• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Pure Plants
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact us
    • Media & Press
  • Meal Plans
    • FREE 7-day Vegan Meal Plan (Only Easy Recipes!)
    • Quick Vegan Meals
    • Vegan Christmas Dinner
    • Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner
  • Guides
    • Eggplant
    • Oyster Mushrooms
    • TVP
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Entrees
  • Soups
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Entrees
    • Soups
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Vegan Entrees

    Vegetarian Goulash (Authentic Hungarian Recipe)

    By Nandor Barta on 11/11/2024 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    This vegetarian goulash (Hungarian) recipe gives you the chance to enjoy this authentic dish exactly how Hungarians have it but in a completely vegetarian form. It is a family recipe that has been passed down generations and is a real comfort food.

    Soup with chopped potatoes, carrots and white beans in a white bowl with Hungarian flower patterns. A hand is taking a spoonful and dunks a bread slice

    Want to save this post?

    Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!

    Save Recipe

    Goulash is a traditional Hungarian soup, and this vegetarian version is packed with flavor. This recipe is a great way to enjoy a delicious, steaming bowl of goulash without any meat. You can also try my authentic Hungarian goulash.

    And if you are looking for more similar recipes, I highly recommend trying out my Hungarian lecsó, Hungarian dumplings (Nokedli), and Hungarian mushroom stew.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you’ll love it
    • 🧾 Key ingredients
    • 🥘 Equipment
    • 👩‍🍳 Instructions
    • 💡 Expert tip
    • 🔄 Variations
    • 🥣 Serving ideas
    • ❄️ Storing tips
    • 🤔 FAQs
    • More vegan soup recipes
    • Vegetarian Goulash (Authentic Hungarian Bean Goulash)

    ❤️ Why you’ll love it

    I always love a good one-pot meal, and this vegetarian Hungarian goulash is a hearty and comforting soup that is perfect for a family dinner or meal prep for the week. It is not only delicious but also simple to make, using basic ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store.

    The combination of sweet paprika, caraway seeds, and garlic gives this soup a rich and deep flavor that is warm and satisfying, especially on a cold day. The use of root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, not only adds a hearty texture to the soup but also makes it a nutritious and filling meal.

    I love how versatile this recipe is. You can easily customize it by adding your favorite vegetables or using whatever you have on hand. It is a great way to clean out your fridge and reduce food waste.

    A large red white pot with soup. A hand is holding a ladle and taking chopped potatoes, carrots and white beans
    A heart shape puzzle of vegetables with a text overlay saying 7-day meal plan
    FREE 7-Day Vegan Meal Plan

    Subscribe to our newsletters and download it right now.

    🧾 Key ingredients

    This vegetarian goulash is a hearty, flavorful dish that is made with simple, plant-based ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store. You may even have some of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

    Onions and garlic are the flavor base of this goulash. They add a deep, aromatic flavor that forms the foundation of the dish.

    Potatoes, carrots, and parsnips are the primary vegetables in this goulash. They not only add a wonderful, hearty texture but also soak up the rich flavors of the broth and spices.

    Kidney beans are a great source of plant-based protein in this dish. Since it was a peasant’s dish, they used beans instead of meat since it was cheaper and available.

    Sweet paprika and tomato paste are essential for that signature goulash flavor. The sweet paprika adds a rich, sweet pepper flavor, while the tomato paste provides a hint of tanginess.

    Parsley is a classic herb in goulash. It adds a fresh, herby note to the dish.

    Caraway seeds are a traditional ingredient in Hungarian goulash. They have a unique earthy flavor that is a signature of this dish.

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    🥘 Equipment

    For this hearty vegetarian goulash, a reliable stockpot is an absolute must. I recommend using a large, sturdy stockpot as this recipe makes a generous amount of soup.

    👩‍🍳 Instructions

    Preparing the ingredients

    STEP 1
    Start by peeling and chopping one onion and three cloves of garlic. These will be used to add flavor to your goulash.

    STEP 2
    Next, wash and chop four medium-sized potatoes. Remember to leave the skin on for added nutrients.

    STEP 3
    Now, it’s time to prepare your carrots and parsnips. Wash, peel, and slice two carrots and one parsnip.

    Making the vegetarian goulash

    STEP 1
    Heat your stockpot to medium heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and cook for one to two minutes.

    STEP 2
    Then, add the sliced carrots and parsnips to the pot. Stir and cook for about five to six minutes.

    STEP 3
    Add the chopped garlic, half a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of black pepper, one teaspoon of dried parsley, and one teaspoon of caraway seeds. Stir everything together and cook for another two to three minutes.

    STEP 4
    Now, it’s time to add the flavor base to your goulash. Add two tablespoons of sweet paprika powder and two tablespoons of tomato or goulash paste to the pot. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.

    4 photo collage showing the first 4 steps to make vegetarian goulash in a red white pot. There are chopped onion, sliced carrots, sliced parsnip, chopped garlic, tomato paste, and different seasonings.

    STEP 5
    Pour in six cups of vegetable broth and stir. Let the soup cook for about five minutes.

    STEP 6
    Add the diced potatoes to the pot and cook for another five minutes.

    STEP 7
    Finally, add two cups of cooked or canned beans. Stir everything together and cook for another five minutes. Your vegetarian goulash is now ready to serve.

    4 photo collage showing the last 3 steps to make vegetarian goulash in a red white pot after addig vegetable broth that will cover all the veggies and other ingredients

    💡 Expert tip

    Chop your vegetables evenly to ensure they cook properly. Start by adding the carrots and parsnips, as they take the longest to cook, and then the potatoes. This way, all your vegetables will be ready at the same time, and your goulash will be perfectly balanced.

    🔄 Variations

    If you are a fan of spicy food, consider adding some hot chili powder or chili flakes to this vegan goulash. This will give your dish a fiery kick and add a new dimension of flavor to the recipe.

    If you want to incorporate more vegetables into this dish, consider adding mushrooms. They will not only contribute to the texture but also add a rich, savory flavor that complements the other ingredients.

    You can also experiment with different types of beans. Chickpeas, black beans, or cannellini beans would all work well in this recipe and add a unique twist.

    Two plates of soups with chopped potatoes, carrots and white beans. Slices of bread and spoons are next it as well as a large white and red pot with ladle.

    🥣 Serving ideas

    This vegetarian goulash is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It is a hearty and comforting soup that is perfect for a main course. I like to serve it with a side of crusty bread. It is a traditional way to enjoy this soup and is a great way to soak up the delicious broth.

    This soup can also be served as a starter to a more substantial meal. It is a great way to whet your appetite before a main course. It can be served with a variety of main dishes, such as a Hungarian mushroom stew or any of these vegetarian stews.

    Soup with chopped potatoes, carrots and white beans in 2 white bowls with Hungarian flower patterns. A hand is taking a spoonful and dunks a bread slice.

    ❄️ Storing tips

    Storing and reheating this vegan goulash is a simple process, and it may even enhance the flavors, making it a perfect make-ahead dish for busy weeknights.

    To store, allow the goulash to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four to five days without any compromise in the quality or flavor.

    The dish freezes exceptionally well and can be kept in the freezer for up to a couple of months in a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag.

    To reheat, if it is frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, you can warm it up on the stovetop over medium heat. If you are reheating it from the refrigerator, you can also use the microwave. Just be sure to stir it occasionally to guarantee even reheating.

    🤔 FAQs

    What kind of beans can I use?

    The most authentic beans to use for Hungarian goulash are kidney beans. You can use any kind of kidney beans, including red kidney beans, white cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans), or speckled kidney beans. However, you can also use chickpeas, which I have tried several times, and the soup still tastes amazing.

    What else can I add to the soup?

    If you want to add more vegetables but still keep the soup authentic, I recommend adding button mushrooms. If you want to add a beefy texture to the soup, you can also add vegan beef or marinated soy chunks. These chunks are usually made of textured vegetable protein (TVP). However, it is important to note that these additions will make the soup non-tradtional.

