A generous Hungarian beef soup with sweet paprika, potatoes and roots. Gulyás has a broth: the thicker meat stew is pörkölt.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 25 minutes | Cooking: 150 minutes | Total: 175 minutes
Times include the chilling, soaking or resting stated in the method. Cooking times are a guide: check tenderness and doneness before serving.
Ingredients
600 g beef shin or chuck, in 2 cm cubes
30 g lard or 30 ml sunflower oil
250 g onions, finely chopped
15 g sweet Hungarian paprika
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
150 g fresh tomato, chopped
150 g pale Hungarian pepper, deseeded and chopped
250 g carrots, sliced
150 g parsley root or parsnip, diced
500 g potatoes, peeled and cubed
1.5 litres water, plus extra if needed
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper
15 g parsley, chopped, to finish
Method
Heat the fat in a large heavy pan. Cook the onions gently for 12 minutes until soft. Add the beef and stir over medium heat for 8 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the paprika, garlic and caraway, then immediately add the tomato, pepper and 250 ml of the water so the paprika cannot scorch.
Return to a low heat. Cover and simmer gently for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally and topping up with a little water if it catches. The beef should be starting to soften.
Add the remaining water, bay leaf, carrots and parsley root. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, or until both potatoes and beef are tender. Allow another 10–20 minutes if the cut needs it. Keep a generous soup-like broth, adding hot water if necessary.
Season to taste, remove the bay leaf and finish with parsley. Divide between four deep bowls; bread is a useful accompaniment.
Variations and substitutions
Use unsmoked sweet paprika for the main flavour; offer hot paprika at the table. Parsnip is a practical British substitute for parsley root, with a sweeter result. Optional csipetke pinched noodles are a traditional addition; this version keeps the method simple without them.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
Stored onions, potatoes and sound winter roots make this a useful cold-weather meal. Use frozen homegrown peppers and tomatoes straight from the freezer at the simmering stage.
Storage and freezing
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Freeze in labelled portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Defrost in the fridge, use within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Find more ideas in the complete recipe menu. Explore our growing guide finder and From Garden to Kitchen guide, or plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph illustrating ingredients or a serving idea. These recipes are practical ideas to try; they are not presented as all having been tested in my kitchen.
