Vegetarian Goulash Recipe
serves 4

• 2 large onions chopped
• 2 large carrots diced
• 2 large potatoes diced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp thyme
• 4 tsp paprika
• chili powder
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 500g passata (this is sieved tomatoes, but a can of chopped tomatoes and extra concentrate will work fine too)
• 3/4 pint veg stock
• 3/4 tube tomato concentrate
• 2 large red peppers – top and tailed, slice in half from top to bottom and cut into C shaped thin slices

Heat oil in a large pan (ovenproof if adding dumplings later)
A add onions and garlic and fry until just softening
Add paprika and fry for a further minute while constantly stirring to stop it sticking
Add potato and carrot and another splash of olive oil
Stir and fry for a further 5 minutes
Add passata and stock, bay leaves, thyme, caraway seeds, tomato concentrate and chili powder to taste  and stir well,   bring to boil and simmer with the lid on – stirring occasional – until the potato and carrot are to your liking, which should be 30 mins or thereabouts – if it starts to get too thick add more stock or boiling water.

In a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil fry the peppers until they are just turning brown
add a drop of paprika and fry a little longer  Add the peppers to the main mix, stir and cook it for a minute or so     Remove the bay leaves

It can be served as is, or dumplings can be prepared and added to the pan, cooked with the lid on until they have puffed up and hardened then transferred to the oven and baked on high heat to crisp which takes about 10 minutes.