Hearty German Goulash Soup
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- sour cream for garnish
- 2 tablespoons lard or bacon grease
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika hungarian
- 2 tablespoons hot paprika hugarian
- 1 pound pork sholder trimed and ground
- 2 quarts chicken stock homemade if possible
- 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon marjoram dried
- 2 cups potatoes diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper seeded, de-ribed & diced
- 1 cup canned tomatoes drained & chopped
- salt ~~amp pepper to taste
- Carbohydrate 41.0958466690415 g
- Cholesterol 20.0166666666667 mg
- Fat 8.82066250055174 g
- Fiber 4.52122091476522 g
- Protein 18.9588783339622 g
- Saturated Fat 2.39378695842281 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (872g)
- Sodium 941.755375001448 mg
- Sugar 36.5746257542763 g
- Trans Fat 0.693668500055387 g
- Calories 317 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the lard or oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
- Add the sweet paprika hot paprika, and stir until onions are well coated.
- Stir in the meat, a little salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Add 1/2 cup of the stock, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated.
- Add the remaining stock and the caraway seeds.
- Bring to a boil, decrease heat to maintain a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour or until the meat is almost tender.
- Skim and discard the fat.
- Add the marjoram, potatoes, diced carrots, red peppers and tomatoes.
- Cook the soup for 20 minutes or more until the potatoes are tender.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- To serve, ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream.
Adding the paprika to the hot fat before introducing water-heavy ingredients allows fat-soluble capsaicinoids to disperse fully across the base without scorching. Controlling this initial step prevents bitterness while extracting maximum color and aroma from the spices.
- Substitute lard with rendered duck fat at a one-to-one ratio for a deeper savory profile, though vegetable oil lacks the necessary animal proteins to mirror traditional browning.
- Swap ground pork shoulder for diced chuck roast if a chunkier texture is preferred, keeping in mind that whole muscle cuts require an extended braising window of at least ninety minutes to break down collagen.
- Introduce root vegetables only after the meat reaches initial tenderness, because prolonged exposure to acidic canned tomatoes will prevent starches in the potatoes from softening properly.
Skimming excess fat prior to adding vegetables prevents an oily film from coating the palate. Maintaining a steady, covered simmer ensures uniform heat transfer throughout the cooking vessel.
