I just came back from a fantastic trip cruising the Danube River from Regensburg, Germany to Budapest. We cycled most days of the cruise, through the stunning fall colors of the forests along the Danube. One thing I learned is that Hungarians are very proud of their goulash, pronounced goo-yash, which is actually a soup, not a stew like many think, and certainly not like that goulash ragu with pasta added to it that many mom’s in the ’60s made. Pretty sure this was from the original Betty Crocker Cookbook, which also featured classics like Texas Hash and Emergency Steak!In Hungary, they have goulash parties like Americans have a BBQ cookout. And while everyone has their specific recipe, they all use similar ingredients and techniques. This version is made with ground beef because that’s all I had on hand, but in Hungary it would traditionally be made with cuts from the shoulder, more like stew meat. Leftovers can be frozen!
- 2 tablespoons oil (I used EVOO)
- 1 medium onion, chopped small
- 1 pound ground beef or bison
- 1-2 teaspoons smoked Hungarian paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon caraway seed
- 2 bay leaves (omit if you don't have them or like them)
- 2 small carrots, diced
- 1 small celery root, peeled and diced (can omit if you don't have this)
- 2 small potatoes, diced
- 1 Hungarian green pepper (I used a sweet red bell pepper which also works), diced
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with juices
- ½ cup chopped celery leaves
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the beef and cook until browned, using a spoon to break up the meat. Sprinkle the paprika over the top, add about ½ cup water, and stir together. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add all remaining ingredients - garlic through parsley, and stir together. Add enough water to just cover everything. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until the root vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Serve in a large soup bowl with nice crusty bread