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You are here: Home / Recipes / Dinner / Paleo Tomato Basil Beef Goulash with Eggplant (whole30)

Paleo Tomato Basil Beef Goulash with Eggplant (whole30)

6 Mar

I grew up in the upper Midwest. A magical place known for the Fargo-esk accent, cold weather, and casseroles – or as we call it, hotdish. Speaking of Midwest terminology, pop = soda, baaaag (long A) = bag, and slacks = pants (ok maybe my grandma is the only one that says slacks, but you get the picture). If you’re from the Midwest, you’ve heard of goulash hotdish. And if you live in my house, you get paleo tomato basil beef goulash with eggplant.

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This whole30, paleo 30-minute meal is a delicious family dinner everyone will LOVE! Makes great leftovers too!

Goulash was one of my favorite dinners growing up. Definition of goulash: a bunch of random but delicious ingredients combined, creating a boom-shaka-laka dinner. There are so many variations, but the one in my momma’s kitchen involved ground beef, stewed tomatoes, canned tomato soup, and lots of noodles. The one in my kitchen however, has a mix of traditional ingredients, and some paleo-friendly alternatives.

I don’t compete with my mom on many things. She is by far a better gardner, listener, home decorator, thank-you letter writer, baby-whisperer, and sewer. However, I am a better cook. Basically we’re a mother-daughter domestic, match made in heaven. You know what else is is a match made in heaven? Tomatoes and basil.

In goulash.

In my belly.

And Whole30 compliant.

Family friendly 30-min meal that's paleo and Whole30 compliant! Bursting with flavor and kid approved!

I never miss the traditional macaroni noodles in my mom’s goulash dish with my diced eggplant substitute. It gives it an extra oomph of pasta-like texture that soaks up all the beef/tomato/basil flavor and completes the dish.

P.S. Isn’t eggplant a weird word when you think about it? Almost as weird as goulash.

This tomato basil beef goulash isn’t for the faint of appetites, but is for those not ashamed to lick their plates. If you DO end up with leftovers (highly doubtful I might add), this dish is great for freezing. If you live in the upper Midwest, that means leaving it packed in your snowy backyard from November to March.

Speaking of easy, here’s how easy it is to make your new goulash favorite –

Paleo Tomato Basil Beef Goulash with Eggplant

To start, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium/high heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic a few minutes, or until fragrant, then add the ground beef and cook to brown. Drain any excess grease and add the diced tomatoes and fresh basil.

Next add the tomato paste and coconut cream (the good, thick stuff at the top of the can). Stir to combine.

In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon over medium/high heat and sauté the diced eggplant until soft, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Add the eggplant to the beef mixture. Mix well and serve topped with fresh basil.

Paleo & Whole30 compliant dinner in 30 minutes. A hearty and healthy meal the whole family will love. Kid approved!

Time Saver Tip

Chop the shallots and eggplant beforehand and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to cook. The eggplant may start to slightly brown, but that will not affect the flavor of the dish.

Print

Paleo Tomato Basil Beef Goulash with Eggplant

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

  • Author: Physical Kitchness
  • Yield: 4 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, diced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3/4 cup coconut cream (thick cream at the top of canned coconut milk)

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
  2. Add the shallots and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, until fragrant
  3. Add the ground beef and cook to brown
  4. In a separate saucepan, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the diced eggplant. Cook until soft, around 5 minutes
  5. Once the beef is browned, drain any excess grease add the diced tomatoes (with juice), basil, and salt. Stir to combine then add the coconut cream, tomato paste, and eggplant
  6. Serve immediately and garnish with more fresh basil

 

Ground beef combined with sautéed eggplant, tomatoes, make this the easiest and tastiest Whole30 compliant, paleo meal yet!
Chrissa
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66 Comments Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Whole30 Tagged With: beef, coconut milk, eggplant, paleo, tomatoes, whole30[heart_this]

About Chrissa

I'm Chrissa - a lover of cooking, hater of spiders, fitness enthusiast, red lipstick wearer, mom and wife. Here you will find healthy recipes the family will love, step-by-step workout tutorials, meal planning guides and wellness tips.

