When you think of beef stroganoff, do you think of the dull lumpy slop served in your school’s cafeteria? I did too, unfortunately–that is until I tried the real deal when I lived in Germany. And now that I know how incredibly delicious it is, I find myself seeking it out when I’m craving a tummy-warming, comforting dish. I’ve found great versions of it here, but nothing quite like I experienced it abroad.

My goal was to recreate that dish, mimicking its seriously beefy flavor and perfect balance of acidity and cream. I made it healthier by swapping out the traditional sour cream for Greek yogurt, failing to jeopardize the deep umami flavor or silky texture of the dish. Everything else is nearly the same. When you use fresh ingredients in such a way that flavors are layered and thus deepened–like it’s done here–there’s no need for additional fat and sugar to make food taste good.

Healthy Beef Stroganoff

Serves 2
– 10-12 oz. beef sirloin steak sliced thin
– 1/2 tsp. paprika
– 1 Tbs. canola oil
– 6 oz. wide egg noodles
– 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
– 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
– 1/2 small yellow onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
– 1/4 cup dry red wine
– 1 cup plus 1 Tbs. beef broth
– 1 tsp. soy sauce
– 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
– 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
– 1 Tbs. cornstarch
– Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Pat the steak dry and season liberally on both sides with salt, pepper, and the paprika. In a large skillet, heat the oil on high until slightly smoking. Sear both sides of the steak until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the pan from the heat, and set steak aside on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles to the package’s directions.

Over medium-low heat, melt butter and cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 10 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for another 3-4 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze while scraping up any brown bits with your spoon. Stir in 1 cup of the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Lightly simmer for 5 minutes, until sauce slightly reduces.

While the sauce is simmering, cut the steak into thin strips. Mix together 1 Tbs of the broth with the cornstarch until emulsified. Slowly pour the slurry into the pan and stir to combine. Add the steak and simmer until you can see a trail of the bottom of the pan while dragging a spoon across the surface.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in the yogurt. You want to do this slowly to prevent the sauce from curdling.  Divide noodles into 2 shallow bowls, and spoon the stroganoff on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.