A Vegan's Stroganoff…Hearty Noodles with Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is hearty, warm and forgiving, so measurements are approximate.  Chop and use what you have – no need to pieces and parts to go to waste.  I’ve adapted it from a recipe I read on the Facebook page for Cleveland Vegans and Vegetarians.  I’m not inclined to put sour cream, yogurt or creamed tofu into this dish.  I would suggest instead having them as separate condiments and letting your dinnermates customize each to their taste. 

EQUIPMENT

(Nothing special is needed here)

I would suggest using two stockpots if you have them available.

[sharpen your] chef’s knife

cutting board

zester

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
1 1/2 cups onion, diced finely (a medium sized onion is perfect)

2 bay leaves

pinch ( ~1/8 tsp) sea salt

3-4 garlic cloves, minced (about a tablespoon)

¾ cup chopped celery (2 large stalks celery, leaves included if available)

¾ cup chopped carrot (1 large or two medium is perfect)

1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme, dried or fresh (stems removed)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp black bean paste (optional -- purchased in a Thai or other Asian grocer)

1 Tbsp juice and all of the zest from 1 lemon (optional, but gives nice brightness to the dish)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Amy’s vegan or Pick-A-Pepper sauce are great substitutes, but you can make your own)

1 rounded Tbsp cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water

1 lb fresh mushrooms of your choice, cleaned and cubed (I do half and half white button and portobello) – about 4-5 cups when chopped

4 cups water 

1/3 red wine (optional)

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 12-oz package of egg noodles (or any type of ridged noodle; rice noodles would work, too, if you are so inclined… you could even use a julienned cabbage that you blanch or simmer with garlic and white wine)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Add the cornstarch to 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside. 

Bring a stock pot, dutch oven or large sauce pan to heat over medium-low flame.  Once warm add the olive oil and allow it to warm until it begins to shimmer.  Add the bay leaf and onions.  Stir and allow them to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the celery and carrot.  Once you add them, continue sautéing the mixture until onions are soft and translucent – about 8 or 9 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and allow to sauté for another minute.

While the garlic is sautéing, add the soy sauce, black bean paste, Worcestershire, lemon zest, juice and tomato paste and combine thoroughly with the cooking vegetables. Finally, once everything is blended, add 3 cups of the water (or homemade broth) and stir again. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir the cornstarch-water mixture and add to the broth.

While your broth is simmering, clean and chop the mushrooms.  Remove the stem of the button mushrooms (not only do these negatively impact the texture of the mushroom sauce, the stems can be frozen for use in a future broth.  Moreover, my dogs love them, so I enjoy giving them as treats while I cook). Quarter the button mushrooms by cutting in an “x” pattern through the top and cut the portobellos to a similar size.  Add the mushrooms to the simmering sauce and, finally, the red wine. Lace with freshly ground black pepper – up to a tablespoon.  

Make sure that there is enough liquid in the pot that the mushrooms are fully submerged but not much more than that.  If needed, you can add a bit more water as the sauce is simmering ¼ cup at a time.

Turn up the heat to medium high and bring the dish to a simmer until mushrooms are tender, approximately 20 minutes.  Turn the heat off when the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is reduced sufficiently to nicely coat the noodles.  If you are waiting for the noodles to finish cooking, don’t forget to put your lid on your pot to keep the sauce warm.

While you are simmering your sauce, bring a stockpot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions.  When tender, strain the noodles and then pour the hot noodles into your mushroom sauce mixing thoroughly.

Top with chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes, red pepper flakes, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt or even a fresh gremolata (parsley, garlic and lemon zest minced together).

Serve hot and enjoy!

NOTES AND VARIATIONS

Here’s a note about store-bought broth: if you don’t have to use it, don’t.  It’s loaded with salt and you cannot really control the quality of ingredients or taste. This recipe is perfect made with water.  The onion, celery, and carrot together form a “mirepiox” that when combined with a bay leaf is the basis for a vegetarian broth.  If you need to make a quick broth for another dish, roughly chop a large onion, 2 medium carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery and toss in a pot with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a couple of bay leaves over medium heat. The goal is the volume of carrot and celery together should be equivalent to the volume of onion. Once the onion begins to cook and brown, add 12 cups of water, raise the heat to med-high and allow it to simmer for 45 minutes or more.  Cooking the onion at high enough heat to allow it to brown slightly (without burning) will improve the taste of the broth.  Strain the broth through a colander and use as needed. For creole dishes, use “the [holy] trinity” (onion, green pepper and celery) rather than a mirepoix.

This mushroom sauce would make a great base for lasagna with ricotta and béchamel (veggie or dairy).  It would also be great served with roasted beets and a zesty vinaigrette-tossed spinach salad.  For a one-pot dish, consider tossing a cup of frozen chopped spinach or fresh well-cleaned spinach cut in a nice chiffonade at the end of cooking.  Mix the spinach through the sauce through cover, allowing the spinach to simmer for the last couple of minutes of cooking.  If you would like a spicier dish, add crushed red pepper flakes at the very beginning with the onion and bay leaf.  Start with a teaspoon and learn to adjust for your taste.