Makes: 6 servings

Description: Known to most as goulash this popular soup is a Hungarian original. It contains chunks of beef, potatoes, and vegetables, plus plenty of paprika and spices. Originally made by cattle herdsman, gulyás is pure comfort food, hearty, homey, and hot. If you want to make a soup that will make your taste buds go crazy, well this is your dish!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons  oil or lard
5  medium oions diced
2 1/2 tablespoons  salt
2 1/2 liters  water, plus a few extra sppon fulls
3 tablespoons  Hungarian peperika (sweet)
1/2 tablespoon  black peper
1 tablesppon  caraway seeds
1½ kg (3¼ lbs)  beef, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2  cloves of garlic, chopped
5  medium carrots, sliced into bite-sized rounds
2  medium parsnip, sliced into bite-sized rounds
2  large potatoes, cubed
2  tomatoes, diced

Instructions: 1.
Heat the oil or lard in a large pot (preferably a Dutch oven). Add the onions along with a few spoonfuls of water (so they don?t brown) and a pinch of the salt. Cook slowly over very low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are clear and glassy.
2.
Remove from the heat and add the paprika, pepper, and caraway seeds. Stir quickly to combine and add a tiny bit of water (to prevent the paprika from burning).
3.
Add the meat and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until the meat is slightly browned (about ten minutes). Turn the heat down to low, add a few spoonfuls of water, and cook for about 15 more minutes, until the meat is nearly cooked through.
4.
Add the water and keep cooking, over low heat, for at least an hour, or until the meat is cooked and nearly tender enough to serve. This could take hours, depending on the cut of beef you used.
5.
When the meat is nearly done, add the tomatoes, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes and cook for about 15 more minutes, or until they are tender (being careful not to overcook them). Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
6.
If you are using csipetke or another kind of small pasta, add it to the soup before serving. You can serve this soup with hot pepper or hot pepper paste.