Vegan Traditional Stroganoff

A red bowl of vegan stroganoff with pot of green veggies to side and glimpse of brown plate with brown rolls.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Russian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Jacq

This vegan stroganoff is a tasty meat-free adaptation of the traditional beef stroganoff and is prepared with textured vegetable protein [TVP]. It doesn't contain mushrooms so is perfect for those who dislike mushrooms. Surprisingly, the first stroganoff recipes did not actually contain mushrooms. But of course, do feel free to chuck a cup of sliced mushrooms in with the onions if preferred.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

large non-stick pan or skillet
heatproof jug or bowl
mixing spoon

Ingredients

TVP chunks, prep:

120 grams textured vegetable protein chunks [TVP] [dried]
1 teaspoon marmite [or Vegemite or yeast extract extract, or replace with a teaspoon of miso paste, soy sauce, liquid aminos, or vegan Worcester sauce]
720 millilitres vegetable stock [hot- if available use 1-2 vegan 'beef' flavour stock cube such as OXO meat free beef cubes or vegan bouillon paste to make up the stock, however any stock cubes or powder is fine]

Meat-free Stroganoff:

2 tablespoons vegan butter [or vegan margarine]
170 grams onion [1 large, chopped]
1 teaspoon mustard powder [such as Colemans, or replace with 2-3 teaspoons of nutritional yeast flakes]
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt [we use sea salt]
⅙ teaspoon allspice powder [or replace with ground nutmeg]
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar [or balsamic vinegar]
2 tablespoons plain flour [all-purpose or use a gluten-free plain flour]

Add at the end of cooking:

3 tablespoons vegan sour cream [or vegan creme fraiche plain yogurt, or vegan cream with a squeeze of optional fresh lemon juice stirred through, however plant-based milk such as soya milk, or vegan pouring cream such as Alpro single soya or Elmlea plant alternative cream is fine]

Optional garnish:

chopped fresh parsley [or your choice of fresh herbs - chives are a nice addition]

Instructions

Prep the TVP chunks:

Add the dried TVP chunks to a heatproof jug or bowl and pour in 720ml (3 cups) of hot vegetable stock. Stir in the Marmite until dissolved.
Leave the chunks to soak for a few hours, stirring occasionally, if you're around.
120 grams textured vegetable protein chunks [TVP], 1 teaspoon marmite, 720 millilitres vegetable stock
Once the TVP chunks have finished soaking, drain the stock but be sure to reserve it for the recipe.
If there is less than 450 milliliters (about 2 US cups) of stock remaining, add a little extra water to bring the total volume up to around 450 millilitres for use in the recipe.

Prepare the stroganoff:

Melt the vegan butter in a non-stick pan.
2 tablespoons vegan butter
Add the onions and cook them over low-medium heat for about 8 minutes until they become soft, stir the onions occasionally. It's fine if they turn slightly golden in colour.
170 grams onion
Stir through the drained TVP chunks.
Next, add the mustard powder, allspice powder, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to the pan. Stir well.
1 teaspoon mustard powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅙ teaspoon allspice powder, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Next, mix in the flour.
2 tablespoons plain flour
Pour the 450 millilitres (1.9- 2 US cups) of the reserved stock into the pan and mix well.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The gravy will thicken up.
Gravy tip: If you prefer a thinner gravy you can add extra cream or milk at the end to loosen it up. For a really thick gravy cook for the full 20 minutes or until the gravy is nicely thickened up - although do keep in mind that the gravy will continue to thicken up once off the heat.
Remove the pan from the heat and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. However be careful with the salt and pepper as I usually find it doesn't require any more.
Stir in the vegan sour cream or alternative (I often just add soya milk) and garnish with freshly chopped parsley or chives, if liked.
A swirl of extra cream is a nice addition on the top of each serving.
3 tablespoons vegan sour cream, chopped fresh parsley
Serving suggestion: Serve the Stroganoff with creamy mashed potatoes, thick noodles, or rice, and your favourite green vegetables. I often like to make a mixed vegetable couscous which is simply frozen mixed vegetables cooked and mixed through prepared couscous.
For those with larger appetites, add a crusty roll or slice of bread to soak up the tasty gravy. You can adjust the gravy thickness by stirring through a little extra cream or milk - if this cools the stroganoff heat it back up before serving.

Notes

Nutritional information is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients can vary.
While this recipe uses textured vegetable protein (TVP) chunks, you can also use other vegan protein options such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, cooked beans such as butterbeans, kidney beans, or cannellini beans, or store-bought vegan meat-free pieces. Although be sure and rehydrate dried chunks such as soy curls before using with this recipe.
Alternatively, instead of TVP you can use potatoes, turnip/swede, or butternut squash.
This recipe is intentionally mushroom-free as the first stroganoff recipes did not contain mushrooms so it is ideal for those who dislike mushrooms. However, if you're a fan of mushrooms, feel free to add 1-2 cups of sliced mushrooms or whole button mushrooms while cooking the onions.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free soy sauce such as tamari or coconut aminos, a gluten-free vegetable stock, and a gluten-free plain flour. Also, as Marmite is not gluten-free and if a gluten-free yeast extract can't be found replace it with gluten-free white miso paste, or a tablespoon of tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos, or a gluten-free vegan Worcester sauce.
Leftovers can be stored for 3 days within a refrigerator or 2-3 months within the freezer.
When reheating leftover stroganoff, you may need to add a splash of vegetable stock to thin out the sauce if it becomes too thick. Reheat until piping hot.
This recipe suggests garnishing the stroganoff with fresh parsley, but you can also use fresh dill, chives, or even a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for added flavour.
For this recipe, we used three OXO meat-free beef stock cubes to make the vegan stock to soak the TVP chunks. These stock cubes are available in most UK supermarkets and are not too strong in seasoning but they do add a nice savoury taste. For other types of stock cubes, bouillon cubes or paste, or stock powder you may require less of it to make up the stock especially if you know your stock is quite concentrated in flavour.
If you enjoy a little heat in your dishes, feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes, chilli flakes, cayenne pepper, or a dash of hot sauce to taste.
Can't find a vegan sour cream, creme fraiche, or plain yogurt? A squeeze of fresh lemon juice added to vegan cream is a good substitute. We tend to use Oatley oat cream or Alpro soya single cream [both are long life products].

Nutrition