fridge for 2 days. It also freezes well for up to 6 months. If you are cooking it for freezing, just stir in the beans but don't cook them any further as freezing can soften the beans slightly. Just defrost and reheat the dish when you are ready.

Top tip

This is a great storecupboard recipe. Keep some chopped bell peppers and red onion in your freezer as a standby.

FAQ

What is Goulash?

A goulash is a traditional Hungarian stew seasoned with paprika. Most commonly made with beef but vegetarian versions are becoming increasingly popular. Other vegetables that are sometimes added to a goulash are potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, peppers, and tomatoes.

What's the difference between a Goulash and a Chilli?

There is not a lot of difference between goulash and a chilli. Whilst both get their flavours from peppers, goulash has paprika added and chilli has chilli peppers or chilli powder plus other spices such as cumin for example.

What's the difference between American and Hungarian Goulash?

American Goulash is quite different from traditional Hungarian Goulash. An American Goulash is usually based around ground meat and includes pasta, such as elbow macaroni. A Hungarian Goulash uses chunks of meat and doesn't include pasta. The main spice in both is paprika.