vegan mushroom stroganoff
Have you ever come across those foods that you thought - actually, not just thought, but emphatically, wholeheartedly, unwaveringly believed were a terrible idea as a child, and despite nothing happening to change your years of disdain, you find yourself just curious enough to tinker with the idea of giving it a go? For me, this was stroganoff. Now, to be clear, my experience with beef stroganoff was bypassing it with a crinkled up nose as I walked through the elementary school cafeteria line. It was beige and gelatinous, somehow perfecting the art of being both boring and weird at the same time, and I wanted no part of it. French fries and an apple is a perfectly acceptable lunch for a second grader, right?
Anyway, fast forward a few decades, and I find myself curious about this dish. It turns out that this seemingly peasant food is the namesake of a Russian aristocrat (actually born in France) and the original beef stroganoff recipe is a derivative of a French mustard used for seasoning beef and a glob of sour cream. I actually learned all of this after playing around to get the recipe posted below. Given that mine contains no meat, I make a gravy of sorts instead of sour cream, and I use gnocchi instead of egg noodles, I’m not even sure that this can be called an adaptation of stroganoff, but what the hell? I’m rolling with it anyway. Its heartiness comes from cremini mushrooms, and it swims with the gnocchi in a delicious, savory gravy. Although I didn’t use any sour cream, I could see that being a good complement to this dish. Vegan, of course, if that matters to you.
vegan mushroom stroganoff
serves 4-6
1 lb cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 medium sweet yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cup vegan beef broth, divided*
3 Tbs unbleached flour
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
16 oz package gnocchi**
1) Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in 1/2 cup vegan beef broth until juices are released and the onions are soft.
2) Stir in thyme, sage, sea salt, and a couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper.
3) In a small bowl, whisk the flour into the remaining 1 cup of vegan beef broth until fully incorporated. Slowly whisk it into the mushroom mixture, and continue cooking on medium (stirring constantly) for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat.
4) Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and pour into a large serving bowl.
5) Scoop the mushroom mixture over the cooked gnocchi and enjoy!
*If you don’t have vegan beef broth, no worries. Regular veggie broth will work, too.
**Be sure to check the ingredients of your gnocchi for eggs or dairy. Of course, if you’re not vegan, then don’t worry about it!
vegan mushroom stroganoff
serves 4-6
1 lb cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 medium sweet yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cup vegan beef broth, divided*
3 Tbs unbleached flour
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
16 oz package gnocchi**
1) Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in 1/2 cup vegan beef broth until juices are released and the onions are soft.
2) Stir in thyme, sage, sea salt, and a couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper.
3) In a small bowl, whisk the flour into the remaining 1 cup of vegan beef broth until fully incorporated. Slowly whisk it into the mushroom mixture, and continue cooking on medium (stirring constantly) for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat.
4) Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and pour into a large serving bowl.
5) Scoop the mushroom mixture over the cooked gnocchi and enjoy!
*If you don’t have vegan beef broth, no worries. Regular veggie broth will work, too.
**Be sure to check the ingredients of your gnocchi for eggs or dairy. Of course, if you’re not vegan, then don’t worry about it!