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Comments

  1. Beverley @ sweaty&fit says

    November 30, 2015 at 7:46 am

    i have never heard of goulash before but i am intrigued! i just picked up some veggie ground round this weekend and it would be perfect for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Nom nom get to it lady! 😉

      Reply
  2. Natalie @ A Fit Philosophy says

    November 30, 2015 at 7:48 am

    mmmm warm cozy comfort food!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      YES total comfort food! Which is clutch this time of year!

      Reply
  3. Heather with WELLFITandFED says

    November 30, 2015 at 8:12 am

    This looks amazeballs as usual. I cannot wait to try this. I am still wondering if your sweet potato “scallop” dish is still okay to make the day before. Just wondering if it holds up okay. I want to take it to my sister in law’s house for Christmas.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:36 pm

      I love that you use the word amazeballs. It pretty much speaks to my heart!! Just emailed you 🙂 Not sure why you aren’t able to see my responses about the scalloped sweet potato recipe. Dang technology!!

      Reply
  4. Shamira West says

    November 30, 2015 at 8:16 am

    I have never had goulash before. This dish is very interesting and it looks super yummy!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:38 pm

      Don’t let the weird name intimidate you! It IS really yummy! And filling!

      Reply
  5. Ros Emely@stressfreemommies says

    November 30, 2015 at 8:31 am

    Looks so delicious! I never had goulash before but I will be definitely making this! Super easy and comforting 🙂

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:39 pm

      YAY that’s what I like to hear! Thanks Ros!

      Reply
  6. Rachel says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:15 am

    Hooray for weird food names (kedgeree, anyone?) 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:42 pm

      Yup TOTES had to Google that one Rachel!! 😉

      Reply
  7. Hayley says

    November 30, 2015 at 10:30 am

    OMG I seriously have to try this, looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:42 pm

      Do do please do! I mean, hearty tomato and basil is pretty much always a winner!

      Reply
  8. Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen says

    November 30, 2015 at 11:09 am

    Yum Chrissa this looks awesome! Whenever I try to cook with my eggplant my husband is always “meh” but throw some meat in there, I think he would be on board with this. And I love basil 🙂

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:44 pm

      Ok confession time, I’m sort of the same way about eggplant. I only really love it when it’s grilled or in THIS dish. Let me know what the hubs things. Mine is definitely a meat eater and he loved this!

      Reply
  9. Pragati // Simple Medicine says

    November 30, 2015 at 11:29 am

    My husband is from the midwest and he has the long aaaa sound down pat. I laugh so hard when it says baaaag or baaaagel. I call him a Michigan pirate 😛

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      Hahahahaha LOVE IT! That nickname is…..endearing 😉

      Reply
  10. Kat says

    November 30, 2015 at 12:17 pm

    oh my I could go for a big bowl of this in my belly right NOWWW. Talk about some comfort food!! Im on an eggplant kick right now too – Im experimenting with it a bit!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:49 pm

      Eggplant is so weird! I rarely put it in recipes because sometimes the taste and texture gives me the wrong vibe. But it TOTALLY works in this meal!

      Reply
  11. Ashleigh says

    November 30, 2015 at 12:56 pm

    Ohhh, this goulash looks so good! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe! Seriously, this recipe is right up my alley… love eggplant dishes!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 30, 2015 at 7:52 pm

      Soooo glad! My hubs and son literally devoured it. MOM WIN!!

      Reply
  12. Kayla says

    November 30, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    Hmmm… looks yummy! I have always been afraid of eggplant because I messed it up bad one time… but this is something I think I could do 🙂

    Reply
    • Kayla says

      November 30, 2015 at 3:00 pm

      can I use something else besides coconut cream?

      Reply
      • Chrissa says

        November 30, 2015 at 7:53 pm

        Absolutely! If you aren’t going for paleo, you can totally sub the coconut cream for regular heavy cream 🙂

        Reply
  13. Greta says

    December 1, 2015 at 5:52 am

    This looks so yummy! Definitely going to try this soon.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:39 am

      Whoo hoo! Enjoy Greta!

      Reply
  14. Shann Eva says

    December 1, 2015 at 7:15 am

    Yum! Looks fantastic and my husband would love it. We are in the Midwest, so it will be great when it’s below freezing in a couple weeks 😉 I hope I’m only kidding.

