Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Gulaschuppe



Gulaschuppe, or Goulash Soup, is a German classic that we had the pleasure of indulging in while in Germany this summer. "Indulging in" might not be the right phrase. "Gluttoning ourselves on" might be most appropriate. We positively inhaled serving after serving of this soup. Until it was gone.

Gone.

It's a simple one-dish meal, easy to make, and delicious served with warm (real) sourdough bread for sopping up broth. I've only made this twice but I've discovered that key to this soup's deliciousness is in the stock. It is imperative that you make the stock yourself, as store bought stock just won't cut it. The more delicious your stock is, the more delicious your soup will be. (Stay tuned, maybe someday I'll do a stock post.)

I've tweaked this recipe from several I've found online to suit our tastes and budget. If you want to save some coins, omit the tomato paste and you'll have a thinner soup. I personally cut the caraway seeds from 2 tablespoons to only a half tablespoon. Caraway seeds add a distinct European flavor, and a little goes a long way on our American tongues. Finally, I added garlic because let's face it, it's just not dinner without garlic.

Ingredients

2 Pounds grass-fed beef, cut into half inch cubes (cheap stew meat will work best)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
Fat for sauteeing (I use lard)
3-4 medum potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 pound carrots, chopped
1 quart beef broth
1 cup water
2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp sucanat (you can substitute any kind of sweetener if you don't have sucanat, or try leaving it out)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups peeled, chopped tomatoes

1 6 ounce jar of tomato paste
1/2 tsp caraway seeds

Directions

1. Over medium high heat, melt some fat in a large skillet and add the beef, browning it on all sides. Halfway through, throw in the onions, peppers, and garlic and cook it with the meat until the onions are soft.

2. Throw everything in th crockpot and simmer on low all day. Remove the bay leaves before serving.


3. Serve with a dallop of sour cream and warm, sliced sourdough. Make sure to come up for air.

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