Ingredient: beef stock

I’m finally reading Anna Karenina for the first time (thanks to inspiration from Elif Batuman whose novel The Idiot I recently devoured) and it’s so good! In honor of this book that has been consuming all my thoughts and all my time, I decided to make Russian food.

So, I don’t actually know how authentically Russian Beef Stroganoff is, and I certainly have no idea if it’s something that Anna Karenina herself would have ever eaten (update: I looked it up, and she maybe would have, but it wouldn’t have been anything like what I made), but I do know that this recipe is delicious, super easy, and all comes together in one pot. All of which leaves me more time to keep my head buried in the book.

I got this recipe from this blog called Hip Foodie Mom and I make it all the time. The recipe is perfect and needs no real changes, but I eliminated the cornstarch slurry, because I find that’s usually more trouble than it’s worth. I used 80/20 ground beef because it was cheaper and because the added fat helps to thicken the sauce a bit. If you’d prefer your dinner to be a little bit healthier, serve with a side of green veggies.

Print Recipe

Weeknight Beef Stroganoff

Tasty and easy weeknight beef stroganoff.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 16 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 tbsp paprika
• 4 cups beef stock
• 8 oz egg noodles
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• fresh parsley, chopped

Servings servings Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 16 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 onion, diced 3 tbsp minced garlic 1 lb ground beef 3 tbsp paprika 4 cups beef stock 8 oz egg noodles 3/4 cup sour cream fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and cook the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add in onion and cook until onions are translucent.
2. Add in ground beef, breaking into small chunks with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink and beginning to brown. Stir in smoked paprika.
3. Add noodles and beef stock. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that all the noodles cook evenly.
4. When most of the liquid has cooked off, move the pot from the heat, and stir in 1/2 cup of the sour cream. Mix together until incorporated and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve topped with chopped parsley and a dollop of the remaining sour cream.
6. FYI also tastes super good the next day- cold or reheated!