Hungary and its capital Budapest are preparing for a full reopening soon, and in the meantime Ovation Hungary DMC would like to spice up life for all our stakeholders.  With a little bit more time on our hands we will initiate the ”Goulash Soup Challenge”. With this challenge we would like to teach you all how to make the traditional Hungarian Goulash soup!

The challenge is a competition: please send photos or recorded videos while you are cooking your Goulash Soup. Send the footage by clicking here: The Challenge . The most creative/funny images and/or videos will be awarded with local Hungarian prizes!

Please find the recipe below. Good luck!

Goulash soup

The soup originates from a dish cooked by the ’gulyás’ – meaning cattleman, keeper of herds – on the Great Hungarian Plane. These cowboys used to camp out with their cattle for days and weeks away from the populated areas, so they had to make their food over fire from ingredients they could carry.

Ingredients for 4 persons:

500 g beef

3 tbsp. oil or lard

1 onion, 2 cloves garlic

3-4 bay leaves

salt, black pepper, caraway seeds to taste

2 tbsp. sweet red paprika powder

2 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 parsnip, ¼ celeriac root

3 tbsp. ‘csipetke’ (small pasta balls)

Preparation time: 90-150 minutes

⭕ Chop the vegetables and cut the meat into small cubes, all should be about the same size

⭕ Cut the onions into very small pieces – start to sauté in oil on high heat until it starts getting soft but not brown

⭕ Remove the pot from the fire ad add the paprika powder, stir well

⭕ Put the pot back on the fire and pour some water in the pot but only just a touch, the goal is to make a ‘pörkölt’ base/a thick sauce

⭕ Add meat and the spices (salt, pepper, caraway seeds, bay leaves)

⭕ Mix well so that everything is covered with ‘pörkölt’ sauce, cook for about an hour (cover the ingredients with enough water)

⭕ When the meat is about half cooked, add the vegetables and mashed garlic and keep cooking

⭕ While the meat is almost cooked, add water, approx. twice as much as the ‘pörkölt’ sauce, lower heat, cover and slowly boil

⭕ Keep adding water if necessary, as the soup simmers, about 15 minutes before finishing, add the ‘csipetke’ (small pasta balls)

Happy cooking!

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