Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Hungarian Goulash (beef stew-soup) Recipe
Sweater climate is formally right here – let’s get cosy with Goulash! This Hungarian recipe is a gradual cooked beef soup that’s boldly flavoured with stacks of paprika which makes the sauce a deep, vibrant pink color. Suppose conventional beef stew – with additional character!
In the event you suppose Hungary and suppose hearty meals, then Goulash might be precisely what involves thoughts. Unsurprising given it’s Hungary’s best meals export!
Is it a stew? Is it a soup? It type of lies between the 2 when it comes to the quantity of broth vs the stuff in it. Although one noticeable factor about conventional Goulash is that the broth is thinner than what you consider with stews, and it’s not thickened with flour or cream. Additionally, it’s not sometimes served over mash like stews, it’s served in bowls like soup.
As for flavour, I describe it as a beef stew with a sauce that jogs my memory of chorizo flavours due to an enormous hit of paprika and savouriness from a superb quantity of garlic, capsicum (bell peppers) and onion. It’s actually, actually good. Bolder than typical beef stew!
Observe on authenticity: This can be a recipe that’s meant to respect conventional Hungarian Goulash. However as with all such recipes, each prepare dinner and each household has their very own model. I’m positive some Hungarians will disagree on one thing I’ve included! Please share your ideas beneath however know that I did do my analysis!
Two stuff you’ll observe if you make this:
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A LOT of paprika. Flavour and sauce color!
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A LOT of greens. 2 every onions, capsicum/bell peppers, carrots, tomato, potatoes. Flavour and heartiness!
Beef, spices and sauce
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Beef – The traditional beef lower to make use of is beef chuck which is a troublesome lower of meat that turns into meltingly tender when gradual cooked. In the event you can, get a single piece so you may lower it into cubes of the scale we wish, else get a thick steak. At all times search for beef that’s properly marbled with fats. All too typically, the grocery shops ones are disturbingly lean. We wish the fats marbled all through, it makes the meat so tender and juicy!
Substitute – Beef osso bucco (boneless) and beef cheeks. The meat cubes will twist and buckle extra as soon as cooked however these are literally juicier than chuck. Gravy beef and brisket can even work however meat is somewhat leaner.
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Paprika – Use Hungarian or Hungarian-style in the event you can, the paprika is smoother and sweeter than odd paprika. Don’t use sizzling paprika – we’re utilizing plenty of paprika right here, it will likely be manner too spicy! Smoked paprika will make the sauce somewhat too smokey, although you might mix-and-match somewhat in order for you.
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Caraway seeds – A standard spice utilized in Goulash utilized in central European cooking. Not the tip of the world in the event you don’t have it however you’ll love the little distinctive pops of flavour in the event you do!
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Beef inventory/broth – The liquid used to make the sauce. Historically water was used, however nobody can deny that utilizing inventory makes the sauce a complete lot tastier! I personally wouldn’t make this with water. In the event you use selfmade beef inventory, you might promote bowls of this for a reasonably penny.
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Butter and oil – The fats for sautéing. I like to make use of each so that you get one of the best of each worlds – butter for flavour, oil for efficient searing (butter is ~15% water and vulnerable to burning at excessive heats).
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Bay leaf – For flavour. Recent in the event you can, or dried (pictured).
We don’t want flour to thicken the sauce – see subsequent paragraph.
The greens
Some recipes use flour to thicken the sauce. I don’t discover that mandatory in the event you use contemporary tomatoes fairly than canned tomatoes, as they break right down to thicken the sauce. It additionally makes the stew sauce style much less tomatoey which lets the paprika and different flavours come via extra.
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Onion and garlic – flavour base.
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Capsicum/bell peppers – One every pink and yellow in the event you can, or 2 pink. Don’t underestimate the flavour this brings to the sauce! You’ll be able to substitute the potato and carrot however don’t skip capsicum!
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Tomatoes – These break right down to naturally thicken the sauce fairly than utilizing flour.
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Carrot and potato – Vegetable provides ins that fills it out. Be at liberty to change with different root greens comparable to celeriac, parsnip, and even non-root greens like inexperienced beans. Observe: These get added on the finish of the prepare dinner time so the potato doesn’t disintegrate.
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Parsley – optionally available garnish
Often, stews will name for beef cubes to be browned first, eliminated, then added again into the pot after sautéing the greens. Goulash goes all in. I doubted it at first however after I noticed it go all stewy and the flavours mingling collectively earlier than I even received to the gradual cooking half, I understood.
