Mushroom and Potato Paprikash 

This recipe is a vegetarian adaptation of chicken paprikash, a classic dish in Hungary, where there are many regional and cultural variations. This version is not at all traditional, though mushrooms are common in Hungarian cooking. To make this dish doable on a weeknight, par-cook the potatoes while you’re searing the mushrooms. If time is not an issue, you can skip that step, but it will increase the lid-on cooking time to about 30 minutes in Step 2. Avoid washing your mushrooms, which makes them less likely to sear. Instead, wipe off any dirt with a damp cloth. Meaty trumpet mushrooms add a wonderful texture in the stew, but you can use any mushrooms you like, including all-purpose creminis. This recipe can also be made in an Instant Pot.

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Ingredients

• ¼

  cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed 

• 2

  pounds mushrooms, such as trumpet or cremini, tough stems removed, halved if larger than 2 inches

• 1 ½

  pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into 1-inch pieces 

• Salt and black pepper

• 1

  tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1

  large yellow or red onion, chopped 

• 8

  garlic cloves, smashed and chopped 

• 2

  tablespoons sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian 

• ½

  teaspoon smoked paprika

• ¼

  cup dry white wine 

• 1

  cup vegetable stock 

• 1

  (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

• 1

  cup sour cream, at room temperature 

• 3

  tablespoons all-purpose flour 

• ½ cup chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley 

Preparation

1. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add half the mushrooms, season with salt, and brown for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Meanwhile, spread the potatoes on a plate or a shallow bowl and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes; they should be about halfway cooked, not fully. (If you don’t have a microwave, you can parcook in salted boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes instead.) Transfer the first batch of mushrooms to a plate, add a little more oil if the pan is dry, and brown the second batch the same way, seasoning with salt and transferring them to the plate when done. 
2. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the butter to the pot, then the onion. Season with salt and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the onion just begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and add the sweet and smoked paprikas; stir well to combine the spices with the onion. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium and let it come to a simmer while you scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the vegetable stock and the crushed tomatoes, then the potatoes and mushrooms, along with any liquid that accumulated on the plate. Season generously with black pepper. Increase the heat to high to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes. 
3. Uncover the pot and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the potatoes are fully tender and the liquid has reduced a bit. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream and flour in a medium bowl, then whisk a few ladlefuls of the hot liquid into the sour cream mixture. Reduce the heat to low, then add the sour cream mixture and herbs to the pot. Stir well, and adjust the texture of the stew with up to ½ cup of water if it is too thick for your taste. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you like.