Goulash
Ingredients
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- 3 tablespoons lard
- 16 ounces onion – finely chopped (~3.5 medium onions)
- 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 2 pounds beef chuck – trimmed and cut into 1.25-inch cubes
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 teaspoons caraway seeds – lightly crushed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
- 6 cups water
- 8 ounces carrot – cut into 0.5-inch slices (~4 medium carrots)
- 6 ounces green bell pepper – diced into 0.75-inch pieces (~1 medium green bell pepper)
- 6 ounces tomato – peeled and chopped (~1.5 medium tomatos)
- 16 ounces potato – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (~3 medium potatos)
Instructions
1. Melt the lard in a heavy pot over medium heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent and light golden, 10–12 minutes.
2. Take the pot off the heat and immediately stir in the sweet Hungarian paprika until the onions are evenly red and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return to medium heat; add the beef chuck, garlic, caraway seeds, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the beef loses its raw color and a light fond forms on the bottom, 5–7 minutes.
3. Pour in the water, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer, then partially cover and cook at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beef begins to turn tender, about 60 minutes.
4. Stir in the carrot, green bell pepper, and tomato. Simmer uncovered, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables begin to soften, 15–20 minutes.
5. Add the potato and continue to simmer until the potatoes are just tender and the beef is fork-tender, 20–30 minutes, skimming surface fat as needed.
6. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning to preference. Let rest 5 minutes before ladling into warm bowls and serving hot.
Goulash is a paprika-forward beef soup-stew with a deep brick-red broth, tender cubes of beef, and sweet, earthy aromatics. The flavor profile hinges on slowly cooked onions and the generous bloom of sweet Hungarian paprika, balanced by caraway and rounded by peppers, tomato, and potatoes. Its texture is hearty but brothy, satisfying enough for a main course while still light enough to ladle generously.
Originating from the Hungarian Great Plain, goulash (gulyás) began as a shepherds’ kettle meal cooked over open fires, evolving from dried meat stews into the paprika-scented soup we know today after paprika took hold in the 18th–19th centuries. It spread through Central Europe and beyond, adapting to local tastes while remaining a national symbol of Hungarian cuisine. In Hungary, gulyás is typically served as a soup (gulyásleves), distinct from thicker pörkölt and paprikás, underscoring its cultural significance and unique balance of elements.