Beef Goulash Soup Recipe Easy

Hungarian Goulash is a delicious beef stew (or soup) with a rich paprika seasoned broth. This delicious dish is warm and comforting, perfect for a cold weather day.

Serve this over homemade noodles (or add potatoes) or with a side of bread or Biscuits to sop up any of the broth left in your bowl.

Now that it’s autumn, the only real way to stay warm is this delicious Hungarian Goulash (gulyás). Homemade goulash is a staple in our family, and could not be more comforting as the sun turns to snow!

Goulash Soup Recipe With Beef

In this easy Hungarian Goulash recipe, tender chunks of beef, onions and tomatoes are simmered to tender perfection in a savory beef broth. YUM!  While I most often simmer this on the stove, you can also make this easy Hungarian Goulash in the oven. A house filled with the aromas of this stew is probably the most comforting way to say goodbye to my patio until next summer!

Well for starters, it is one of the most delicious comfort food that exists (it’s up there with my oldest daughter’s favorite appetizer, jalapeno popper dip). A traditional Hungarian Goulash is a soup or stew that is usually filled with tender beef and onions spiced with paprika.

It dates back centuries and was originally made by shepherds drying out meat to be able to store and then adding water to create a soup or stew. Everyone seems to have their own way of making this dish and adds different veggies. Regardless, Hungarian Goulash is very different from an American Goulash Recipe which is more of a tomato, beef and macaroni dish (and also sometimes known as American Chop Suey).

Instant Pot Goulash (hungarian)

Goulash is seasoned with paprika and other fragrant spices like caraway seeds and sometimes even cajun! You will almost always find red meat in a Hungarian goulash, and because it is simmered at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time, it is the perfect way to use a cheaper cut of meat and save some money!

To make the perfect Hungarian goulash you’ll want to start with onions and beef as the base and plenty of Hungarian Paprika! Fry the onions in butter until they are translucent.

Add the beef to the pan and sear it on all sides. Next, deglaze the pan by slowly adding the beef broth to it. Once deglazed, add the tomatoes and broth and season to taste.

Beef Goulash Soup

Bring the Hungarian goulash to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover it, and simmer it for about an hour and a half (this is where it starts to smell like heaven throughout your house). Serve the goulash on its own or over spaetzle or spooned over Mashed Potatoes! We always serve it with bread or 30 Minute Dinner Rolls to sop up any leftover gravy.

Paprika is made from grinding up dried peppers. Peppers can range from hot to mild, so paprika will vary from region to region. In a lot of American cooking like deviled eggs, paprika is mainly used as a garnish.

In Hungarian cooking, paprika is usually used to flavor the dish instead of a garnish. Some paprika is smoked, some may be sweet, some may be mild, and some may have a stronger flavor. In Hungarian cooking, usually a mild to sweet paprika is used.

Hella Good Hungarian Goulash Soup Recipe: You Can't Go Wrong With This Easy Goulash Soup Recipe

Hungarian goulash freezes perfectly, making it ideal to make in batches for the winter. I love quickly warming up a single serving of this goulash recipe for a quick lunch or dinner!

Calories: 427 | Carbohydrates: 26 g | Protein: 25 g | Fat: 24 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 84 mg | Sodium: 662 mg | Potassium: 1188 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 6585 IU | Vitamin C: 20.5 mg | Calcium: 92 mg | Iron: 7 mg

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Easy Best Ever Hungarian Goulash Recipe

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!It’s April – and really – we SHOULD be starting to think about outdoor grilling, cookouts, and other warm weather foods. But Mother Nature is still sending some cold and blustery weather our way (and more snow is in the forecast too)! ☹

Goulash is a Hungarian soup of meat and vegetables that is seasoned with paprika and other seasonings. It’s a popular meal throughout Europe dating back hundreds of years, and many cultures have their own version of this delicious dish – some thick and stew-like, others more brothy. (This recipe also shouldn’t be confused with American Chop Suey – which is called Goulash by many people!)

Our Beef Goulash Soup is loosely adapted from one of our favorite soup cookbooks, “Book of Soups” by the Culinary Institute of America.

Gulaschsuppe, Aka German Goulash Soup

Tender chunks of beef are seared in the flavorful, rendered fat from salt pork. Then, it is combined with sautéed onions to braise until tender in an amazing, rich broth made with pureed tomatoes, dark beer, and beef stock. Lots of different spices and herbs are added to the broth including the sweet Hungarian paprika (of course) plus caraway seeds, marjoram, dry thyme, parsley, garlic and bay leaves. Finally – once the beef is fork-tender – diced yellow potatoes are added to the pot and cooked through.

To serve your Beef Goulash Soup, ladle the soup into a bowl or crock. Spoon a dollop of sour cream on top, then a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh scallions. A slice of Russian rye or pumpernickel bread also goes nicely with this dish.

In a 5 ½ quart Dutch oven over medium high heat, cook salt pork until crisp then remove to a large bowl, leaving fat in the pot.

Easy Hungarian Goulash (meltingly Fall Apart Tender)

Sear the beef in three batches for about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove each batch to the same bowl as the salt pork.

Add the onions, lower the heat to medium and stir to combine. Then add the beef and salt pork over the top of the onions. After about five minutes stir and cook for another three minutes.

Add the flour and paprika and cook for three minutes, using a wooden spoon to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Hungarian Goulash Recipe

While the pot heats, place caraway, marjoram, thyme, parsley stems, garlic and bay leaves in a piece of cheese cloth and secure with twine and add to the pot.

Once heated, reduce to a simmer and cook 45 minutes being careful not to let it stick to the bottom. For the last 15 minutes, we put a heat diffuser under the pot. (see here)

After the beef cooks for 45 minutes, add the potatoes and cook 20-25 minutes longer or until the potatoes are cooked through. Make sure to use the heat diffuser and stir to keep it from sticking. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove and discard spice bag.

Authentic German Goulash Recipe

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Martha is part of the husband-wife team that creates A Family Feast. She loves to cook and entertain for family and friends, and she believes that serving a great meal is one of the best ways to show someone that you care. Martha is a self-taught home cook, who loves to read cookbooks and try new recipes. After a decades-long career in business and online marketing, she now runs A Family Feast full-time. Her specialties are baking, desserts, vegetables and pasta dishes.