    More vegan soup recipes

    You can browse through our vegan soup recipes or check out one of the below ones. If you specifically are looking for creamy soups we have a collection of 30 deliciously creamy vegan soups.

    • Yellow cream soup topped with roasted broccoli florets, brown croutons, white drizzle spots served in 2 white bowls with a spoon in each. Other toppings like croutons, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley is in small bowls around the soups.
      Broccoli Sweet Potato Soup
    • Black plate from above with red tomato-based soup and chopped vegetables like cabbage, orange sweet potato, celery stalk slices, topped with lemon slices and dried green herbs
      Cabbage Sweet Potato Soup
    • Yellow cream soup in a black bowl topped with diced roasted beetroot, green pumpkin seeds and drizzled with a white sauce.
      Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup
    • Yellow cream soup topped in a black bowl with charred pineapple wedges, drizzled with a white sauce and sprinkled with chopped green herbs, red flakes and sesame seeds.
      Ginger Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

    Different colorful vegetables drawn as icons on an orange background in a shape of a heart.

    ⇒ GET OUR FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN E-BOOK NOW! OR CHECK OUT ALL VEGAN MEAL PLAN RECIPES! ⇐

    Vegetarian Goulash (Authentic Hungarian Bean Goulash)

    Nandor Barta
    This vegetarian goulash (Hungarian) recipe gives you the chance to enjoy this authentic dish exactly how Hungarians have it but in a completely vegetarian form. It is a family recipe that has been passed down generations and is a real comfort food.
    4.3 from 16 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Soup
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 95kcal

    Equipment

    • Cast-iron Dutch Oven (3-quart / 2.8 liter)
    • Stockpot

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 Tbsp Coconut oil
    • 1 Onion medium
    • 3-4 cloves Garlic
    • 2 Potatoes
    • 2-3 Carrot medium
    • 1-2 Parsnip medium
    • 15 oz Kidney beans 1 can
    • 5 cup Veggie broth
    • 1.5 tsp Tomato paste or goulash paste
    • 1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika powder or other sweet smoked paprika powder
    • 1 tsp Parsley
    • 1 tsp Ground caraway seeds
    • ½ tsp Salt or to taste
    • ½ tsp Pepper or to taste

    Optional ingredients

    • ½ tsp Liquid smoke optional to replicate the open fire taste
    • 1-2 cup Mushroom optional
    • Hot chili powder or flakes optional to taste
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    EXCLUSIVE 5-ingredient recipes for busy home cooks that are ready in 15 minutes!Check out our Express Vegan Cookbook!

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the ingredients

    • Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Wash and chop potatoes. Wash, peel, and slice carrots and parsnip.

    Making the soup

    • Heat your stockpot to medium heat and add oil. Cook the chopped onion for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add the sliced carrots and parsnip. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.
    • Add chopped garlic and the seasoning (salt, pepper, parsley, and caraway seeds) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
    • Add the sweet paprika powder and the tomato or goulash paste, and stir until combined.
    • Pour the vegetable broth and cook the soup for approx. 5 minutes.
    • Add the diced potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
    • Finally, add the cooked or canned beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    TOP TIP: This soup gets more and more delicious with every passing minute. 
    • Chop vegetables evenly – We added carrots and parsnip first as they need the most time to be cooked, then potatoes. They will cook more evenly if the veggies are the same size. 
    • Chop vegetables smaller – If you prefer to reduce the cooking time, you can cut the potatoes to smaller or slice the carrots thinner. 
    • How spicy should it be? – Depending on how hot and spicy you prefer your soup, you can add chili powder or sriracha or freshly chopped raw chili peppers beside the sweet paprika powder.
    • Beans vs chickpeas – While the traditional recipe calls for beans, you can use chickpeas if you like them better.  
    • Why coconut oil? – The traditional way is to make the base for cooking onion and garlic with lard. As we eat plant-based, the closest alternative is coconut oil. Why? It gives the soup a fatty after-taste similar to lard. 
    • What to serve with vegetable goulash soup? – If you’d like to keep it authentic, the only side Hungarians pair this soup with is bread. We use the bread slices to dunk them in the soup and eat it like that. Goulash soup is a one-pot dish, so the side is the cooked potatoes that are already in it.
    • What kind of beans can I use? – The most authentic ones are kidney beans of any kind: red kidney beans, white cannellini beans aka white kidney beans, or speckled kidney beans… We have also made it several times with chickpeas and the soup tastes amazing.
    • What else can I add to the soup? – If you’d like to add more veggies, but still keep it real, we recommend adding mushrooms. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegetarian Goulash (Authentic Hungarian Bean Goulash)
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 95 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 759mg33%
    Potassium 392mg11%
    Carbohydrates 18g6%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 3001IU60%
    Vitamin C 16mg19%
    Calcium 26mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    382 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.25 from 16 votes (14 ratings without comment)

