Bohemian Goulash Soup Recipes

CZECH BEEF GOULASH (GULAS)

Steps:

• Peel the onion and chop it roughly. Cut the beef into 1-1.½-inch pieces.
• Melt the lard or vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a pot with a thick bottom (I use a heavy iron cast Dutch oven). Fry onions until almost brown. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Finally, add the crushed caraway seeds and stir for another minute.
• Add beef chunks, season with salt, and fry them from all sides until a golden brown crust is created. Expect the meat releases some juices when fried. Stir frequently, and scrape off the burnt residue on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula. If necessary, reduce the heat or add a spoon or two of water.
• Turn the stove on medium heat, and add ground pepper, sweet paprika, and tomato paste. Fry for 1 minute while stirring. The base can't get burnt, or else the goulash will taste bitter. Add 1-2 spoons of water to prevent burning.
• Pour in water, so the meat is almost covered. Add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a minimum, cover with a lid and allow the beef to simmer for 2-2.5 hours or until soft.
• Check the goulash from time to time. Add some water if the level of liquid in the pot falls. When the gulas contains too much water, cook it uncovered at the end. The liquid will be reduced, and the gulas will gain a richer flavor and a nice red color. Stir occasionally.
• When the beef cubes are soft, add flour to thicken the stew. In the next step, I'll provide a helpful method for making the stew sauce smoother and more cohesive.
• Thickening of goulash with flour (optional): Take off the pot's lid. Using a small sieve, carefully dust the surface of the stew with a tablespoon of flour. Do not stir. Cover with the lid and leave to cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove the lid and stir. The sauce will be just thick enough!
• Remove bay leaves, add crushed garlic and dried marjoram, and stir. Season with salt to your liking. Cover with a lid and let it rest off heat for 10 minutes.

TRADITIONAL CZECH BEEF GOULASH

Steps:

• Cut up the beef in to bigger chunks
• Mix together the plain flour, pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and put it in a deeper plate or bowl
• Coat the beef pieces in the flour mix
• Heat a large frying pan with some oil and leave until it's medium hot
• Fry the beef from both sides until it's golden brown and the meat is 'sealed' and place on a new plate. Do this in several batches if your pan is small.
• Next fry the onions until see through and flavour them with carraway seeds, pinch of chilli, some marjoram and also add the garlic.
• Put the beef back to the frying pan (or swap it for a large stock pan or soup pot).
• Add the beef stock cube and about 500 ml hot water
• Add the tomatoe puree
• Reduce the heat to medium low, cover with a lid and let the whole thing to simmer for about 2 hrs.
• Check regularly to make sure that the stock doesn't evaporate too much and check the beef. Depening on what cut of beef you buy, the dish might be ready sooner or longer than the recipe.
• Serve with traditional Czech dumplings or with a thickly cut sourdough bread.

BOHEMIAN GOULASH SOUP

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Add the paprika, vinegar, beef, broth, marjoram, caraway seeds, and tomato paste to the pot. Mix well. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender. Remove some of the liquid from the pot and mix it with the flour until smooth. Stir it back into the pot along with the potatoes. Cook at a simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large kettle, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Add green pepper and onions; cook until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar. , Cover and simmer for about 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. About 1/2 hour before serving, add the potatoes and reserved bacon; cook until potatoes are tender. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

BEEF GOULASH SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and garlic, and fry for 5 mins until starting to colour. Stir in the beef, increase the heat and fry, stirring, to brown it.
• Add the caraway and paprika, stir well, then tip in the tomatoes and stock. Cover and leave to cook gently for 30 mins.
• Stir in the sweet potato and green pepper, cover and cook for 20 mins more or until tender. Allow to cool a little, then serve topped with the yogurt and parsley (if the soup is too hot, it will kill the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt).