I had never heard of Haluski until this week. I was watching a clip from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives from the Food Channel and came across a simple dish called Haluski. The version of haluski on the show was made from egg noodles, onions, bacon and cabbage. It sounded interesting. So I decided to see how others put a more vegetarian spin on this dish to start and then I wanted to put my own spin on it. What I noticed about this dish is there is a lot of carbs and vitamin C from the cabbage, however, without any protein to balance it out, I could see someone getting full really fast, but hungry not too long after. Even with the cabbage, there is a lack of healthy vegetables too. I grabbed a recipe from Connisserous Veg to get started. Their recipe uses a smoky tofu, but only half a block for 4 servings. Again, no other vegetables besides the cabbage. I think we can add some color, crunch, and more protein. Here are the original stats:
Here’s what I changed:
- I increased the servings from 4 to 6 to lower the calories.
- I replaced the regular pasta with a red lentil pasta to make it gluten free.
- I replaced the soy sauce with a low sodium variety to lower the sodium.
- I chose not to use the sauerkraut to keep the sodium low.
- I increased the tofu to 1 full block to increase the protein.
- I added carrot to increase the vitamin A.
- I added some red bell pepper to add some variety and vitamin C.
- I reduced the amount of butter to lower the calories.
- I added some frozen green peas for protein and added bulk.
Here are the final stats:
Here is the final recipe:
Vegan Haluski
Serves 6
- 6 ounces dried pasta of your choice
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 cups chopped cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups frozen green peas
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- Fresh parsley and/or chives, for serving
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions, then drain the pasta into a colander.
Stir the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and vinegar together in a small bowl.
Coat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegan butter and place it over medium heat. When the butter is hot and melted, add the tofu in an even layer. Allow it to cook for about 10 minutes, flipping once or twice until browned on multiple sides. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tofu and cook until most of the liquid has dried up, about 1-2 minutes longer. Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Once the butter is hot and melted add the onion, cabbage, carrot and bell pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until tender (or until the cabbage is as tender as you like it). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
Add the noodles, tofu, caraway, and green peas to the skillet. Cook 2-3 minutes more, until heated throughout.
Divide the haluski onto plates and top with parsley and chives. Serve.
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