To Know:

What’s not to to love about a good stroganoff? Creamy, tangy sauce, hearty chunks of mushroom and meat, and toothsome noodles. Growing up, we often had the familiar and comforting version with ground beef and condensed cream of mushroom soup, which continues to hit the spot in a pinch. As an adult, I still grab for that can of soup sometimes, albeit a low-sodium version, but I usually make it with ground turkey now. It wasn’t until an incredible sale on pre-sliced mushrooms a few years ago that I started tinkering with a vegetarian version. This dish is remarkably adaptable in spite of the rather straight-forward formula. You can use mushroom or beef stock, any meat, be it beef, pork, or poultry, sour cream or Greek yogurt (or a dairy-free version of either), and this would be great flavored with tarragon or rosemary too! I hope my recipe for stroganoff inspires you to play around until you find a version that becomes a classic in your home as well. Enjoy!

To Get:

• 1  12-ounce bag of egg noodles, I like the “dumpling” size
• 3  tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1  large yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced (2-3 cups)
• 3  pounds fresh mushroom, sliced and/or roughly chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 2  teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1/2  cup dry vermouth/sherry/dry white wine (whatever you have, or  simply water)
• 3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2  cups unsalted mushroom or beef stock
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• 2  teaspoons ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 1  small container plain Greek yogurt, I like 2% fat, but 0% or 4% is fine (typically 5.5-7 ounces)
• 1/2  cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Scallions, chopped, for garnish, optional

To Do:

1. Bring a large pan of water to boil for the noodles, prepare according to package instructions (usually 10-12 minutes).
2. At the same time, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, adding the sliced onions and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Stir occasionally.
3. Once the onions begin to soften (about 5-8 minutes), stir in the mushrooms with another stir in the mushrooms with another pinch of salt and pepper.
4. After about 10 minutes, add in the chopped garlic and thyme, cook a minute, then add the vermouth (or liquid substitute). This should evaporate within a few minutes.
5. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for a minute or two to cook out the raw flour taste. Pour in the stock and remaining kosher salt and pepper, stirring quickly to prevent lumps. Raise the heat to medium high and let cook until it begins to thicken, another 5 minutes or so.
6. Turn off the heat and add the yogurt and parsley, combine well, then add in the cooked, drained noodles and any additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped scallions before you serve and nosh!

Serves 4-6