Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Hungarian Goulash Soup

3.6

(71)

Image may contain Food Dish Meal Bowl Cream Dessert Creme Stew Confectionery Sweets and Plant
Hungarian Goulash SoupBrian Leatart

Pureeing half of the soup (including the meat) gives it a denser consistency. While most Hungarian cooks do not top goulash with sour cream, go ahead; it adds a nice creaminess and tang.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 pound beef shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
10 cups canned beef broth
1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 parsnip, peeled, chopped
1 carrot, peeled, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons sour cream

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and caraway seeds and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 8 minutes. Add beef and paprika; sauté until meat is brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Add broth. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits at bottom of pot. Reduce heat to low; simmer until meat is just tender, about 40 minutes.

    Step 2

    Stir potato, parsnip, carrot, and garlic into soup. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, celery, and bell pepper. Simmer until vegetables and meat are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool slightly.

    Step 3

    Transfer 3 1/2 cups soup to blender. Blend until smooth. Add to soup in pot. Stir in parsley. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly; chill uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)

    Step 4

    Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

TagsSoupSoup/StewHungarianEastern EuropeanEuropeanBeefMeatRusset PotatoPotatoRoot VegetableVegetableTomatoMainStarterDinnerLunchGluten FreeNut FreeMake AheadSimmerBlenderBon Appétit

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Beef Stroganoff Ramen
This traditional dish of beef, sour cream, and mustard may have originated in Russia, but it’s about time for a version with ramen noodles, don’t you think?
Our Favorite French Onion Soup
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.
Sofrito Bolognese
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Yogurt and Cucumber Soup
This luscious chilled yogurt soup, packed with fresh and dried mint, is an incredibly refreshing and cooling appetizer during the summer.
Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
Creamy and bright with just a subtle bit of heat, this five-ingredient, make-ahead dip is ready for company—just add crudités.
Île Flottante
Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to the fluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island) has a lengthy history that dates back to the 17th century.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!