Vegan American Style Goulash with Lentils

This vegan American style Goulash is made with lentils in one pot for the perfect quick, hearty, and belly-filling meal! Easily made gluten free. WFPB, oil-free recipe. 

This vegan goulash recipe combines lots of lentils and noodles with vegetables in a creamy and super flavorful red sauce that will blow your mind. If you’re looking for a way of incorporating more lentils and vegetable protein into your diet, this is one of my go-to recommendations! 

This goulash is a combination of the American style and the traditional Hungarian style goulash in that it is “meaty”, saucy, perfectly spiced, and filled with noodles. Being someone who is both American and Eastern European, I think it’s a perfect blend of the two dishes, made vegan of course! 

A big bowl of this is warming, delicious, and super filling. It makes a ton of food and is perfect for meal prep, because as we all know: The leftovers always taste even better! 

In the mood for more Eastern European classics? Check out my recipes for Polish Rye Bread, Vegan Stuffed Cabbage Soup, or some Creamy Cucumber Salad! 

Ingredients 

Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make this vegan goulash. For the full instructions and recipe amounts, please see the recipe card below! 

• Lentils: These little guys are the meat replacement in this goulash and honestly, I love the flavor they bring to this dish. I always use a package of pre-cooked Lentils (thank you, Trader Joe’s) to make this dinner quicker and easier, but you can use dried lentils if that’s what you have. Brown lentils work best in this dish. 
• Vegetables: A large onion, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, and red bell pepper all combine to form the vegetable base. 
• Spices: Paprika! You can’t make goulash without it. I have used sweet, smoked, and spicy paprika and each time it’s slightly different and always delicious. Go with the type of paprika you like best. In my opinion, there is no wrong type. 
• Noodles: While the American versions have you use elbow macaroni noodles, I like to mix up my pasta shapes and go for something a little bigger. In these photos, I used a casarecce noodle that I got in a huge pack from Costco, but any type of wiggly pasta works great here! 
• Sauce: You’ll need  your favorite vegetable broth (I love the Better than Boullion Vegetable base), soy sauce (or tamari), bay leaf, and some dried thyme, basil, and parsley. You can also use some Italian seasoning as well, but I like the ability to add the individual herbs. 
• Secret Ingredient: Okay, here is what you need to send this recipe over the top: Orange Juice. The orange juice compliments the tomatoes so well, bringing out their sweet and tangy nature. I add orange juice to a ton of my tomato dishes for this reason. 
• Salt and Pepper to taste 

Instructions 

All the ingredients come together in one pot, so make sure to grab a large pot big enough to hold everything! 

Step One: Saute the Onions + Garlic 

In a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat, saute the onions in a bit of the vegetable broth until they begin to turn more translucent. This takes about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. 

Step Two: Add the Vegetables and Spices 

Now add the chopped carrots, red bell peppers, paprika, bay leaves, dried basil, dried parsley, and dried thyme as well as a big pinch of salt. Saute this for about a minute to let the flavors of the dried herbs wake up. 

Step Three: Add the Remaining Ingredients Except the Noodles 

Next, add the broth, crushed tomatoes, and the pre-cooked lentils to the pot. Add in the soy sauce and orange juice as well. 

Bring this to a boil. 

Step Four: Add the Noodles

Finally, when the mixture has come to a boil, add the noodles of your choice, mostly cover the pot, and reduce the temperature so that the goulash is at a gentle simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked. If you need more broth while cooking, go ahead and add more as needed.

Uncover, give it a stir and a quick taste. Adjust anything like salt and let rest for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy! 

What to Serve this With 

This is a one-pot meal so while other dishes are not required for this, it’s always nice to have some options! Here are some ideas. 

• Add some greens. An addition of a salad is perfect to add in some extra greens to your meal. My vegan Fuji Apple Salad with Balsamic dressing or a vegan Classic Greek Salad with Chickpeas are both really refreshing salads to serve alongside goulash. 
• Add some bread. Who doesn’t love a hearty slice of bread for getting every last bit of the sauce? My Polish Rye Bread and Classic Vegan Dinner Rolls are perfect for the job. 
• Add some sour cream. You can totally add a dollop of sour cream (vegan, naturally) on top for a creamy addition. 

How to Store 

This dish is so easy to store and reheat over the next few days, making it a perfect meal to cook once and enjoy for days. 

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
• Freezer: Store individual servings in freezer safe containers in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
• How to Reheat: You can reheat this either on the stove top in a pot with a splash of water, or in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring after each round, until warmed through. 

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