Lighter than a stew, but just as tasty! German Goulash Soup, a beef soup recipe that’s deliciously flavorsome and so easy to prepare. Make sure you keep this in mind when it gets chilly!
First savory German dish that I learned to make when we were living in Frankfurt.
I reckon since the start of their winter feels like start of autumn here in Stockholm, I wanted something lighter than a stew – and this was the perfect dish.
German goulash soup has onions and peppers as its base flavor. You then add the beef and let all the flavors mingle until the meat gets tender. Simply delicious.
HOW TO MAKE GERMAN GOULASH SOUP
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GERMAN GOULASH AND GERMAN GOULASH SOUP?
Size of the beef (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.
In every spoonful of the soup, you get some meat, some vegetables and some broth – which is not always the case for the stew.
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 FOR THIS HEARTY SOUP RECIPE?
Yes. But to get a deeper, more robust flavor for the soup, I strongly suggest sticking to beef broth.
CAN I ADD MORE VEGETABLES ON THIS GOULASH SOUP?
You can, but it’s not mandatory. The only vegetable that really needs to be there are the yellow and red bell peppers.
However, as you can see in my video (and pictures), I added some potatoes as well. I remember being served goulash soup with some carrots too. So, no worries.
SUGGESTIONS ON MAKING THIS BEEF SOUP RECIPE:
- Cut the beef smaller than when you prepare your beef stew. Not only does this make your cooking time shorter, it also makes it easier to spoon everything when served.
- If you want a thicker sauce, sprinkle the beef with some flour before browning them.
- Love onions? Add more! (I would have if it was not painful for me. Crying like a baby.)
- You can do the simmering on your stove top or in the oven, if you have the right pot. I have done both several times – not a single complaint. 🙂
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS HEARTY SOUP?
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 German goulash soup. Maybe you should give that a try too…? 😉
FOR MORE GERMAN RECIPES, CHECK OUT 10+ German Food Recipes You Must Try
OR FOR OTHER SOUP IDEAS, CHECK OUT MY SOUPS COLLECTION!
German Goulash Soup
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 kg beef, flank or chuck part would be ideal, cut into small chunks
- 1 large onion, sliced finely
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 4 to 4 & 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- salt and ground black pepper, to season
- potatoes, optional
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, add oil on a medium to large pot.
- Once oil is ready, start browning the beef. This can be done in batches.
- Once all the beef has been browned, add everything back to the pot.
- Add onions. Mix and cook until onions are slightly soft.
- Add red wine. Let wine evaporate.
- Mix. Add tomato paste, paprika powder, salt, ground black pepper and bell peppers.
- Mix for a couple of minutes. You can see there is already a thicker sauce coating the beef, as well as the peppers at this point.
- Add broth. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Mix. Put cover back and simmer until the meat has softened; tasting occasionally to adjust the seasoning by adding salt, ground pepper or paprika powder. This normally takes 1 & ½ hours for me.
- If you are adding potatoes, add them on the last 30 minutes of simmering.
- Serve.
Nutrition
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