My family love Beef Stroganoff but recently we have all been watching our weight and let’s face it, with all that sour cream, butter and oil, beef stroganoff is not exactly figure friendly. So I’ve been working on developing a lighter beef stroganoff recipe, one that has all the flavour and creamy texture of traditional beef stroganoff but without all the calories and fat. The trick was to develop a lighter beef stroganoff my family enjoyed just as much as my traditional recipe. Like my Beef Stroganoff Macaroni, it also had to be quick and easy so that it was perfect for weeknight meals as well as for entertaining.
How To Make Lighter Beef Stroganoff
As with any recipe that you are trying to make healthier or more weight loss friendly, the key is to cut down on the fat and bump up the flavour. In this case, I eliminated the butter in my original recipe entirely and used only mild olive oil. I also used a bit more mustard, paprika and pepper. A flavourful beef stock replaced some of the sour cream and half or low fat versions of traditional sour cream replaced the rest.
To make things even healthier, instead of serving my Lighter Beef Stroganoff with white rice or pasta, I substituted brown rice instead. I particularly like brown Basmati rice but any brown rice will do. Brown rice does generally take longer to cook than white rice though, so be sure to factor this into your prep time.
You really can still enjoy your favourite recipes while watching your health or your weight, it just takes a bit of creativity and flexibility. Try my Lighter Beef Stroganoff and experience exactly what I mean when I say that I love it when delicious is healthy too!
Lighter Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons mild olive oil, divided preferably not extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red or white onion, peeled, halved and finely sliced in half moons
- 2 cups sliced white or chestnut mushrooms
- 1 pound sirloin, strip loin or flank steak, thinly sliced
- 2 generous teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup beef stock
- ½ cup light or low fat créme fraîche or sour cream you may not need it all
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- generous pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground if possible
- 1½ cups brown rice, cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large (preferably non-stick) frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté, stirring almost constantly.
- Add a generous pinch of salt to prevent the onions over browning.
- Add half of the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan.
- Add the mushrooms and sauté for a further three to four minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the last of the oil to the pan and toss in the thinly sliced steak.
- Sauté the steak for a minute or two. It should still be slightly pink.
- Stir in the beef stock along with the mustard, pepper and paprika.
- Stir in ¼ cup of the light sour cream or crème fraîche.
- Warm everything through and when the steak is cooked (just another minute or so), stir in the nutmeg and then check the stroganoff for texture and flavour.
- Add more of the light sour cream or crème fraîche if required and season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve the stroganoff over the hot rice on warm plates.
did you make this recipe?
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If you enjoyed this recipe you may also enjoy Lighter Chicken Tetrazzini.
Comments & Reviews
G’day How warm and welcoming does your beef look April?
I want to dive right into this healthiness!
Cheers! Joanne
G’day Joanne and thank you 🙂 I’m so glad you like it!
Oh I love this! Beef Stroganoff is a favorite around here. I’m excited to try your lighter version. Thanks for sharing on Weekend Bites April
I’m so glad you like it, Adelina! Thank you for hosting 🙂
I love beef stronganoff and I haven’t made it in awhile because of the calories. Great to get your recipe. Thanks for bringing this by Weekend Bites.
I’m really glad you like it the recipe, Diane! Let me know how it goes when you try it. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do 🙂