Remembering Budapest: How to recreate my grandmother's goulash soup

Lately, I've been reminiscing about Hungarian delicacies, including goulash soup. I ate it in Budapest, but my grandmother also used to cook it. I decided to recreate her recipe, and the taste took me back to a small restaurant by the Danube in Hungary's capital. Where my grandmother got such a good recipe will remain her secret.

True to Hungarian national cuisine, goulash soup contains paprika. However, meat is the most important ingredient, largely defining its flavour. This filling and thick soup can even be replaced with a second course.

Goulash soup, in traditional Hungarian recipes, is made with beef. However, many chefs believe it's best with mixed meat, beef and pork. My grandmother also followed this option. The meat should be cut into small pieces and fried. And here again, you can choose the option that suits you. Hungarians use controversial lard because they believe it best enhances the soup's distinctive character. However, nothing stops you from also using oil or butter.

In goulash soup, meat is essential, but you can't miss vegetables. The primary role here is played by paprika; red, yellow, and green are suitable. You'll also need onions, potatoes, and carrots. Sometimes, goulash soup includes mushrooms, but my grandmother never added them. It's also important to season the soup quite nicely. It goes well with herbs, such as marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and spices: sweet and hot paprika, allspice, and bay leaf.

The soup should be thick and aromatic. Some serve it with small noodles. My grandmother considered fresh bread the best addition to goulash. At the restaurant in Budapest, it was served with garlic croutons.

Ingredients:

• 300 grams mixed meat - beef (shoulder, round, chuck) and pork (shoulder, ham, neck)
• 3 potatoes
• 1 onion
• red and yellow bell peppers
• 1 carrot
• 1.2 litres of broth
• 500 grams tomato passata
• salt, pepper, sweet and hot paprika, and favourite spices to taste
• 2 bay leaves and 2 allspice berries
• 3 tablespoons of butter, oil, or lard
• 1 garlic clove
• parsley for serving

Preparation:

1. Cut the meat into medium-sized pieces, coat them in flour, and fry them in well-heated fat. Sear the meat on all sides until browned.
2. Peel and dice the peppers and carrots. Chop the onion, and press the garlic through a press.
3. Sauté the vegetables in a pan until softened.
4. Boil the broth, add the meat and sautéed vegetables. Add the allspice berries and bay leaves. Cook for about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes.
6. Add the potatoes to the soup and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
7. Add the tomato passata and spices - salt and pepper and ground paprika. Cook for another 15 minutes.
8. Serve the goulash soup with finely chopped parsley.