I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, Kenny hates them but that just means there’s more for me. They’re the perfect star for a stroganoff with their bold, meaty flavours.
I love this dish so much – its so easy and quick to pull together that it works well for a quick lunch or even a dinner when you want something quick, satisfying and oh so tasty. There are two key ingredients to this dish, mushroom ketchup and vegan sour cream. Mushroom Ketchup started out for me as an ideal vegan pantry replacement for Worcestershire sauce as it offers a similar depth in flavour but without the anchovies. While I am aware that you can now purchase vegan Worcestershire sauce, for me the mushroom ketchup added that extra mushroom intensity which you just don’t get from its alternative. However, for those of you out there that need to be wary of gluten, I’d suggest being careful of which brand you buy as some brands have a small amount of Barley Malt Extract. It is a very small amount but I doubt that its small enough be below the celiac associations safe limit. You can buy brands that are gluten free and of course you can make your own or, if you struggle to find one – sub in vegan worcester sauce as that is certified gluten free as well. I tend to make my own vegan sour cream and already had some in the fridge when it came to making this recipe. I love this recipe from the gluten free vegan pantry but please do keep in mind that if you’re going to make this you need to plan ahead and soak the cashews overnight. My alternative if I don’t plan ahead is to buy some Oatly Creme Fraiche which works just as well.
This is an ideal dish for a slightly miserable day. Traditionally you would serve this on a lovely, fragrant bed of wild rice but this has enough body to stand up well as a topping on a baked potato, served with pasta, on some lovely creamy mash, or even a bed of polenta.
- Serves: 2 as a main course
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Large Red Onion, sliced
- 100g Kale, chopped & cored*
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
- 150g Chestnut Mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 150g Wild Mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 250ml Vegetable Stock
- 2tbsp Mushroom Ketchup (or Vegan Worcestershire Sauce)
- 3 tbsp Vegan Sour Cream (or oatly creme fraiche)
- Bunch of Parsley, chopped
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pan on low heat and add the onion slices. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened which should take between 5-10 mins. Be gentle, and don’t allow the onions to brown at this stage. Add the kale and saute for just another minute or so, you’re looking for the Kale brighten slightly.
You should now be ready to add the paprika and garlic, stir through and cook for a minute. Make sure you don’t yet brown your garlic. When your garlic gets fragrant, add the mushrooms and turn up the heat. Stirring often, keep cooking until the mushrooms just start to brown and release their juices.
Add the stock and mushroom ketchup, stir well, making sure to get up any little bits of onion or paprika that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to hold a line for a moment if you draw your spoon through it, then take it off the heat. Stir through the sour cream and most of the parsley.
At this point, season to taste but try not to over salt it – the mushroom ketchup can be quite salty, most stocks are quite salty so you’ve probably already added all the salt you need so I’m not kidding about the tasting part.
Garnish with the remaining parsley and try not to eat it all yourself.
Notes
*This recipe works equally well without the kale so if its not in season or you simply don’t have any in, just use 150ml of Stock and 1 1/2 tbsp of Mushroom Ketchup instead of the amounts above.
Allergy Notes; As mentioned above, be careful with your brand of mushroom ketchup if gluten is a problem for you. Many vegan worcester sauces are certified gluten free so that makes a decent substitute if you’re struggling to get something gluten free. Other than that this should be safely vegan and nut free.
