Vegan festive beer goulash

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 juniper berries
• 2 carnations
• 1 small rosemary sprig(s)
• 4 allspice berries
• 150 g soy strips or smoked tofu
• 3 drops of liquid smoke
• 200 g mushrooms, white or brown
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 carrot(s), from the soup vegetables
• some rosemary sprigs
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 250 ml dark beer
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp mustard
• some paprika powder, sweet
• some paprika powder, hot
• salt and pepper
• Oil for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours; Total time approx. 1 day 4 hours 45 minutes

It’s best to make the jus a day in advance. The soup vegetables should contain at least one large slice of celery, two carrots, one large leek, and one parsley root. Set aside a small carrot for later in the goulash. For the jus, as a sauce base, peel a slice of celery, one large carrot, one leek, and one onion and roughly dice them. Sauté everything in a roasting pan or saucepan with a little oil over high heat until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add tomato paste and caramelize, stirring constantly. Pour in one liter of water. Add bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves, a small sprig of rosemary, and allspice berries. Simmer everything on low heat for about 2-3 hours. Remove from the heat and let it steep overnight. The next day, just before preparing the other ingredients, strain the jus and collect the liquid in a saucepan. For the beer goulash, let the soy shreds swell in a bowl of boiling water. Stir in 1-3 drops of liquid smoke, if desired, and let them steep until they have cooled slightly. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Peel the onion and carrot and cut into small cubes. Finely chop the rosemary. Drain the soy shreds, squeeze the excess water out with your hand, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Fry the soy shreds in a roasting pan with a little oil, tossing several times, until lightly browned on all sides. Deglaze with a good dash of soy sauce and allow to reduce. Remove the shreds and set them aside in a bowl. Fry the mushrooms in the roasting pan with a little oil along with the diced onion and a pinch of pepper until lightly browned. Add the soy shreds and season with paprika and chopped rosemary to taste. Deglaze with the dark beer and allow to reduce slightly. Pour in the jus from the previous day, add the diced carrots, and simmer on low heat. Peel the garlic and add it with a garlic press. Stir in the mustard. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. If the goulash seems too runny, you can mix about 2 teaspoons of potato starch with cold water to thicken the sauce. Serve with potatoes, pasta, or, for a more festive touch, with dumplings and apple-flavored red cabbage.