I’m sure most people know what you’re talking about when you mention goulash. If you haven’t had goulash before, all you need to know is that goulash, or gulyás as we call it, is a traditional Hungarian dish loaded with spices and vegetables.
I’ve slightly adjusted this recipe to make it easier for everyone to follow. When you read the ingredient list, you might be overwhelmed by how much spices you need. That’s the nature of the Hungarian cuisine but don’t worry if you don’t have everything on hand. Do the best you can with what you’ve got. Same goes for the veggies, if you don’t happen to have what’s on the ingredient list or have something could be used instead, substitute it! That’s the beauty of cooking, it’s flexible and what you make of it is what matters.
Traditional Hungarian Goulash Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup Oil
- 2 small Brown onion
- 6 cloves Garlic
- ½ Capsicum (finely diced)
- 1 Parsnip (diced)
- 1 large Carrot
- 1 cup Celery (finely diced)
- 1 tsp Paprika powder
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground pepper
- 2 tsp Caraway seeds (ground)
- 1 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tsp Mild chili paste
- 1 small Potato (cut into cubes)
- 2 handfuls Fresh parsley
- 1 can (400g) Pinto beans (rinsed and drain)
Instructions
- Add the oil, onion and garlic to a large pot and sauté for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the chopped capsicum and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, parsnip, carrot and celery.Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and the carrots begin releasing their colour.
- Take the pot off the element and add the smoked paprika powder. Stir well then put the pot back on the element and lower the heat to medium strength.
- Add the salt, ground pepper, caraway seeds, tomato paste, chilli paste and salt. Pour a generous amount of boiling water to cover the vegetables. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Next add the potatoes, fresh parsley and pinto beans and cook until the potatoes are done (about 10 minutes). Serve with a slice of toasted bread and enjoy!