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:40 am

      LOL! You totally get it! If your hubs is anything like mine, a hearty beef meal is just the ticket! Stay warm!! xo

      Reply
  15. Emily says

    December 1, 2015 at 12:00 pm

    Finally! A word to describe my meals when I just throw things into a pan, pot, or bowl!! This sounds so tasty!!! I would love to make a vegetarian version of this :).

    ps your writing is just getting better and better!!! Xo

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:40 am

      Keep me posted if you do! I’d love to hear how you did it. Thanks girlfriend!! xo

      Reply
  16. Cailee says

    December 1, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    YUM!! This is awesome. I seriously love how much healthier this is than typical goulash! I’m all about those healthy swaps… and who doesn’t love some good comfort food this time of year?? So good! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:41 am

      EXACTLY! A girl that gets me 😉 Thanks Cailee!

      Reply
  17. Jess @hellotofit says

    December 3, 2015 at 2:25 am

    Ahh this looks so good! I love eggplant, and am always open to trying new dishes. Don’t you love how shallots add such a yummy flavor to dishes??

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:41 am

      Ok this is kind of embarrassing but I just started cooking with shallots like 6 months ago. SO much better than diced onions!!! Where have they been all my life?! Thanks Jess! xo

      Reply
  18. Cristina Mandeville says

    December 4, 2015 at 10:15 am

    Delish! Love that it is still budget friendly. If you haven’t done this already, I would love for you to share this over at HEALTHY LIVING LINK PARTY, it is still live right now and it goes live every Wednesday , 7pm central time.
    We also have BLOGGERS SPOTLIGHT PARTY , it is a linky and pin it party in one! live now, Hope to see you there!
    http://www.abountifullove.com/2015/12/bloggers-spotlight-linky-party-1.htmln

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  19. Kayla says

    December 11, 2015 at 7:09 am

    I’m from the Midwest too, but I’ve only ever made goulash with just beef and tomato sauce–this looks WAY more delicious! What a great spin on a classic!

    Thanks so much for joining us on the the Alder Collective this week! Pinning, and we hope to see you again next week!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 11, 2015 at 8:25 am

      Thank YOU Kayla! I’m so glad you know what goulash is! So many people hadn’t heard of it. Midwestern girls unite!

      Reply
  20. Wendy says

    August 30, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    Thanks for dinner tonight! We discovered my husband hates eggplant, but we will make the same thing again with zucchini and mushrooms. It was a huge hit though. I doubled the recipe so I’ll have some leftovers!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      September 3, 2016 at 10:28 pm

      Oh that’s a great idea for the eggplant substitutions. I am so glad you loved in Wendy. Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  21. Daphne says

    November 19, 2016 at 3:51 pm

    This was AWESOME!!! Just wondering if you had any good ideas or recipes for the leftover milk in the can after you use the cream from the top? Hate to waste it!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      November 20, 2016 at 2:43 pm

      Oh I’m so glad you liked it Daphne! If the stuff that is left is pretty clear, I just discard. There isn’t to do with that (to my knowledge). If you still have some milk-like stuff after using the cream (not likely, but all canned coconut milk is a little different) you can try using it as coffee creamer. Try my paleo snickers coffee creamer for that! Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  22. Meghan Tulinski says

    January 3, 2017 at 6:12 am

    Anything to use to substitute the coconut cream? My son is allergic and we can’t have any nut based items in the house!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      January 3, 2017 at 2:01 pm

      Hi Meghan –
      Can your son do dairy? If so, try heavy cream! If dairy is out too, you can try soy or rice milk, although it may be a little runnier. Cooking it a little longer to reduce the liquid a bit may help. Let me know what you try!

      Reply
  23. Samantha says

    February 2, 2017 at 4:32 am

    My boyfriend and I had this for dinner last night and I can honestly say it’s one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten! We’ve never had goulash before and this was AMAZING! It’ll definitely be incorporated into our meal plan from now on. The only thing I will change is frying the aubergine in oil, I’ve never been a fan of that so I might try grilling it, or just using cooking spray/coconut oil! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      February 5, 2017 at 2:35 pm

      That’s a great idea and I bet grilling it would add even more flavor! Thanks so much for the feedback Samantha. I’m thrilled you like it!

