Although Goulash is a traditional Hungarian dish, it has become a super popular dish among many European countries. This authentic potato goulash requires only 1 pot and 10 simple ingredients. I'm thrilled to announce that this Potato Goulash recipe has made it into Thrive Mag's Summer Edition- the #1 Plant-Based Magazine in the US.
For more potato recipes check out Baked Potatoes, Potato Soup or Sweet Potato Curry.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a big bowl of comfort food that's gluten-free, meatless and naturally vegan/ vegetarian.
- It's affordable, super quick to make and ready in 25 min- the perfect easy weekday meal.
- It's made without cream, butter or meat making it healthy and lower in fat than more traditional recipes.
How to Make Potato Goulash
Potato Goulash is a traditional warm stew-like meal made of potatoes in a thick gravy and traditionally eaten with dark sourdough bread (typical Austrian bread). This recipe is gluten-free, low in oil and naturally vegan. This goulash is one of our favourite vegan recipes because it's so quick and easy yet super filling and delicious.
Basic Recipe
This vegetarian goulash recipe consists of a couple of simple ingredients such as onions, garlic and potatoes in a thick gravy. It's naturally vegan and can be pimped by adding some additonal ingredients such as beans or (vegan) sausages.
Start by heating 1-2 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick pot over medium-low heat. Cook onion and garlic for a couple of minutes until translucent. Stir often preferably with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and a bitter taste.
Next, add paprika powder, diced potatoes, vegetable stock and tomato paste. Add a pinch of salt and let simmer with a lid on for about 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Cooking time will depend on how small you cut your potato pieces though. We recommend cutting them into bite-sized pieces (around ½ to ¾ inch cubes). In the meantime, slice sausages if you want to include them and add it to the goulash.
To make the recipe thicker and creamier, we are adding some potato or corn starch. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of potato starch in water and add it to the goulash. This will bind and thicken the sauce resulting in a creamy consistency.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs such as fresh chopped parsley or other preferred toppings.
Serve with a slice of flat bread such as our Easy Naan Bread and side dish of choice!
Popular Additions
- Beans: Adding beans is a great way to pimp this recipe. Not only do they add some additional taste but also additional nutrients and fibre. My favorite beans to add to this recipe are (canned) kidney beans but feel free to use any beans you like.
- (Vegan) Sausages: Potato goulash with sausage is another popular variation of this recipe. The kind of sausage you add entirely depends on your own preferences. Smoked sausages or pork sausages are two popular types to add to this goulash. To keep this recipe vegan opt for vegan sausages such as a vegan chorizo for example.
- Spices: Traditional Hungarian goulash recipes often call for caraway seeds. They have a distict flavour and need to be ground- either by hand with a mortar and pestle or a food processor. This specific recipe doesn't include them but feel free to add a teaspoon of caraway seeds if you want to experiment with more flavours!
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Onion: I used a medium yellow onion for this recipe but red onion would work as well.
- Potatoes: They are the main ingredient of this Austrian potato goulash. You'll need yellow potatoes, also referred to as Yukon gold potatoes. Red skin potatoes would also work really well. Do not replace them with sweet potatoes. This will completely change the taste of this recipe.
- Vegetable Broth: We use store bought veggie broth powder in all our recipes that contain veggie stock and dissolve it in 2-3 cups of hot water. With the veggie stock powder that we use, 1 tablespoon of powder is enough to produce 2-3 cups of veggie stock (yours might need less/more, just try it). Alternatively, you could use chicken stock or beef broth if you don't need this recipe to be vegan/ vegetarian.
- Paprika Powder: The recipe mentions two types of paprika powder: sweet and smoked. While the sweet paprika powder is essential for the taste of this recipe, the smoked paprika powder isn't. Feel free to add it to give this recipe some additional smoky, hearty flavors.
- Tomato Paste: Adds some additional taste to this recipe.
- Potato/ Corn Starch: Is used to bind and thicken the sauce. Alternatively you could use tapioca starch or arrowroot powder. The important thing to keep in mind when using any one of these is to always dissolve it in water/ veggie stock first and then adding it to the dish. Otherwise you might end up with clumps that don't mix well with the rest of the sauce.
Storage & Freezing
This goulash keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container.
Yes, goulash is freezer-friendly. Simple store it in an airtight container to freeze it and let it thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight before consuming it. Gently reheat in the microwave or on the stove-top. You might need to add a splash of water.
