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Hungarian beef goulash soup

Hungarian Beef Goulash Soup

Goulash soup is a hit with any meat lover—it's packed with it. Worth knowing: in Hungary, "goulash" (gulyás) refers to a thick meat soup that always includes paprika, while what we usually call goulash, Hungarians call pörkölt.

Annelly

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Bell pepper (green)

140

Caraway seeds

Salt

Garlic

Beef (boneless)

Pork fat (lard)

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Onion

300

Paprika

Flour

Egg

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 38 % 10 g

Fats 23 % 6 g

Carbohydrates 38 % 10 g

133 kcal

GI: 80 / 0 / 20

Cooking method

Step 1:

Gather your ingredients.
Step 2:

Make the csipetke (pinched noodles): mix the flour, egg, and salt into a dough, then roll it out into a thin sheet.
Step 3:

Pinch off small pieces of dough (I used little cutters for this).
Step 4:

Cook the csipetke in boiling broth for 3–4 minutes.
Step 5:

Sauté the onion in the lard (or vegetable oil) until golden, then stir in the paprika. (Lower the heat first—paprika scorches and turns bitter if the fat is too hot.)
Step 6:

Cut the meat into even cubes and add it to the onion. Once the meat juices cook off, stir in the crushed garlic mixed with caraway.
Step 7:

Cut all the vegetables into small cubes.
Step 8:

Add the potatoes to the meat first.
Step 9:

When the potatoes turn translucent, pour in water or broth and stir in the chopped tomatoes and pepper.
Step 10:

When the potatoes are nearly done, add the csipetke and let them simmer through.
Step 11:

The finished soup is zesty and juicy.

Csipetke is a lovely homemade dough, a bit like small pinched dumplings. To make it, mix flour, salt, and egg (no water) and roll the dough out into a thin sheet on a floured surface. With dry, floured fingers, pinch off pieces about the size of a fingernail and cook them in the boiling soup; after 3–4 minutes they're done and will float to the top. Now for the soup itself. Cut juicy beef (shank or shoulder work best) into ¾-inch (1.5–2 cm) cubes. Sauté the onion in melted fat until golden and add the paprika. Important: lower the heat before adding the paprika—if the fat is too hot, it will darken and turn bitter. Quickly stir the paprika into the onion, then add the meat and salt right away and simmer, covered, until the meat juices have completely cooked off. Crush the garlic, mix it with caraway, and stir it into the meat. Add a little water and keep simmering, adding more water as needed. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes, about ⅜ inch (1 cm), and cut fresh tomatoes and green pepper into the same size. Have your csipetke ready. When the meat is nearly done, uncover the pot and wait until the liquid cooks off and only fat remains. Add the potato cubes, stir well, and cook until the potatoes start to turn glassy, then pour in broth or water and add the green pepper and tomatoes. When the potatoes are almost done, drop in the csipetke and let them cook through. Add salt again, and more bone broth or water if needed. You can easily swap the beef for pork and the lard for sunflower oil; in my opinion these are minor tweaks and it still comes out delicious. A cast-iron cauldron is best for this goulash. Your Hungarian goulash soup is ready—enjoy!