Alisa Fleming, www.GoDairyFree.org ~ While hearty dishes rich with sour cream may not come to mind in the midst of summer, there is something about this vegetable based dish that fits so nicely with the season. After all, eggplants (otherwise known as aubergines) are reaching near-perfection with smooth skin that glows with a beautiful deep purple hue, bell peppers have come down from their astronomical prices of winter, and you can even use a pound freshly diced tomatoes from your garden.  Not to mention, who can resist the combination of creamy and dairy-free?

This great recipe is from Susan of Fat Free Vegan.  When trialing it, I accidentally used double the cashew butter in the “sour cream,” and since I didn’t have any silken tofu on hand, I used extra-firm.  It actually worked out well, but I added a few tablespoons of rice milk to get the “sour cream” to the right consistency.  To keep the whole dish vegan and gluten free, I served it atop a bed of wide rice noodles. 

This recipe makes a generous 4 servings.

Eggplant Paprikash from Fat Free Vegan

(Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free)

• 1 large onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. eggplant (about 2 medium) cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 bell peppers, any color, sliced (I used red)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (or 1lb fresh tomatoes, diced)
• 1/8 tsp. Liquid Smoke flavoring
• 1/2 cup tofu sour cream (see below)

Tofu Sour Cream:

• 1/2 package (about 6 ounces) lite silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon cashew butter or tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend all the ingredients for the tofu sour cream until completely smooth, and set aside in the refrigerator until needed.

In a large, non-stick saucepan, sauté the onion in a small amount of water until it begins to brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper (optional), and stir for one minute. Add the salt, eggplant, peppers, vegetable broth, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer until the eggplant is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

When the eggplant is done, check the seasonings and add more salt if necessary. Stir in the Liquid Smoke (optional) and the sour cream, and cook for another minute, until warmed through. Serve over pasta or rice.

Serves 4