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating





      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. jean

      January 07, 2025 at 8:07 pm

      Hi I’m ready to make your goulash. Sounds like a wonderful recipe. I’ve made goulash b4 with meat also veg version. want to try your recipe this time. Is it possible to sub the beans with mushrooms? I’ve done that b4 and it really worked well as I recall. Also would it be ok to have cabbage on the side. I guess my slavic roots are showing. maybe that’s served in other countries?

      Reply
      • Nandor Barta

        January 21, 2025 at 7:37 am

        Hi Jean, beans and mushrooms are good additions. In Hungary, we do not have cabbage on side. If you’ll love the combination, do it.

        Reply
    2. Kaitlyn Serafin

      March 06, 2024 at 7:38 pm

      5 stars
      Great one-pot recipe. Simplifies weeknight cooking and clean-up! We found this to be very hardy and tasty, especially with buttered bread dunked into it. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    3. Querino de Freitas

      June 02, 2021 at 10:44 am

      I love goulash..My Hungarian/Austrian friend of many years ago cooked the best goulash…..alas he has departed this earth…But now I make a veggie version, I follow your recipes ,almost!!!!.I like to invent…I notice you dont use caraway seeds, its a must in goulash. I also use paneer and sometimes tofu….The more the merrier..Keep up with the recipes..Thanks from Querino…

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        June 02, 2021 at 11:11 am

        Hi Querino, We are so happy you liked our recipe. I meant to rename it to caraway seeds in the recipe card as we obviously use those. But there are so many people use them interchangeably. Anyway I edited it now. Thanks again for making our recipe.

        Reply
    4. Giselle

      February 19, 2021 at 10:04 pm

      Sounds interesting as a vegetarian/lighter substitute for the real thing.
      The seeds are indeed caraway and are a must (Hungarians would say it’s not a real goulash without it).
      For beef goulash (8 cups of water) I use 2-3 heaped spoons of paprika and add 1 or 2 each red and green sweet peppers, they add a lot of flavour and depth to the soup, so it seems even more essential for a meatless one.
      As for pasta – guess it’s a quick and easy replacement for the traditional Nokedli dumplings.
      I hope to try it soon and update(:

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        February 20, 2021 at 9:09 pm

        Hi Giselle, it is definitely lighter. Let us know if you try it.

        Reply
    5. Karol

      November 18, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds great! But small correction, hungarians don’t use much cumin but actually caraway seeds. The confusion is because here in this region we call them by same name.

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        November 19, 2020 at 12:18 pm

        Hi Karol,

        Yes indeed. I was searching a bit around which one is the best word to describe the spice. You might be right that I should have said caraway seeds as cumin seeds apparently will taste totally different.

