Traditional Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás)
"Nelliciously" delicious and traditional Hungarian Goulash (Gulyás) recipe comes from Nelli, a Hungarian native and foodie. Nelli conducted our private food tour while we were in Budapest. What an incredible experience that we highly recommend. What is most exciting is that she is now kindly sharing her amazing recipe with us. Hungarian culture is intricately tied to their cuisine, and this soup is an important staple in their diet. In the several samples of Goulash (Gulyás) soup we tried during our visit to Budapest, it did not compare to anything we had before. While preparing this recipe, we can attest it was as amazing as the Goulash (Gulyás) we had in Hungary. There is authenticity in every spoon, with flavors that explode on your palate. To learn more about Nellicious Travels online cooking classes and Budapest Food tours, check out her website at https://nellicioustravels.com/.
Equipment
- 1 Deep Pot
Ingredients
- 3-4 meduim Onions
- 4 Hungarian Yellow Bell Peppers If you can't get Hungarian yellow peppers use 2-3 California yellow bell peppers or 6 yellow banana peppers. For thicker soup add more peppers.
- 1-2 cloves Garlic
- Sunflower or canola oil to cover the base of the pot Do not use any flavored oil such as olive, peanut, sesame etc., since it does not go well with the goulash flavors
- 1 1/2 lbs Beef (chuck roast, flank, or stew meat) Flank steak worked well. Pork is also an option.
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2-3 tbsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika Powder You can use more if you prefer. As Nelli told us, you can't ever add enough Paprika.
- 1/2-1 tsp Hot Hungarian Paprika Powder Only use it if you want some spiciness. We loved the added touch of spice.
- Water As needed
- 1-2 medium Tomatoes
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- 2-3 Potatoes We used Yukon Gold
- 2 Carrots
- 1 Parsley Root (Parsnip can be substituted) We used parsnip and it worked well
- Sour cream - optional Added as a topping if desired
Instructions
- Chop the onions, garlic, and yellow Hungarian bell peppers. If you cannot get Hungarian peppers, you can use yellow bell peppers or yellow banana peppers.
- Take a deep pot, put the oil in it, so the bottom is covered. Use sunflower oil or canola oil, or even better, lard. Do not use oil with a special flavor like olive, peanut, sesame, etc., these don’t go with the flavors of the goulash.
- Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and garlic in the hot oil until they get a bit soft.
- Add a teaspoon of caraway seeds and two bay leaves into the hot oil and stir it.
- Add the diced beef. Stir it until the meat becomes greyish.
- Add a tablespoon of tomato paste into the hot oil.
- Add 2 tablespoons of mild paprika powder to the pot. (adding more is an option) If you prefer it spicy, add the 1/2-1 tsp of hot paprika powder.
- Immediately stir well and fast, and then add quickly as much water so everything is slightly covered.
- Add 1-2 chopped tomatoes, salt. and a tiny bit of ground black pepper.
- Cover the pot and simmer it for 1-2 hours on low heat. Check the water level often and replace the evaporated water.
- When the meat gets tender and soft, you have the pörkölt (the stew). To make the soup, pour as much water into the stew until you get a soupy consistency. Add more salt to your desired taste.
- Put the veggies you have cut into the pot:: 2-3 medium-sized diced potatoes, two sliced carrots, and, if you wish, a small sliced parsley root or parsnip.
- Cook it until the veggies are soft (al dente). Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve with a slice of bread and a dollop of sour cream.
Notes
This is a soup you will experiment with to find what tastes best for you. Sometimes people will add much more sweet paprika powder. There are recipes that call for 5 tbsp of sweet paprika. If you like it spicier, add a bit more hot paprika powder but take it slow to avoid going to the point of no return.
It is important to add the water very quickly once you add the paprika powder. If the paprika powder becomes scorched at all, it will become bitter and may ruin your Goulash (Gulyás).
The word paprika means pepper in Hungarian. Paprikas are bell, chili, or capsicum peppers. They should not be mistaken for black/green pepper or white pepper. The word is used interchangeably, meaning spice or vegetable.
In Hungary, a yellow pepper/paprika is a large narrow cone-shaped vegetable. If using California yellow bell peppers, they are much bigger. If you are using a very large yellow bell pepper, you may only need one. If you are using yellow banana peppers, they are not as fleshy, so you need more of them.
Do NOT substitute green peppers for yellow ones. Orange peppers do work, but it ideally should be yellow.
If you can get hands-on some, only use authentic Hungarian Paprika spice.
A slice of bread and a dollop of sour cream on the soup is a nice additional touch. The sour cream can cut the heat a bit if spicy.
Goulash (Gulyás) is best made a day ahead as the flavors will be enhanced over time.
In some parts of Hungary, they will add dumplings or pasta to the soup.
