German Style Goulash Soup
Memories in a soup bowl….
One of my long lasting memories of working in Germany was a ordering a bowl of goulash suppe in the local bar after a busy dinner service. It would remind me of my mother’s cooking and became something of a warm blanket whenever I needed a shot of home.
Recipes for goulash abound, make one, thin it down until it becomes a soup like consistency and you have goulash soup. Sounds obvious but then it is. I have my own personal preferences when it comes to cooking this, it should be spicy but not chilli hot, there should be things to scoop out with your spoon; chunks of potato, slivers of peppers, slow cooked pork and some rough chopped onions. It should make you want to dip a thick slice of crusty bread deep into the middle of it, good old fashioned, dark and heavy German rye is best. Why? because I grew up on it and I’ve always come back to it.
I use pork in mine simply because I make a goulash as a main course which I eat with pasta and make a soup the following day with the leftovers. So I fry a diced onion in a splash of olive oil until it begins to soften, a few slivers of garlic go in followed by a very generous spoon of hungarian paprika. Get the paprika right, Hungarian is best whilst hot Spanish isn’t. Add the pork if using followed by a teaspoon of caraway seeds. Season well, throw in a dried chilli, I use smoked chipotle because it gives the end product a rounded, full flavour. Stir in a spoon of tomato puree and mix well. Add some chopped peppers/pimentoes and continue to cook. Now add a tin of chopped tomatoes, adjust the consistency with some hot stock, chuck in a couple of bay leaves and leave it to simmer for ten or fifteen minutes.
Peel a potato and cut it into chunks, throw these in and wait until the potatoes and pork are cooked. Check the seasoning, the pork and the potatoes are going to thicken the stock so adjust it as needed. Add more paprika if you think it should have more bite then serve it up with plenty of bread.
Goulash Soup
Miles,
I could eat soup every day, vegetable and meaty alike. This one looks like it could beat the coldest, snowiest weather and reach the top of the Richter taste scale!
Strange you should mention Rye, I have a bag of rye flour in the pantry waiting to be converted into sourdough bread, something I’ve long since wanted to attempt.
I’m going through a pickled pear phase after eating more than my fair share of spiced poached pears at Christmas time. I love this fruit in all sorts of guises.
Cid
January 9, 2010 @ 9:55 am
Miles,
“Gulasch Suppe” remains a firm favourite on german menus. It may often feature as an only warm option in pubs where sandwiches are available.
You are quite right in that it is a warming and more satisfying dish and often a prefered ’snack’ by walkers or people travelling. The meat may vary from beef to pork and beef.
Interestingly, I have noticed in Germany that pork together with beef are on offer in butchers as mince or for “Gulasch”.
Anne
January 9, 2010 @ 10:18 am
Miles,
I’ve been on a soup and stew binge ever since your “Winter Vegetable Soup” post. I know a lot of blog readers want exact measurements before attempting a recipe, but I’m not in that camp. I’m much more taken with your descriptive method and find that is the best way for me to learn. Your non-measurement, descriptive writing (although you are very concise, which is not easy when it comes to recipe writing) helps me understand the nuances of the dish. I’ve loved cooking all my life and find it challenging, rewarding and therapeutic. What you’ve done, Miles, is help me bring my cooking to a new level. Your guidance, your suggestions, your creativity, but mixed with my own creativity. I can follow directions (add 1 teaspoon of paprika, blah, blah, blah), but I want to learn to trust myself, bring more “personality” to my cooking, more depth and richness. You are the perfect teacher for someone like me.
I wish I could come and take a weeklong cooking class from you. Wouldn’t that be fun, ladies?! Maybe you should consider that, chef. A week in the Lake Country learning to cook from chef Miles. And of course, you’d have to add learning to pair wine with the dish.
You say — “I have my own personal preferences when it comes to cooking this, it should be spicy but not chilli hot, there should be things to scoop out with your spoon; chunks of potato, slivers of peppers, slow cooked pork and some rough chopped onions. It should make you want to dip a thick slice of crusty bread deep into the middle of it, good old fashioned, dark and heavy German rye is best. Why? because I grew up on it and I’ve always come back to it.”
Gosh, you’re such a good food writer and this “shows” me what I want to strive for in this recipe. I’ll probably tweak it according to what I might have on hand and I’ll certainly have to pass on the rye dipping bread (sadly), but I “get” what you’re saying. “There should be things to scoop out with your spoon.” Wow, that says it all.
Thank you, Miles. I seriously mean this and greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge and culinary gifts with us. You’re a very generous man.
When I get around to it, I’m going to post my winter vegetable soup that I was inspired to make after reading your post. It came out wonderful. I bought ingredients yesterday to try an Asian-style soup. I’ve never been very confident with Asian styles, but I often scroll back through your recipes for spice and herb tips. That’s where I mess up (seasonings), but I’m learning what goes with what from reading your blog and “listening” to your brilliant readers (thanks, Anne, Cid, et al).
Love you guys.
Melissa
January 9, 2010 @ 12:09 pm
Cid,
Pickled pears sound nice, let me know how you get on with them.
Miles
January 9, 2010 @ 5:01 pm
Anne,
Sounds like the menu I had to choose from!
Miles
January 9, 2010 @ 5:02 pm
Melissa,
That’s very kind, thankyou. I am glad you approve of my way of writing recipes, the fact is that when you are writing to a global audience there is no way of getting a truly accurate reproduction of your dish. There are two many factors which can all too often change the end product and besides that cooking is a form of expression in my opinion.
It’s all a matter of trying things for yourself and developing your own tastebuds, I’m glad that you are.
Miles
January 9, 2010 @ 5:06 pm
All sounds like foreign food to me
January 9, 2010 @ 6:55 pm
Rod,
Peasant food-thought you’d appreciate it
Miles
January 9, 2010 @ 9:30 pm
Ahhh Miles, you have hit a recipe very close to my heart. I go to a restaurant in Queens just for their goulasch soup. Positively medicinal. Man Flu has struck here again, rising the misery index off the charts - but with this post you have me planning a trip here: http://www.zumstammtisch.com/ tomorrow. Nicely done sir! I actually think I might live now.
Dave
January 10, 2010 @ 1:49 am
Dave,
Heart goes out to you. The worst virus known to man (literally!) That restaurant looks great, I am jealous. Our nearest German restaurant is in Germany.
Hope you feel better soon, get some soup down you.
Miles
January 10, 2010 @ 8:36 am