        Reply
    6. Rebecca C

      August 24, 2020 at 7:07 pm

      Hi! I’ve read in other recipes about true Hungarian Goulash that much more Hungarian Paprika is used- sometimes more than 1/4 cup or even more. Did you ever try your above recipe with more Paprika? Just curious. Thanks in advance for this recipe and for your answer to my question. 🙂

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        August 29, 2020 at 6:55 am

        Hi Rebecca, 1/4 cup sounds like a lot. Depending on the amount the most we ever add is like 1-2 Tbsp, but that is for like 8-10 cup (2-2,5l) of soup. If you add more, it will make the soup thicker and will probably over-powers the other spices so you will only taste paprika in it. You also need to look out to have enough liquid when you add it. It can burn easily and turn the soup bitter.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

    More about us →

    Reader Favorites

    • A large white bowl with white rice and sticky brown battered strips on top sprinkled with sesame seeds, orange peels and chopped spring onion
      Crispy Vegan Orange Chicken (Copycat Panda Express)
    • Lots of spring rolls cut in half and arranged in a semi-circular dish facing upwards around a brown dipping sauce.
      Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls
    • A burger with layers of green ruffled lettuce, yellow sauce, thin cheese slices, dark brown burger patty twice, sliced pickles and white chopped onion.
      Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
    • Copycat IKEA Veggie Balls

    Hearty stews

    • Vegetable stew in a red white enameled Dutch oven with lots of chopped vegetables like potatoes, carrots, mushroom, celery and red kidney beans. Topped with freshly chopped green herbs.
      The Best Hearty Vegetable Stew
    • 2 white bowls with thick brown stew, lentils, chopped veggies and a couple of dumplings. The remaining stew is in a red-white Dutch oven.
      Vegan Stew with Dumplings
    • Red Dutch oven from above with a stew where you can see chopped potatoes, spinach leaves, carrot slices, tomatoes, and mushroom slices. Slices of bread is next to it. A hand is holding a spoon taking some from the middle
      Jackfruit Stew (Vegan Beef Stew)
    • Cast iron skillet with veggie stew topped with puff pastry in a lattice pattern.
      Vegan Pot Pie
    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

    More about us →

    Reader Favorites

    • A large white bowl with white rice and sticky brown battered strips on top sprinkled with sesame seeds, orange peels and chopped spring onion
      Crispy Vegan Orange Chicken (Copycat Panda Express)
    • Lots of spring rolls cut in half and arranged in a semi-circular dish facing upwards around a brown dipping sauce.
      Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls
    • A burger with layers of green ruffled lettuce, yellow sauce, thin cheese slices, dark brown burger patty twice, sliced pickles and white chopped onion.
      Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
    • Copycat IKEA Veggie Balls

    Hearty stews

    • Vegetable stew in a red white enameled Dutch oven with lots of chopped vegetables like potatoes, carrots, mushroom, celery and red kidney beans. Topped with freshly chopped green herbs.
      The Best Hearty Vegetable Stew
    • 2 white bowls with thick brown stew, lentils, chopped veggies and a couple of dumplings. The remaining stew is in a red-white Dutch oven.
      Vegan Stew with Dumplings
    • Red Dutch oven from above with a stew where you can see chopped potatoes, spinach leaves, carrot slices, tomatoes, and mushroom slices. Slices of bread is next to it. A hand is holding a spoon taking some from the middle
      Jackfruit Stew (Vegan Beef Stew)
    • Cast iron skillet with veggie stew topped with puff pastry in a lattice pattern.
      Vegan Pot Pie

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Contact
    • About
    • Media & Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Nutritional disclaimer
    • General Disclaimer

    Categories

    • Vegan Main Dishes
    • Vegan Soups
    • Vegan Desserts
    • Vegan Pasta Sauces
    • Vegan Sides

    Seasonal

    • Vegan Lentil Loaf
    • Vegan Shredded Chicken
    • Chickpea Mushroom Curry
    • Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup
    • Vegan Bechamel

    Quick links

    • TVP Recipes
    • Quick Vegan Meals
    • Creamy Vegan Soups
    • Rice Paper Recipes
    • Oyster Mushroom Recipes

    This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    Stock images for articles by Depositphotos.com.

    Copyright © 2018-2024

    382 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.