I feel like a cook can never have too many quick and tasty crowd-pleasing entrees in his/her go-to recipe list!! (Right??) It’s my goal to add this to your quick-list of favorites this holiday season!! While it’s a great meal for anytime of year, my sis-in-law shared that Stroganoff is her go-to for big family gatherings. AND she let me in on a little secret that totally inspired me…
Yeah, so the secret! My sis-in-law is pretty health conscious and she said that she doesn’t always serve Stroganoff with pasta! I mean, don’t we all envision those flat egg noodles with stroganoff? (And yes, if pasta is the choice of the day, there are flat eggless noodle options out there that are just gorgeous!!!) But instead of pasta, she said they often use Quinoa or brown rice!! And mashed potatoes are a great option, too. Tried that at lunch today! 😉
Anyhow, the idea of Stroganoff with Quinoa just made me into a happy little conjuring cook, so a few weeks later, here we are. I even used red pepper and green onions in the pics just (well mostly) because I’m feeling the holiday spirit!! But…this is a fabulous, satisfying, and amazingly creamy dish fit for any special occasion (or weekday meal!)!
I’m totally stuck on the Quinoa idea, can you tell???? Moving on! To the creaminess! The incredible richness is due to both cashews and coconut cream. Yeah, have you ever heard of coconut cream? So, if you buy good quality coconut milk in a can (available just about any grocery store), refrigerate the can overnight, open it carefully without tipping or shaking a bunch and spoon out just the hardened cream. Or you can just buy canned coconut cream from Trader Joe’s or a few other sources and then you can pretty much just use the whole can in one fell swoop. It’s all the thick stuff! For the purposes of this particular recipe which one you have is not terribly crucial. You just won’t need to do the chilling step if you have the coconut cream on hand (I admit, I do buy it by the case from TJ’s!).
One ingredient in this Stroganoff that I think gives it just an extra little push towards amazing is Vegan Worcestershire (yes I’m struggling to spell that!) Sauce. Ahh, the little bottle of love. Yes, I’m addicted to this stuff…. There are several super brands out there and I’ve been successful at finding them at super-markets with a decent health food section, but here is an Amazon link in case you are interested. (It is an affiliate link, so if you purchase I make a few cents at no extra cost to you! Thanks!)
But whaddoya do for the meat??? Good question!! 😉 For these pics I used Gardein Beef Tips, but any vegan beef option would work, or if you have any frozen left over Tender Vegan Steaks they are super awesome diced up in this! The honest truth is that my family loves tofu and I often just end up chunking up a pound of tofu and folding it into the luscious creaminess…yeah this is totally a super fast meal for me and now you can add it to your awesome speedy menu! XOXOXOXO
****If the idea of coconut cream just really doesn’t work for you, you can sub 1/2 C. Vegan Cream Cheese or 3/4 C. Vegan Sour Cream. Yummy!
Ultra Creamy Vegan Stroganoff
This Ultra Creamy Stroganoff is Decadent enough for an entertaining special and simple enough for a week-day meal!!
Ingredients
- 1 C. Slivered Onion
- 2 C. Sliced button mushrooms
- 4 Cloves of minced garlic
- 1-2 T. Vegan Margarine
- 1/2 C. Raw Cashews Pieces are fine
- 2 C. Vegetable Broth Divided
- 2 T. Corn Starch
- 2 T. Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 1 T. Onion Powder
- 3 T. Yeast Flakes
- 1 T. Vegan Worcester Sauce
- 1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 C. Coconut Cream see notes in blog post
- Salt and Pepper to taste I'm partial to just a shake of cayenne pepper!
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed or non-stick stock pot saute onions and mushrooms and meat substitute (if using) together in vegan margarine until soft over low to medium heat to avoid burning. Add minced garlic and saute another minute or two.
While veggies are sautéing blend together cashews and 1 cup of veggie broth until completely smooth. Add the rest of the broth and other ingredients, re-blend and pour over mushroom mixture in the pot.
Heat until thickened and creamy.
Taste test for saltiness, adding a bit more Bragg’s or Salt as needed, and a shake of cayenne or other pepper.
(If using cubed tofu as meat sub, fold in 1 package of firm or extra firm water-packed tofu cubed into 1/2 in. pieces. and continue heating over low heat for a few more minutes.)
- Serve over traditional eggless pasta, gluten free pasta, quinoa, or rice as desired!!
- Garnish with green onions and chopped red pepper for an addition of lovely bright colors.
