Hungarian Goulash Soup - Gulyásleves
When you want a real comfort food, you can count on the iconic Hungarian goulash soup. Being Hungarian, I frequently delighted many guests with my recipe. The dish will warm you up with its delicious sweet and hot paprika flavors.
Servings 8
Calories 250kcal
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 2 medium onions diced small
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp whole caraway or cumin seeds
- 1 lb beef chuck fat trimmed, cut into half inch cubes
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 ½ TBSP Hungarian sweet paprika
- ½ TBSP Hot Smoked Paprika
- 1 carrot peeled, sliced
- 1 parsnip peeled, sliced
- 2 green or red peppers sliced
- 2 tomatoes sliced
- 1 TBSP Vegeta
- 1 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 1 ½ lb Russet potatoes peeled, diced into approx. half inch pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 cups water
- A handful of chopped parsley
Instructions
- First cut the meat, veggies – except forpotatoes. You can cut the potatoes later, while the meat is cooking.
- Heat 1 TBSP oil in a 6 Qt Dutch oven
over medium heat. Add onion and ½ tsp salt, and sauté until onion gets to soften, about 6 minutes. Add caraway seed and sauté for 1 min. Then add garlic, Hungarian Sweet Paprika, and Smoked Paprika. Sauté for 30 sec. Set aside. - Meanwhile in a 12-inch ceramic skillet heat the other 1 TBSP oil with the cubed beef on medium heat. Stir constantly, till it produces water. Sauté on high until meat is brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total, stirring time to time.
- Add carrots, green or red peppers, parsnips and sauté stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, Vegeta, chili flakes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer until meat is just tender, about 30-40 minutes.
- Meanwhile peel and dice the potatoes.
- After the meat cooked 30-40 minutes, add the other 3 cups water, then the diced potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt as needed.
- Pour meat-veggie mix to to the onions in the Dutch oven, and immediately cover the stew with half of the water (3 cups).
- Adjust the liquid with water to consistency you like (soup or stew).
- Serve with chopped parsley in bowls.
Notes
Hungarian Goulash on Tripod
Goulash originates from the 9th century Hungarian shepherds cooking. You could call it the first Hungarian instant “soup” or beef jerky! The shepherds cooked and spiced the meat, then sun-dried it. (Paprika of course only became the spice in the 16th century.) They used bags made from sheep's stomachs to store the food. Added water and voila – let them have soup! Serve the soup with “Csipetke” – easy handmade pinched fresh pasta –see in my Csipetke recipe.