Name: Gulášovka, Czech Beef Goulash Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6 portions
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons lard; 400 g beef shank; 3 pcs onion; 3 cloves garlic; 2 tablespoons sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon hot paprika; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon plain flour; 1 teaspoon caraway; 1 teaspoon marjoram; 2 pcs bay leaves; 4 pcs allspice; 1500 ml water; 500 g potatoes; salt; ground pepper

Step by step process

Meat and onion base

1
Gulášovka starts with onion and meat. Finely chop the onion and sweat it in lard, then add the beef cut into small cubes and fry until browned.
TIP:
Sauté the onion over medium heat until golden or translucent. Add the garlic at the end and sauté briefly to release the aroma, but do not burn it.
2
Add both kinds of paprika and toast them briefly, just a few seconds, so they do not turn bitter. Stir in the pressed garlic, tomato paste and flour, dust with caraway and fry briefly.
TIP:
Cook ground paprika and tomato paste in fat for only 20 to 30 seconds. The paprika will release its aroma, the tomato paste will lose its raw taste, and the dish will have a fuller color and flavor. As soon as the mixture becomes fragrant, add liquid immediately so the paprika does not turn bitter.

Cooking and seasoning

3
Pour in the water, add the bay leaf, allspice and marjoram, season with salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for about an hour, until the meat starts to soften.
4
Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and add them to the pot. Keep cooking until the potatoes and meat are completely tender and the soup thickens nicely.
5
Finally, season the gulášovka with salt, pepper and a pinch of hot paprika if you like it really spicy. Fish out the bay leaf and allspice and serve with fresh bread.