Gulyásleves!

Last weekend, our Hungarian intern was in Vancouver for a couple of days before he left to head home and he offered to make Gulyásleves, or goulash in English, for us.  Both A. and I had already left Victoria when he made it previously, so he wanted to make us some while he was here.  E. also came over.  It was super awkward – he had only recently gone vegetarian without me knowing and goulash is most definitely NOT a vegetarian dish.  A. also brought with her a bottle of wine that she made.  I thought she was joking when she said she made it, but nope – she went to a winery, picked the grapes, processed them, let them sit for months and then went back to bottle it.  It was really good. 

I’ve never had goulash before, but it was yum.  In many ways this reminds me of a Chinese soup that my grandmother and mother taught me to make: 蕃茄薯仔湯 (literally tomato and potato soup).  There are many versions of it, but the one I’m most familiar with uses oxtail as the main protein.  We usually drink the soup after dinner. 

At the end of the night, I had a huge pot left over.  I ate it for the next couple of days.  And now I have the recipe:

Goulash

• 5 carrots, sliced 1 cm
• 3 potatoes, 2x2 cm cubes
• beef chunks, small pieces
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3.2 litres water
• paprika
• parsley, a dozen leaves or so
• salt

Dough Mixture (csipetke)

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• flour, as needed

1. Cook onions until clear in oil.  Remove from heat.

2. Add paprika as needed, enough to color the onions in the pot and stir.  Add beef chunks.  Mix. 

3. Pour in water.  Add salt and stir.  Bring to a boil and turn down to medium heat.  Simmer for an hour.

4. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer until tender.  Add parsley.

5. Mix together dough and drop into the soup.  Add salt as needed.