Mushroom Seitan Stroganoff
Everyone has a few standby meals that are easy, tasty, and use the ingredients you generally have on hand at any given time. This is one of ours. It’s not pretty or fancy, but it’s tasty, comforting and dependable. Before I get into the recipe, I want to talk ingredients. The downfall to this recipe is that it depends on a specific brand of vegan sour cream, and some people prefer to stay away from such specialty products for health or monetary reasons. I’ve tried this recipe with homemade tofu sour cream, and there really is no comparison. I can vouch for Tofutti’s Sour Cream. If you decide to make it with something else, you’re on your own.
I use seitan in this recipe alongside the mushrooms. Like many vegan products, things vary drastically from brand to brand. Not all seitan is created equal. My favorite was White Wave’s seitan that came in a blue cardboard box, but I can’t seem to find it anymore. All the stores near me have switched to their “Chicken Style” seitan in tofu tub, and I find it too dry and tough. You can definitely use it in this recipe, but a I prefer a softer, moister seitan like the orignal blue box or The Bridge seitan pictured here. If you make your own seitan, by all means use that!
A quick note about mushrooms, then I’ll make with the recipe. You can use whatever mushrooms you like, but I find the little packages of white buttons or creminis to work the best. I also dial up the mushroom flavor with a bit of dried mushroom soup base. The brand pictured here is vegan, but full of things you may not like, such as MSG and partially hydrogenated stuff. Since I use it so infrequently, and when I do use it it’s only a teaspoon or so, I’m not really bothered by it. If it bothers you, feel free to sub soy sauce, plain salt, or anything else that will give a small salty kick. I’m happy with my powdered stuff that lasts forever and is dirt is cheap.
Click the link below for the recipe!
Mushroom Seitan Stroganoff
Makes two large, dinner-sized portions
12 oz Tofutti Sour Cream (1 tub)
8 oz Seitan, broth reserved (see above for seitan discussion)
8 oz Fresh Button or Cremini Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 Onion, finely chopped
1 Small Garlic Clove, minced
1/2 Tbs Earth Balance or Olive Oil
1 tsp Mushroom Stock
1 Tbs Tamari
1/4 Cup White Wine (optional)
1/2 Cup Frozen Peas
Fresh Black Pepper
Cooked Pasta for two
Start a large pot of water for your pasta and then start following these directions. The timing should work out so that the pasta is ready when the sauce is ready, but if it finishes early, simply drain the pasta and toss it with some olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside until you’re ready for it. If your sauce is finished early, just cover it and keep it warm until the pasta is done.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and sautee slowly until caramelized, about 10 minutes. While onions are cooking, chop your garlic, mushrooms, and seitan. The mushrooms and the seitan should be chopped to about the same size, that is, in thin strips. Keep mushrooms and seitan separate, since you’ll be adding them to the pan at different times.
When the onions are nicely caramelized, add garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add mushrooms and 1/2 Tbs Earth Balance. Turn up heat to medium-high and saute until cooked down and soft. Add wine to deglaze the pan, if you have some, and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add seitan to pan. Add the entire tub of sour cream, the mushrooms stock, and the tamari and stir well.
Add the pasta to the skillet to coat with your stroganoff sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved seitan broth to thin it - water or veg stock will also work. Add peas and cook briefly until thawed. Plate, and top with fresh black pepper. I also used some smoked paprika for color.
7 comments March 11th, 2007
