Goulash Soup (Gulyas Leves)
Nothing is more hungarian than goulash, and if you’re in the mood for something hearty you really can’t go wrong. for me, stew is not an every day thing, so i find myself making goulash soup much more often.
When I think about the food my grandmother would make growing up two dishes come to mind: chicken paprikas and goulash soup. These two were staples in our family.
Thinking back on my childhood in Niagara, I picture my grandfather, dad, uncle, aunt and cousins all sitting around our farm table, breaking bread, and taking in the flavours.
I’ll always be really fond of these memories because even though the food was 5-star worthy, it didn’t come with the pretension of fine-dining. Crumbs belonged on the table, broth sometimes stuck to the ends of my grandfather’s moustache, and my grandmother endlessly shuffled and rearranged things to make room for more.
Don’t get me wrong — there’s a time and place for everything. Though sometimes it’s not just the taste that makes food memorable but rather the experience you had while eating it.
I know…this recipe is long overdue, and I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get this post written. I spent a few days in Paris eating and baking (I took a Choux baking class — stay tuned for more about that), and after a delayed flight on the way back I haven’t had enough time to dedicate to getting this post finished.
It’s better late than never though!
Hope you enjoy! Jó étvágy!
Ingredients
Goulash Soup (Gulyas Leves)
600 g beef (a well marbled chunk)
50 g bacon
300 g onions
2 – 3 carrots
1 small turnip
400 g potatoes, no skin
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
½ tbsp hot paprika paste (Csípős Huszár)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small tomato
1 tbs pork lard
Parsley, to taste
2.5 L water
CSIPETKÉ (NOODLES)
1 egg
80 g flour
1 tsp salt
METHOD
01 COOK THE ONIONS & BACON
Cube your meat into 1 to 2 inch pieces, and finely chop your onions.
Warm your lard in a soup pot over medium heat. Add your chopped onions and bacon and cook them until the onions are glassy.
Mix and add the sweet paprika into 100 ml of water, and then add it into your pot. Cook this until most of the water has evaporated and then add in the beef, tomato, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Let this cook for about an hour on low heat (covered with the lid).
02 CHOP THE ROOTS & TAKE A BREAK
While you wait you can wash and chop your carrots, turnip and potatoes. If you have some time to spare take a break and maybe watch some Netflix. :D
03 ADD IN THE ROOTS & LET SIMMER
After the hour has passed, you can add in your paprika paste, carrot, potato, and turnip. Mix it up and add some chopped parsley.
[*Note: This would also be the moment you’d add garlic (~2 cloves) if you desire. I didn’t include it in my recipe since the region my family is from didn’t particularly use it.]
Pour in about 2.5 L of water and let it cook about another hour (covered with the lid).
04 GET STARTED ON THE CSIPETKÉ
Meanwhile, you can start making the csipetké (a special type of noodle typically used in this soup).
Place some flour into a bowl, create a crater in the centre, and crack in one egg. Slowly mix them until they are completely combined. Then continue to work this dough for about 7-10 minutes.
Roll the dough out over some flour and then sprinkle some over top. Pinch off a small piece of dough and roll each one into a ball (they grow about 2 times their initial size after they’re cooked). Don’t worry they don’t have to be all the same size either. I like to mix it up!
05 HOME STRETCH!
Once the soup is nearly done, drop the noodles into the pot, and let them cook for about 5-10 minutes.
Okay, so that’s it! You did it. All that hard work is over and you can now enjoy the fruit of your labour.
06 TIME TO EAT!
Get yourself a nice slice of bread and let someone else serve you the bowl. You’ve done your part.
Have you made this before? I would love to know what your family does differently. Let me know in the comments below! :)