      Reply
  24. Maria @ Maria Makes says

    March 6, 2017 at 6:47 am

    OMG, yum! I was thinking about adding eggplant to my garden list this year, so definitely pinning this recipe for later! PS I’m from PA and I also say pop 🙂

    Reply
  25. Emily says

    March 6, 2017 at 8:24 am

    OOH I love licking my plate… 😀 And I love how you and your mom are a great team; my mom and I are kind of like that. She loves to clean. I like to cook. The hardest part is when she’s gone and I have to clean up after myself; but it’s good for me too.

    Reply
  26. Elizabeth says

    March 13, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    This meal was absolutely amazing. I loved the way the coconut cream countered the acidity of the tomatoes. I ate it over a bed of zucchini noodles. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      March 13, 2017 at 8:07 pm

      Oh I’m so happy to hear that!!! Mmmm over zucchini noodles sounds like perfection! Thanks Elizabeth!

      Reply
  27. Sigrid Price says

    July 23, 2017 at 9:25 am

    Just lost 40 pounds using Whole30/Paleo approach and constantly looking for new recipes to vary my diet; I figured out that eating the same thing over and over is a deal killer for the diet and am glad to stumble on this recipe as I have made the traditional goulash similar to your mom’s recipe (and my mom’s as well) for years and really have missed it. Creative thinking to substitute the eggplant and I am eager to find out how the coconut cream changes the recipe. The cookbooks I have purchased are a good guide but limited. Thanks very much for this one, and if you have any others to share I will be grateful to try them. Sigrid Price

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      August 1, 2017 at 10:21 am

      Hi Sigrid – thanks for the great note! I have lots of easy Whole30 dinner options and will keep them coming!

      Reply
  28. Christine says

    July 30, 2017 at 7:36 pm

    Just made this and it was amazing! Easy, delicious, and it looks like you spent hours in the kitchen! Loveeeeed it! Thank you for the recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      August 1, 2017 at 10:17 am

      So happy you liked it Christine!

      Reply
  29. Rae says

    August 25, 2017 at 11:30 am

    This sounds fantastic. I don’t like eggplant, sobwas thinking of adding in kale or spinach. I’d add zucchini but my boyfriend doesn’t do that veggie either. Any other suggestion? I suppose I could do sweet potato if he’d go with that. (He’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Only veggies I can get in him are in salads.) But this is definitely a dish I’m going to try!!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      August 26, 2017 at 9:50 pm

      Potato (either white or sweet potato) would totally work! Although I would probably roast or sauté separately, since they will take much longer than the allotted time for the zucchini in this recipe.

      Reply
  30. Kassie says

    October 29, 2017 at 1:36 pm

    Made this for the second time because you reminded me about the recipe on instagram – it is SO good! I make it with turkey, as I don’t eat red meat – and it is still delicious! Just wondering if you have ever freezed his, and whether or not that works? I just get tired of eating the same thing until it’s gone, and would love to stash some away for a rainy day.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kassie says

      October 29, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      Whoops! I just read your description and you say it is great for freezing – so nevermind! Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
      • Chrissa says

        December 4, 2017 at 2:54 pm

        🙂

        Reply
  31. Sam says

    November 17, 2017 at 11:09 am

    I made this recipe a few nights ago and it is absolute perfection! The eggplant soaks up more sauce the longer it sits, so it’s even better now than it was fresh outta the pot. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      December 4, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      Mmmm you’re making me hungry to make this for dinner again Sam!

      Reply
  32. Mike says

    April 16, 2018 at 9:48 am

    I missed paprika in the recipe which is traditionally a big part of the flavor profile for goulash. Did I miss it or is that not part of your recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      April 16, 2018 at 8:44 pm

      Not a part of my recipe but you can always add it to your liking!

      Reply
  33. Heather says

    April 26, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    I make this recipe ALL THE TIME and everyone loves it. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Chrissa says

      May 6, 2018 at 11:23 am

      YAAASSS so happy to hear that! Thanks Heather!

      Reply
  34. Wayls says

    August 18, 2019 at 9:30 am

    Made this last winter for my gang of kids and spouses who were all on a Paleo-like diet along with a gluten and diary-free person, and one who would never deign to try an eggplant. They all loved it and asked for the recipe. It was really an exceptional dish and will be on my menu each winter.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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