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.

Tofu Paprikash

Name: Tofu Paprikash Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: 8-12 ounces pasta- ( or see notes of other options) I used this Trumpet Pasta; 14-16 ounce block tofu ( see notes); 2 tablespoons olive, more as needed; ¼- ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon fresh cracked peppercorns; one onion, diced; 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 ½ 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); ¼ cup water; ¾-1 teaspoon salt; ½ 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); ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, more to taste!; ½ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped, divided

Description

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

Ingredients

Units Scale

8–12 ounces pasta- ( or see notes of other options) I used this Trumpet Pasta
14–16 ounce block tofu ( see notes)
2 tablespoons olive, more as needed
1/4– 1/2 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
3/4–1 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.

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Instructions

Start pasta cooking if using.
Place the tofu on paper towels and lightly blot all sides-no need to press. Cut into ¾ inch slices, then bite-sized pieces.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Fold in the tofu and half of the parsley.
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