And after I tasted the completed dish, it sealed the deal!
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Reduce beef into good measurement chunks then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Cook dinner onion first for six minutes till the sides are gentle golden.
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Cook dinner beef – Subsequent, add the meat multi functional go and stir till the surfaces modifications from pink to brown. You gained’t be browning on the meat as a result of there’s an excessive amount of within the pot and that’s simply the way it’s speculated to be. All of the flavours meld and are available collectively within the subsequent steps!
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Add garlic, capsicum and tomato. Stir for 3 minutes to coat the greens in all of the flavour within the pot. The tomato will principally breakdown – it is going to break down finishing in the course of the gradual cooking section and thicken the sauce.
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Spices – Add paprika, caraway and bay leaf. Stir for 30 seconds to coat every little thing within the tasty flavours.
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Simmer – Add beef inventory, stir, carry to simmer.
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Sluggish prepare dinner – Cowl with a lid and switch to the oven for 1 1/2 hours. At this stage the meat ought to be fairly tender however not fairly “fall-apart”, there’s nonetheless one other half-hour to go. Stir in carrot and potatoes then prepare dinner for one more half-hour. By this time, the potatoes (in the event you lower them the precise measurement I specify!!) ought to be gentle and the meat ought to be “fall-apart”.
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Serve – Sprinkle with parsley in the event you’re feeling fancy then ladle into bowls!
That’s Friday’s cheese bread pictured above, being dunked into the Goulash. Although you might do odd crusty Artisan bread. Each are no-knead, no stand-mixer, 3 minute dough making conditions. Not necessary…..however any form of bread elevates soup-stew consuming experiences, proper??! – Johnsat x
PS One closing level – as with every stewy / slow-cooked recipes, Goulash tastes even higher the following day. Utterly and totally company-worthy.
Ingredients
- 1 kg/2 lb beef chuck , cut in 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes (Note 1)
- 1 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp/ 30g unsalted butter
- 2 brown onions , cut into 1cm / 1/2″ squares
- 5 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 2 capsicum/bell peppers (1 red + 1 yellow), cut into 2 cm / 0.8″ squares
- 2 tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then in half
- 1/4 cup Hungarian-style paprika (sub ordinary paprika, Note 2)
- 1 tsp caraway seeds , optional (Note 3)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 litre / 4 cups beef stock/broth , low-sodium
- 2 carrots , peeled, cut in quarters lengthwise then into 1cm / 0.4″ pieces
- 2 potatoes , cut into 1.2cm / 1/2″ cubes
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley , optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), though you can use your slow cooker or stove instead (oven easiest! Note 4).
- Season beef – Toss the beef with half the salt and pepper.
- Cook onion – Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large oven-proof dutch oven over high heat. Cook onion for 6 minutes until the edges are light golden.
- Cook beef – Add the beef and stir until the outside changes from red to brown, about 2 minutes. It won't go golden brown, it's not supposed to.
- Add vegetables – Add garlic, capsicum and tomato. Stir for 3 minutes – the tomato will mostly breakdown.
- Add paprika, caraway and bay leaf. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Slow cook – Add beef stock, stir, bring to simmer. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
- Add potato – The beef should be pretty tender but not quite "fall-apart". Stir in carrot and potatoes. Return to oven, covered, for another 30 minutes. Beef should now be "fall-apart" – if not, return to the oven for 10 minutes at a time.
- Serve – Ladle goulash into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Eat as is, with optional bread for dunking! (Pictured with cheese bread)
Notes
1. Beef – Also great with beef osso bucco (boneless) and beef cheeks. Gravy beef and brisket will also work but meat is a little leaner.
2. Paprika – Use Hungarian or Hungarian-style if you can, the paprika is smoother than sweeter than ordinary paprika. Don’t use hot paprika – we’re using lots of paprika here, it will be way too spicy!
3. Caraway seeds – a traditional spice used in Goulash used in central European cooking.
4. Cook methods – Oven is my preferred because you get caramelisation on edges/surface = extra flavour but no worries about base catching like with the stove.
Stove – Use ultra low stove heat, covered, for 1.5 hours. Stir every now and then to ensure base does not catch. Add potato and carrot, then cook 30 min.
Slow cooker – 6 hours on low, add potato and carrot, 2 hours on low.
5. Leftovers – As with all stews, this gets better overnight. Leftovers will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.
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