Use Almond Flour To Thicken Beef Stroganoff And Keep It Keto-Friendly
Traditionally made with beef, mushrooms, sour cream, and mustard, beef stroganoff has a comforting, luscious consistency that's perfect for serving over noodles or rice. But the thickening agent usually used to create this velvety texture is all-purpose flour, which can pose a problem if you're living a keto lifestyle and curbing the amount of carbs you consume. Luckily, almond flour is a fantastic keto-friendly alternative that beautifully delivers the same appetizing creaminess with fewer carbs. This perfect substitute that's likely already in your pantry means you'll never have to sacrifice enjoying a hearty bowl of beef stroganoff ever again.
Widely available in supermarkets, almond flour is a finely ground mixture of blanched and peeled almonds. With just 21g of carbohydrates per 100g of flour, plenty of protein, and a high fat ratio, this versatile, gluten-free ingredient is often used in baked goods to keep them moist and lend them a tender crumb. However, it's also a useful substitute for wheat flour in recipes like stews and soups that call for a fast-acting thickener because it has a mild taste and pale color that doesn't compete with the existing flavors in a savory dish. The almond flour simply thickens up the liquid, lending it heaps of body to make a creamy sauce. To use almond flour in your beef stroganoff, all you need to do is sprinkle a couple of tablespoons over your mushrooms and onions while they're sauteing.
Read more: 30 Healthy Snack Ideas That Won't Ruin Your Diet
Almond Flour Will Still Give You That Classic Creamy Texture
Almond flour will cling to the mushrooms and onions in your beef stroganoff the same way that all-purpose flour will. Upon pouring your stock into the pan bit by bit, you should find that the liquid thickens up as you stir. After a few minutes of allowing it to bubble away gently, it should become even thicker and slightly glossy. At this point, you can add the other key elements to the dish — sour cream and mustard — that will further boost that thickness, creating a sauce with dreamy consistency. Finally, add your browned beef back to the pan so it can soak up all that richly satisfying flavor, and you're ready to serve your keto-approved dinner alongside some cauliflower rice and other non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli and green beans.
Coconut flour and xanthan gum are two other low-carb, keto-friendly thickeners that you may like to keep on hand as viable alternatives in your stroganoff recipe. That said, almond flour is often more readily available and doubly versatile because it can be used to make everything from macarons and nutty coffee cakes to scones and pancakes. That means you can use this low-carb champion to make both your main dish and the yummy dessert that will follow it!
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
