Vegetable Goulash

Love red sauce but need a change of pace from marinara? Give this a try. This dish is so hearty and full of flavor that your family may not even notice it doesn't have any meat in it. Of course, if you wanted to, you could always brown off some beef in the oil before you add the onions-totally up to you!

Ingredients (serves 6):

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup chopped sweet bell peppers, any color or mix of colors

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 Tablespoon capers

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Two vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups warm water
1 cup red wine

1 Tablespoon Greek seasoning (like Cavenders®)

½ teaspoon celery salt

A few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika

2 bay leaves

Serve over:
1 pound of pasta, cooked and kept hot (I like good old egg noodles)

Directions: In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the onions, celery and carrots and cook until soft, but not brown. Add in the garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is just fragrant. Add in the capers, tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir, and then add in the bouillon/water mixture, red wine and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and then cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and ladle over bowls of warm pasta. I call dibs on any leftovers-especially at 2am. Yum.