Vegetable Goulash with Spiced Tofu Balls

This vegetable goulash brings plenty of flavour to the table: oven-roasted peppers, courgette and garlic meet a rich tomato sauce, with a pinch of cinnamon adding a wonderfully aromatic note.

Homemade tofu balls, generously seasoned with smoked paprika, herbs and soy sauce, are pan-fried until golden brown and served in the goulash.

It tastes especially good with fresh farmhouse bread – perfect for mopping up every last bit of that delicious sauce. 🌱

Allergens

Contains soy from tofu and soy sauce. Almond butter adds tree nuts (almonds); peanut butter adds peanuts instead. Regular soy sauce often contains wheat and therefore gluten. Check oats for gluten and possible cross-contamination as well. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free soy sauce and millet flakes labelled gluten-free or certified gluten-free oats.

At a glance

🍽️ Servings: approx. 2–3
🕒 Preparation: approx. 35 minutes
🔥 Cooking/baking: approx. 40 minutes, including 25–30 minutes in the oven
⏱️ Total time: approx. 60 minutes – several steps overlap
🌿 Difficulty: intermediate

Ingredients

For the tofu balls

• approx. 200 g plain firm tofu
• 50 g millet flakes, or rolled oats
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
• ½ tsp hot paprika, or chilli flakes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• salt to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper

Soy sauce is already salty, so taste the mixture before adding any extra salt.

For the vegetable goulash

• approx. 1 kg fresh tomatoes
• 2 peppers
• 1 courgette, or 1 peeled aubergine
• 1–2 carrots (optional)
• 1–2 red onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp hot paprika, or chilli flakes
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• olive oil for frying

How to make it

1. Roast the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional heat (top and bottom). Halve and deseed the peppers. Halve the courgette lengthways. If using carrots, peel and slice them. If using an aubergine, peel it and cut it into fairly large pieces so that it cooks evenly.

Place the unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Add the peppers, courgette or aubergine, and carrots if using. Roast for approximately 25–30 minutes.

2. Prepare the tomatoes

While the vegetables roast, bring some water to the boil in a small saucepan. Use a knife to lightly score a cross in the top of each tomato.

3. Peel the tomatoes

Once the water is boiling rapidly, add 1–2 tomatoes at a time. After approximately 30 seconds, lift them out with a slotted spoon, briefly rinse with cold water and peel off the skins. Roughly chop the peeled tomatoes. The next tomatoes can blanch in the hot water while you work.

4. Prepare the onions

Peel and dice the red onions.

5. Make the tofu mixture

Roughly dice the tofu and put it into a suitable container with the millet flakes or oats, soy sauce, almond or peanut butter and all the seasonings for the tofu balls. Blend with a hand blender until as smooth and easy to shape as possible.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Add salt sparingly at first, as the soy sauce already contains salt. If the mixture is too soft, add a few more millet flakes or oats and let it stand briefly to absorb moisture until easy to shape.

6. Shape the tofu balls

Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls and set aside.

7. Pan-fry the tofu balls

Heat a little olive oil in a sufficiently large pot. A cast-iron Dutch oven works particularly well, but any suitable pot will do. Gently fry the tofu balls over medium heat, turning carefully, until golden brown on all sides.

8. Finish preparing the roasted vegetables

Take the vegetables out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. If needed, cover the peppers and let them rest briefly to help loosen their skins. Peel and dice the peppers. Squeeze the softened roasted garlic out of its skins and chop finely. Cut the roasted courgette or aubergine into bite-sized pieces.

9. Make the goulash base

Remove the browned tofu balls from the pot and set aside. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Put the diced red onions, hot and sweet paprika and cinnamon into the pot. Stir together and gently cook over low heat for a few minutes. Take care not to burn the paprika, as it can turn bitter.

10. Simmer the tomato sauce

Add the chopped tomatoes to the onions. Stir and simmer over low to medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

11. Add the roasted vegetables

Add the prepared roasted vegetables, including the roasted garlic, to the tomato sauce. Gently mix, season with salt and black pepper and simmer for a few more minutes.

12. Add the tofu balls and serve

Finally, add the browned tofu balls to the vegetable goulash. Fold them in carefully and warm through over low heat for a few minutes. Avoid vigorous stirring so that the balls keep their shape. Serve the goulash hot.

Serving suggestion

Fresh, crusty farmer’s bread makes a wonderful accompaniment to this vegetable goulash. It complements the savoury tofu balls and rich tomato sauce, turning everything into a hearty, satisfying meal.