Easy Potato Goulash (Authentic Austrian Recipe) - Wholefood Soulfood Kitchen (2024)

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 10simple 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.

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.

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: Weuse store boughtveggie 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

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.

What is goulash?

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.

What country is goulash associated with?

Goulash is originally anHungarian 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 createdtheir own versions of this dish. So the Czech Rebulic, Germany, Italy- they all have their own way of preparing unique goulash recipes.

What are the different types of goulash?

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 famousbeef goulashwith its main ingredient being veal or beef cubes. It's can be compared to beef stew. Then we've gotpotato goulash, basically consisting of potatoes and gravy. Other ingredients often included in goulash aresauerkrautor (smoked)sausages.

Best potatoes for goulash

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.

Can I reheat goulash?

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.