Gulyásleves
Gulyásleves: Hungarian beef goulash soup with paprika and potatoes
Real Hungarian goulash is a soup, gulyásleves, born in the cattle herders' kettles of the Great Plain and still cooked over open fires at summer festivals and in every csárda (country inn) between Budapest and Debrecen. Beef shin or chuck simmers with lots of onion, sweet paprika, caraway and green pepper until tender, then potatoes and carrots go in. It is brothy, rich red and gently spicy, eaten with fresh bread. Chef's tip: take the pot off the heat before adding the paprika; it burns in seconds in hot fat and turns bitter.
- Total time
- 145 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard in a large heavy pot over a medium heat and cook 3 onions slowly for 12 minutes until soft and golden.
12 minStep 2: Raise the heat, add 1 ¾ lb beef shin or chuck and stir for 6–8 minutes until it loses its raw colour on all sides.
8 minStep 3: Take the pot off the heat and stir in 2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika, ½ tsp hot paprika, 1 tsp caraway seeds and 3 cloves garlic for 30 seconds. A common mistake is adding paprika over the flame; it scorches and the soup tastes bitter.
1 minStep 4: Return to the heat, add 1 tomato, 1 Hungarian wax or green pepper, 1 bay leaf and 250 ml of the 7 ¼ cups water. Cover and stew gently for 1 hour, adding a little more water whenever it gets dry, until the beef is nearly tender.
60 minStep 5: Add the rest of the water with 2 carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 ⅛ lb potatoes and 2 tsp salt. Simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the beef is tender.
30 minStep 6: Remove the bay, taste for salt, and serve hot with 1 fresh red chilli on the side. Cool leftovers within 2 hours and reheat until piping hot.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gulyásleves take?
- About 145 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of hungarian sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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