This Tofu Paprikash recipe is rich, creamy and vegan! Seared tofu and mushrooms are bathed in a decadent Hungarian paprika sauce. Serve over pasta, rice, potatoes, or roasted cauliflower for a quick, delicious vegan dinner in just 40 minutes.

vegetarian paprikash simmering in skillet with tofu, red bell peppers, and fresh parsley.

A couple of years ago, while in Budapest, we enjoyed the most delicious Paprikash! A traditional Hungarian dish, it is rich, robust, creamy, and, well, basically, all the things I love! As I was eating each delicious bite, I kept thinking how easily this could be made vegan.

Here, we serve it with tofu, but with most recipes on the blog, know that it is adaptable; you can also make this with white fish, shrimp, or traditional chicken. The base of the sauce is coconut milk, rather than sour cream, with a few drops of vinegar to give it that signature tangy finish. But we offer other options too! Read the recipe notes.

vegetarian paprikash in a bowl with tofu.

Why This Recipe Works

  1. Plant-based, yet adaptable! The sauce is dairy-free and vegan, but can be made with white fish, shrimp, or chicken.
  2. So many ways to enjoy. Serve with pasta, rice, or roasted cauliflower.
  3. Comforting and flavorful. Rich, robust, creamy, and tangy!

What is Paprikash?

Paprikash, also known as Chicken Paprikash or “Paprikás Csirke” is a traditional Hungarian stew characterized by its rich use of sweet paprika, which gives the dish its distinctive red-orange hue and deep rich flavor.

Traditional Paprikash uses sour cream to achieve its signature creamy consistency. In our vegan version, coconut milk is used to mimic the creaminess without the use of dairy. Of course, you can use sour cream or even vegan sour cream if you wish.

Ingredients

ingredients for vegan paprikash - tofu, sliced mushrooms, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, tomato, coconut milk, salt.
  • Tofu: Use organic, non-GMO firm or extra firm tofu. Sub with white fish, shrimp, or chicken. 
  • Olive oil: Crisps the tofu and sautés the veggies.
  • Onion: Use red or yellow onion.
  • Garlic cloves: Roughly chopped.
  • Mushrooms: Use cremini, button, or shiitake. Can sub for more bell peppers or other veggies.
  • Red bell pepper: Thinly sliced or diced.
  • Large tomato: Diced with juices, or use 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juices, or crushed tomatoes.
  • Sweet paprika: Or use regular paprika. Do not use smoked paprika.
  • Cayenne: Just a pinch, optional.
  • Coconut milk: Not tradional in Paprikash, but delicious! Feel free to sub with 1 cup sour cream (or vegan sour cream) and skip the vinegar. Or make a plant-based bechamel sauce. See notes.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Gives that signature tangy finish.
  • Fresh Italian parsley: Chopped, used in the recipe and as garnish.
  • Serve over Trumpet Pasta or other noodles, rice or pasta, or roasted cauliflower.
sliced red bell pepper, diced red onion, diced tomato and sliced mushrooms on wood cutting board with sharp knife.

How to Make Paprikash

Step 1: Start cooking pasta if you are using it.

Step 2: Place the tofu on paper towels and lightly blot all sides; there is no need to press. Cut into ¾ inch slices, then bite-sized pieces.

Step 3: In an extra-large skillet or braiser, heat the oil over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and fresh pepper on the oil itself and swirl. Carefully add the tofu. Season the top of the tofu with a generous pinch of salt. Let it get golden without moving it (it will naturally release itself from the pan as it forms a crust). Once golden, flip, and sear the other side, letting it get deeply golden. Move the tofu over to a plate.

Step 4: To the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper and saute until fragrant, about 6 minutes, lowering heat if need be.

Step 5: Add the tomatoes and their juices, cook 3-4 minutes. Pour in the water, season with salt, black pepper,  paprika and cayenne, give a stir, cover, and simmer on low for 5 minutes; check, adding more water if it seems dry.

Step 6:Once the tomatoes have broken down and the peppers are tender, add the coconut milk, stirring to incorporate. Add the vinegar and stir.

Taste. It should be slightly salty (pasta will soak up this salt) and slightly tangy. Adjust salt and vinegar. If you like spice, add more cayenne to the pot to taste. The flavor should be nice and bold.

Step 7:Fold the tofu into the paprikash mixture and half of the fresh parsley (stems removed).

Serve this over pasta, rice, or even roasted cauliflower! I like to top my pasta with a handful of baby spinach, then spoon the creamy tofu paprikash over it. Serve with additional fresh parsley. If you want a little spice, garnish with red pepper flakes.

paprikash with tofu served over plate of pasta, garnished with parsley.

How to Serve Paprikash

  • Over cooked noodles or pasta
  • On steamed rice or other grains
  • With roasted cauliflower florets or potatoes
  • With a handful of baby spinach

Storage

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the pan with a little oil. A little water or broth can help return the sauce to its creamy texture.

FAQs

What type of paprika should I use?

Use Hungarian sweet paprika or sweet paprika. Regular paprika can also be used, however smoked paprika will not work in this recipe.

Can I use broth instead of water?

Yes! A 1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth both work great.

What does paprikash taste like?

The sweet paprika gives this dish a mild, sweet, and earthy flavor. The dish is robust and rich.

ceramic plate with pasta and paprikash made with tofu served over top.

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vegetarian paprikash in a bowl with tofu.

