Traditional Hungarian Gulyás (Goulash) Soup with Homemade Noodles

Traditional Hungarian Gulyás (Goulash) Soup with Homemade Noodles

Hungarian gulyás (GOO-yash) or goulash soup is one of the most traditional and loved meals in Hungary. However, this hearty soup with home made noodles is not the same dish that people around the world call goulash! While goulash is a delicious beef stew without any starchy vegetables or potatoes (see my recipe here), gulyás is a soup with potatoes, carrots, parsnips and little egg noodles.

beef goulash with spoon in a white bowl

An amazing way to cook this soup is outside over an open fire in a cast iron cauldron called a “bogrács”. This adds an amazing smoky flavour to the soup.

Small egg noodle making
Making “csipetke” [CHEE-pet-ke] – small Hungarian egg noodles

Traditional Hungarian Gulyás (Goulash) Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

2 lb stewing beef about 900-1000g, cut into half inch -1.5-2cm cubes

2 medium onions diced

2-3 medium potatoes cut into cubes

1 medium carrot cut into 1 cm / ½ inch circles or half moons

1 medium parsnip cut into 1 cm / ½ inch circles or half moons

½ stalk celery, diced

1 small tomato, diced

½ bell pepper preferably green, diced

1 clove garlic minced

2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika

1-2 pinch ground caraway seeds

salt, pepper

3 tbsp vegetable oil

8 cups water 2 L

Homemade egg noodles (csipetke)

½ cup flour about 70-80g

1 egg

1 pinch salt

Chop the onion, garlic, tomato, pepper. Cut the carrots, parsnips and celery into circles or half moons. Cut the potatoes into one inch cubes.

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the diced onions and sauté on low heat until translucent and soft (approximately 10-15 min). Remove the pot from the heat, add the sweet Hungarian paprika, and mix it well with the onions.

Place the pot back on the heat, and turn it up. Sear the beef on medium to high heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the diced tomato, pepper, garlic, ground caraway, some salt and pepper, and stir the ingredients with the meat. Add the salt gradually and adjust the flavour later as you like. Cover and cook it on low-medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery and add about 8 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer it on low to medium heat until vegetables soften. Add salt to taste and adjust to your liking.

Making the small egg noodles

Mix the flour, egg and salt until they form a dough. Either roll the ball out first or directly from the ball start pinching off little pieces. I like forming them into little balls about the size of a pea. Sprinkle on a little bit of flour so they don’t stick together.

At the end of cooking the soup, once the meat and the vegetables are tender, bring it to boil, add the noodles, and cook the soup for another few minutes, until the noodles rise to the surface.

Serve the soup with some bread on the side. Bon appétit! Jó étvágyat!

beef goulash soup in white bowl

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beef gulyás soup in white bowl
Print

Traditional Hungarian Gulyás (Goulash) Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

Course Soup
Cuisine Hungarian
Keyword authentic, beef, goulash soup, homemade dumplings, Hungarian, soup, traditional
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 lb stewing beef about 900-1000g, cut into half inch -1.5-2cm cubes
  • 2 medium onions diced
  • 2-3 medium potatoes cut into cubes
  • 1 medium carrot cut into 1 cm / ½ inch circles or half moons
  • 1 medium parsnip cut into 1 cm / ½ inch circles or half moons
  • ½ stalk celery diced
  • 1 small tomato diced
  • ½ bell pepper preferably green, diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1-2 pinch ground caraway seeds
  • salt, pepper
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 8 cups water 2 L

Homemade dumplings (csipetke)

  • ½ cup flour about 70-80g
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions

  • Chop the onion, garlic, tomato, pepper. Cut the carrots, parsnips and celery into circles or half moons. Cut the potatoes into one inch cubes.
  • Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the diced onions and sauté on low heat until translucent and soft (approximately 10-15 min). Remove the pot from the heat, add the sweet Hungarian paprika, and mix it well with the onions.
  • Place the pot back on the heat, and turn it up. Sear the beef on medium to high heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Add the diced tomato, pepper, garlic, ground caraway, some salt and pepper, and stir the ingredients with the meat. Add the salt gradually and adjust the flavour later as you like. Cover and cook it on low-medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celery and add about 8 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer it on low to medium heat until vegetables soften. Add salt to taste and adjust to your liking.

Making the small egg noodles

  • Mix the flour, egg and salt until they form a dough. Either roll the ball out first or directly from the ball start pinching off little pieces. I like forming them into little balls, about a size of a pea. Sprinkle on a little bit of flour so they don't stick together.
  • At the end of cooking the soup, once the meat and the vegetables are tender, bring it to boil, add the noodles, and cook the soup for another few minutes, until the noodles rise to the surface.
  • Serve the soup with some bread on the side. Bon apetit! Jó étvágyat!

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