Goulash Soup

Changing back to standard time is great in the morning, but the dark afternoons don’t please me. So time to break out the comfort food. My plan was to fill the house with the aroma of something cooking on the stove all day. Well my chuck roast did not want to defrost so I enlisted the pressure cooker. It was great and only took about an hour start to finish. It tasted like all day!

This is easily made with 1 pound of stew meat, but I had a larger chuck roast that I cut up. Play with the ingredient ratios, this is not baking, experiment! The great thing about making it in a pressure cooker, the vegetables all melted into the sauce. So that the picky eater ate his veggies too, just didn’t know it Also I added the left over potatoes from breakfast that made it even easier.

To make the herb sachet I use a tea bag or a tea ball, you can also tie it up in cheese cloth. This makes it easier at the end when you might want to fish some of these things out.

Beer is a must and some rye bread with fresh butter is great. We also had it with a green salad and a radish salad.

2-3 lbs Beef Chuck Roast, cut into 1-2″ pieces
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp flour
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp hot Hungarian paprika
1 tsp chili flakes (optional, more or less depending on your taste)
1 14oz can whole tomatoes or tomato puree
4 cups (1 ltr) beef broth or water
herb sachet: if using dried herbs, use 1 tsp. If using fresh, double that amount
thyme
marjoram
bay leaf
parsley stems (optional)
3 cloves of garlic smashed

2-3 med sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 tsp caraway seeds
salt & pepper to taste

garnishes: chives, green onions, other herbs and sour cream if you like

Heat the pressure-cooker pan over moderately high heat. Toss the meat in the flour, salt and pepper. Add a layer of oil to the pan and brown the meat to create a nice crust. Do this in batches as necessary. Do not over crowd the pan, you will get steamed meat not browned. When they are nearly all done add the onions, peppers to the meat. Stir and let the vegetables soften. Add the red wine vinegar and paprika and chili flakes. Stir a little more. Add the tomatoes, 1-2 cups of broth (or water) and sachet.

Cover and latch lid per instructions. Bring to a boil and reduce to a steady steam and cook for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare all other ingredients and side dishes.

After 30 minutes, remove from heat and release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions. Check that the meat is tender. If not, add more broth or water if necessary and return lid and continue cooking until meat it tender.

Then stir and add more liquid as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add potatoes and caraway, continue to cook until the potatoes are tender. This step is not necessary to do under pressure, you can if you wish, it will be really fast.

Serve in soup bowls, with something to soak up the sauce.

Tagged as: beef, German, soup, winter