Side Dish Suggestions
- Bread: The traditional Austrian side dish that goes well with potato goulash is sourdough bread made of rye (traditional Austrian bread). Any other type of bread would also taste amazing! We highly recommend trying out Easy Naan as a side dish.
- Bread Dumplings: Another very traditional dish often served with goulash or other hearty stews of that kind.
- Brown Rice: Rice would also make a great side dish. I prefer using brown rice over white one for this recipe.
- Salad: Would taste great either as a starter or as a side dish.
Topping Ideas
- Yoghurt: We love topping our goulash with a generous dollop of natural yoghurt. To keep this recipe vegan, use a plant based yoghurt such as soy. Instead, you could use sour cream.
- Fresh Herbs: Any fresh herb would taste great but I would highly recommend adding some fresh parsley or thyme as a topping.
- Chili Flakes: Add some chili flakes to make it spicier!
- Croutons: Would also make a great topping. You could use homemade or store-bought croutons.
FAQs
Traditional goulash is a stew or thick soup that can include potatoes, meat or other vegetables in a thick dark cravy. It gets its distinct colours mainly from paprika seasoning. Note that traditional Hungarian goulash has very little in common with American goulash which usually includes some type of pasta such as egg noogles or macaroni.
Goulash is originally an Hungarian dish. Since Austria and Hungary were one country at one point (Austro-Hungarian Empire), is has found its way into the Austrian cuisine. It's not only popular in Hungary and Austria though but many other countries have been altering the orignal recipe since then and created their own versions of this dish. So the Czech Rebulic, Germany, Italy- they all have their own way of preparing unique goulash recipes.
The variations of goulash recipes out there are endless. Many countries have come up with their own goulash recipes- differeing in ingredients and taste. Popular and well know variations would include the famous beef goulash with its main ingredient being veal or beef cubes. It's can be compared to beef stew. Then we've got potato goulash, basically consisting of potatoes and gravy. Other ingredients often included in goulash are sauerkraut or (smoked) sausages.
Starchy potatoes such as Yukon gold, fingerling, or russet potato are best for potato goulash. With their higher starch content, they help making the goulash creamier.
The best thing about this recipe is that it's meal-prep friendly and a great make-ahead dish- it will taste even better the next day! You could prepare it the evening before and simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Gently reheat while stirring occasionally- you might need to add an additional splash of water.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Potato Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil *use soy sauce to make this oil-free
- 1 onion ,peeled & finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves ,peeled & finely diced
- 4-5 potatoes (depending on potatoes size) ,peeled & cut into cubes/ small pieces
- 3 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder *optional
- 3.5 cups (800 ml) veggie stock
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1-2 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) corn starch *or potato starch
- ¼ cup (115 ml) water
- salt & ground pepper
Instructions
- Instant Pot Instructions below in the notes section.
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until soft and golden brown while constantly stirring.
- Add potato cubes, paprika powder, tomato paste and veggie stock.
- Season with salt and pepper. The amount needed will depend on how salted your veggie stock already is.
- Bring to a boil. Then lower the temperature and let simmer with a lid on for about 20 - 25 min or until potatoes are soft. Taste and adjust salt.
- Once the potatoes are soft, dissolve corn starch in ¼ cup of water using a whisk and add it to the goulash.
- Now it's time to add any additional ingredients such as beans or some sliced sausage.
- Let simmer uncovered for about 5 more minutes or until the gravy has thickened up.
- Add preferred toppings such as fresh parsley and a generous dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
- Serve with some flatbread bread such as our Easy Naan Bread or another side dish of choice.
Video
Notes
- Sausage: If you prefer a sausage potato goulash, add some sliced sausage. We recommend spicier, smoky types of sausages such as chorizo. Choose a vegan sausage to keep this recipe vegan.
- Beans: Adding a cup of kidney beans would make another great addition to this recipe.
- Chili Flakes: for a spicier goulash.
- Saute onion and garlic using the saute mode.
- Add potato cubes, potato cubes, paprika powder, tomato paste and 2 cups of veggie stock (instead of 3,5 in a regular pot) and season with salt and pepper.
- Secure the lid, set the instant pot on high and pressure cook for 10-12 minutes (don't forget to turn the pressure release handle into "sealing position").
- Let natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release by turning the handle into "venting position" (use a knife to not burn yourself).
- Add the dissolved corn starch and let simmer (on saute mode) for another 5 minutes.
- Then continue with the recipe steps from above.
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