Tofu Paprikash Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 25 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: dinner recipe, vegan dinner
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: Hungarian
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Creamy, rich and delicious, Tofu Paprikash is a flavorful vegan dinner recipe that can be made in 40 minutes.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 812 ounces pasta- ( or see notes of other options) I used this Trumpet Pasta
  • 1416 ounce block tofu ( see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons olive, more as needed
  • 1/41/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked peppercorns

Paprikash Sauce:

  • one onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced ( cremini, button, shiitake, etc.) If you are not a mushroom fan, feel free to leave these out. You can add more bell peppers or other veggies.
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or diced
  • 1 large tomato, diced with juices (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes with juices, or crushed tomatoes)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/41 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika (or regular paprika, not smoked)
  • pinch cayenne, optional
  • 14-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream (see notes for other options)
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, more to taste!
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped, divided

Serve with your choice of cooked noodles, pasta (or rice, or roasted cauliflower florets) with an optional handful of baby spinach.


Instructions

  1. Start pasta cooking if using.
  2. Place the tofu on paper towels and lightly blot all sides-no need to press. Cut into ¾ inch slices, then bite-sized pieces.
  3. In an extra-large skillet or braiser, heat the oil over medium heat. Sprinkle salt and fresh pepper on the oil itself and swirl. Carefully add the tofu. Season the top of the tofu with a generous pinch of salt. Let it get golden without moving it (it will naturally release itself from the pan as it forms a crust). Once golden, flip, and sear the other side, letting it get deeply golden. Move the tofu over to a plate.
  4. To the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper and saute until fragrant, about 6 minutes, lowering heat if need be.
  5. Add the tomatoes and their juices, cook 3-4 minutes.  Pour in the water, season with salt, black pepper,  paprika and cayenne, give a stir, cover, and simmer on low for 5 minutes; check, adding more water if it seems dry.
  6. Once the tomatoes have broken down and the peppers are tender, add the coconut milk, stirring to incorporate. Add the vinegar and stir.
  7. Taste. It should be slightly salty (pasta will soak up this salt) and slightly tangy. Adjust salt and vinegar to taste.  The coconut milk will make it sweet, so counter this with the vinegar. If you like spice, add more cayenne to taste.  The flavor should be nice and bold.
  8. Fold in the tofu and half of the parsley.
  9. Serve this over pasta, rice, or even roasted cauliflower!  I like to top my pasta with a handful of baby spinach, then spoon the creamy tofu paprikash over it.

Notes

Protein: Instead of tofu, sub shrimp, white fish (wild cod, halibut, sea bass, etc), or chicken. Season and brown in the skillet and set aside. If using bone-in, skin-on chicken, after seasoning and browning, nestle it in the simmering stew in step 5 , allowing it to cook all the way through, adding more water as needed. Of course, you can use chicken broth instead of water.

Tofu Paprikash will keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

This amount will cover 8-12 ounces of dry pasta. If going low-carb, this is tasty over roasted cauliflower. 

Milk: Instead of coconut milk, you can use 1 cup of sour cream (traditional) or try a vegan sour cream and either skip the vinegar or add a few drops to taste.  You may need to thin it with a little more water. Cashew cream will probably work fine here, but I haven’t personally tested this. For a lower-fat version, you could make a plant-based bechamel sauce  (right after step 5). 

Bechamel Sauce : Sprinkle the cooked veggies with 3 tablespoons flour, cook the flour for 1-2 minutes, and add 1 cup plant-based milk, stirring until thickened; add more milk to desired consistency.  Season well (acid, salt, and cayenne).

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ⅓ cup without pasta
  • Calories: 318
  • Sugar: 4.8 g
  • Sodium: 604.2 mg
  • Fat: 24.8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 12.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.3 g
  • Fiber: 4.2 g
  • Protein: 13.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

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Comments

  1. What a great recipe! All of my kids liked it, which is nothing short of a miracle. I did add 1 TBSP of brown sugar to add some depth in the dish. This will now be on our regular recipe rotation! Thank you so much!






  2. Fantastic recipe! The only change I made was adding sugar snap peas. Love the crunchy sweetness they added.






  3. Made this tonight. Was sure we had sweet paprika- nope. Used hot paprika. Used the whole 15 oz can of tomatoes and 1 cup of vegan sour cream. Served it over roasted cauliflower (my husband had a baked potato on the side). We both loved it. While I was glad to try a different way to make tofu, next time I will just make it in the air fryer. As always, thanks Sylvia for the recipe and others for the comments!






  4. This is a great recipe! Thank you for sharing! I did add some Msg and a Tbsp of brown sugar (it added more depth) and every one of my 5 kids LOVED this dish…that is a miracle because we have a couple picky eaters. This is definitely going to be a regular in my house.






        1. I have not tried freezing this recipe, so not 100% positive… but I don’t see why not?

  5. All I can say is thank you. Every night I look forward to a delish meal.

    I’ve made this twice… once with cashew sour cream and once with coconut milk.

    The cashew sour cream was very thick. But sooo goood.

    Coconut milk was also delish. Definitely thinner consistency

    Thanks so much for making these recipes vegan adaptable and vice versa.

    I recommend you to everyone I know!
    Evelyn

  6. I made this today with sour cream because i couldn’t imagine the coconut version and it was delicious over mashed potatoes. Tomorrow we’ll have it with pasta. Thanks for your always great recipes

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