German Goulash Soup (Gulaschsuppe)

Lighter than a stew, but just as tasty!  Gulaschsuppe or German Goulash Soup, is deliciously flavorsome and easy to prepare.  Add it to your collection of hearty soup now!

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First savory German dish that I learned to make when we were living in Frankfurt.  

I thought since Germany’s winter still feels like autumn in Stockholm, I wanted something lighter than a stew – and this was the perfect dish.

Ingredients

• Beef – go for the flank or chunk, and then make sure you chop them into small cubes.  Remember, it’s not a stew.

• Broth – beef broth is the best kind that you can use.  Alternatively, you can use chicken or even vegetable broth, but you would only get the depth of flavor when you use beef broth.

• Onion and bell peppers – do not skip these two types of vegetables; they provide the base flavor for this goulash soup recipe.

Instructions

Start by heating oil in a medium-sized or large pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is ready, add the beef to start browning them.  You might need to do this in batches so as not overcrowd the pan (photo 1).

Place all the browned beef back in the pan and add the onions (photo 2).

Cook for a few minutes, or until the onion has slightly softened; then pour the wine (photo 3).

Let the wine evaporate, add tomato paste, paprika powder, salt, and ground pepper (photo 4).

Add the diced bell peppers (photo 5).

Mix for about two minutes.  Notice how the sauce has already thickened at this point.

Pour the broth (photo 6).

Cover, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the meat has softened.  Remember to mix occasionally and adjust the seasoning during this time.  (This normally takes about an hour and a half for me.)

If you are adding potatoes, make sure you add them during the last 30 minutes of simmering.

Serve.

Helpful Tips

• Cut the beef smaller than when you prepare your beef stew.  Not only does this make your cooking time shorter, but it also makes it easier to spoon everything when served.

• If you want a thicker soup, sprinkle the beef with some flour before browning them.

• You can do the simmering on your stovetop or in the oven; both will result in flavorful bowls of gulaschsuppe.

FAQs

• WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOULASH AND GOULASH SOUP?

Size of the meat (as well as the vegetables) and the amount of liquid in it. 

Since goulash is a stew, you slice the beef into bigger, chunkier portions, while with goulash soup, it’s half the size of that.  

As for the amount of liquid in it, the stew is thicker and has got less broth after simmering for at least two hours, compared to the soup. 

• CAN I USE VEGETABLE BROTH?

Yes. But to get a deeper, more robust flavor for your beef goulash soup, I strongly suggest sticking to beef broth.

• CAN I ADD MORE VEGETABLES?

You can if you prefer.

The only vegetable that really needs to be there are the onions, yellow and red bell peppers.

However, as you can see in my video (and pictures), I added some potatoes.  I remember being served goulash soup with some carrots too.  So, keep those in mind.

• WHAT CAN I SERVE WITH THIS?

Bread rolls are always good with this soup, and a glass of wine.

Tell you what, though, I’ve seen some people sprinkle more paprika powder on their bowl of gulaschsuppe.  Maybe you should give that a try too…? 😉