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Cheap and easy Hungarian Carrot Stew that’s especially great for colder days.
Hungarian Carrot Stew is not a pretty dish, but the flavors will make you forget that! It’s a classic comfort food, that’s tasty, nutritious and super warming. It’s savory, plus a little sweet, spicy and smoky. This easy stew is a beginner-friendly, foolproof, and very adaptable recipe that requires just a couple of inexpensive ingredients to make.
Sárgarépa főzelék or Hungarian Carrot Stew is a popular dish in Hungary. Mainly because it’s a very easy to make and budget-friendly recipe. Plus because it’s the perfect recipe for feeding a crowd or batch cooking. And of course also because it’s a delicious, and totally customizable dish!
To be honest I used to absolutely hate everything about this dish as a child. Probably because a not very appetizing version of it was regularly on the menu of the school canteen. Or probably because as a child I just didn’t care for having a big bowl of carrots for lunch or dinner.
Either way those days are over, because I’ve rediscovered my love for this Hungarian Carrot Stew recently.
This recipe is good. So if you are not a 5 years old child, you are gonna like it too!
Hungarian Carrot Stew is….
- Quick and easy to make
- Inexpensive
- Requiring only a handful of simple ingredients
- Perfectly customizable
- Great for batch cooking
- Healthy
- Nutritious
- Vegan and vegetarian
- Optionally gluten-free
- Comforting
- Delicious
- Slightly spicy and smoky
- Hearty and slightly sweet
How to make Hungarian Carrot Stew
You start by sautéing onions and chopped carrots on vegan butter and olive oil. Once onions are translucent, you add some garlic and your spices and cook for a few more seconds, just until it’s all fragrant but not burnt yet.
Now you add your vegetable broth (or white wine, if you are adventurous), and after a quick boil, simmer the stew for about 20 minutes, or until carrots are cooked but still have a bite. To make the soup thicker at the end, we add a little flour as well. Pretty standard stew making so far.
Traditionally you use a lot more flour to thicken this dish, so here comes a little trick: Simply purée a portion of the stew into a creamy paste, then mix it back with the rest of the stew. This way you get the same creamy consistency, but the carrot flavor is a lot more intense.
Using coconut milk to add extra creaminess and sweetness to Hungarian Carrot Stew is also very non-traditional, but it tastes really lovely, so I don’t mind. If you want a more classic version, use unsweetened plant milk or heavy cream for this soup. Blended cashews or Sunflower Seed Sour Cream are great additions as well.
To finish off the stew, you can add a little parsley or other fresh herb of your choice.
I told you it’s simple!
Can I make it oil-free?
Yes. Simply omit the vegan butter and olive oil, and sauté carrots with a few tablespoon of vegetable broth instead.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Yes. Just choose a gluten-free flour. Brown rice flour is a great option for example.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, this Hungarian Carrot Stew is freezer friendly.
How to serve Hungarian Carrot Stew
Traditionally Hungarian Carrot Stew is served as a main dish. Either with a slice of bread on the side or topped with something. Fried tofu, falafel, carrot balls, vegan sausage, quinoa balls, or some vegan feta could be all great options here.
Not traditional, but you can also serve Hungarian Carrot Stew as a starter (like a thick soup).
And probably even more non-traditional, but serving it as a warm breakfast is amazing on colder days.
CUSTOMIZE IT THE WAY YOU LIKE IT!
This version is a very simple, subtly spiced one, so feel free to add your extras for more flavor.
- Spice things up! Add cumin, turmeric, fresh ginger or chili, coriander, nutmeg, or allspice. Sriracha, miso, hummus, gochujang, harissa, soy sauce, or salsa can be great here too.
- Add extra veggies or greens! Sweet potato, parsnip, spinach, kale or broccoli are especially cool here. Green peas or lentils are good protein-rich additions as well.
- Skip the coconut milk, and use cashew butter, plant-based milk or heavy cream, cream cheese, or sour cream instead.
- Play around with the consistency! Add more vegetable stock (or white wine!) for a thiner soup, or use less broth for an extra thick stew. Blend everything completely, or skip that step to keep your stew chunky.
More Hungarian Recipes To Try:
- Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash
- Potato Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu
- Layered Potato Casserole
- Bread Dumplings w/ Root Vegetable Sauce & Roasted Mushrooms
- Savoy Cabbage Soup
- Sauerkraut Soup w/ Smoked Tofu
- Paprika Potato Stew
- Hungarian Potato Pasta
- Stuffed Cabbage w/ Mushroom & Tempeh
- Hungarian Cheese Spread in Bread Bowl
- Green Pea Stew
- Hungarian Bean Soup
Hungarian Carrot Stew
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2.2 lbs/1 kg carrots, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 2.5 cups/600 ml vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp flour of your choice, use GF if needed
- 1/2 can of coconut milk
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
- salt, pepper
Instructions
- Heat up vegan butter and olive oil in a pot. Add onion and carrots, and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic, paprika, smoked paprika, and chili, and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Pour vegetable broth over veggies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until carrots are mainly soft, but still have some texture.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Add to carrots, and cook for another minute, stirring frequently, so the stew thickens a little.
- Transfer 1/3 of the carrot stew to a blender, and blend until creamy.
- Add blended carrots back to the stew together with coconut milk and parsley. Stir and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until everything is heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
Delicious, budget friendly and comforting…a perfect stew for the cold days!
Thanks Angie 🙂
I had no idea carrot stew is a thing. I image it is delicious on a winter’s night… well, lunch. So I will keep it in mind. x
Yes, now that it’s getting colder here, I’m all about fall and winter food 😍
This looks really good to me and reminds me of macaroni and cheese- but of course is nothing like it. Very different . I’ll have to give it a try.
Hahaha, it looks indeed like mac and cheese a little 😛
Very nice dish, I added peas and drop dumplings. Definitely a good way to use up carrots. Thank you
I’m glad to hear you liked this! Your addition of peas and dumplings sound amazing 😍
This was amazingly delicious. Fresh made it is sweet and savory and the second day it was even better! My 4 year old wanted carrot stew after reading The Tawny Scrawny Lion and did this recipe deliver!
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for the lovely feedback, I’m so glad you both liked this! 😊
Absolutely delicious! This is going to be a staple here in South Wales 🏴 😁
I’m so glad you like the recipe 🙂
Can this be prepared ahead and frozen?
Hi Joanna,
I haven’t tried to freeze this recipe before, but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t work. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
I’m amazed at how good this is. Doubled the recipe. Didn’t have smoked paprika so used 3t paprika and a half tsp liquid smoke. Didn’t have fresh parsley but instead of using dried parsley, chose dried basil instead. A little salt and sugar at the end to enhance and balance the flavors. Excellent.
I’m glad you liked this! Your addition of the basil sounds really good 👌