Goulash- the ultimate comfort food. Make a big batch and create 3 different meals! Goulash with Egg Noodles, Goulash Soup and Goulash 'Shepherd's Pie'!
This is another one of my mother-in-law's famous family-favourite recipes. There are variations of goulash from all corners of Europe. They all include either paprika or a red pepper paste that is available in European delis. Some include tomato paste - others scoff at the addition of tomato. Some include potato, others not.
My mother-in-law's recipe is pretty basic as far as ingredients go, but it is long on flavour! My husband can't get enough of it!
I was inspired to create more than one dish because I bought a 5 ½ pound tray of stewing beef at Costco. Also, I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to make goulash to go over noodles or goulash soup. So I made both, and while I was at it, I made up a goulash version of shepherd's pie.
How To Make The Big Batch
- The way this works is you make the meat goulash with lots of sauce.
- Then take out 3 cups of sauce and about 1 cup of beef that you will use for the soup.
- Divide the remaining beef mixture in half.
- You will use one half of the mixture over the egg noodles, along with some fried mushrooms.
- The other half you will put in the bottom of a casserole dish, add a layer of fried mushrooms and then top it with whipped potatoes.
- They all freeze well, so you can choose which one to serve, which to freeze. Just don't cook or freeze the egg noodles if freezing the goulash.
- You will get 6 generous servings of each of the goulash and shepherd's pie, and 4 servings of the soup.
- You can also make the goulash in your slow cooker. After you cook the onion, garlic and brown the beef, put it all in your crock pot with the passata and water. Cook on high for about 4 hours or low 7-8 hours.
The goulash soup is so flavourful it will be a very satisfying meal with a roll on a cold fall evening. Some people add cubed potatoes, which makes it even more substantial. I find the potatoes reduce the intensity of the goulash soup, so I don't add them, but pick what works for you. Without the potatoes, it is low-carb carb in case that is something that appeals.
This soup is so good, I had a young man doing some carpentry in our home one winter day. The goulash soup was simmering on the stove. After a couple of hours, he politely asked me what smelled so good. I told him it was goulash soup and offered him some along with some of this homemade bread. He was so excited. The look on his face was pure joy as he tucked into that bowl of soup.
If you don't want to do the 'half marathon' here of all 3 recipes...just cut the goulash recipe in half and you will get 6-8 servings. Or if you cook it as per the recipe, you can feed a crowd.
If you don't want to make all three, you can find just the Goulash Soup or just the Goulash Shepherd's Pie or just the Goulash with Egg Noodles in these links.
Wine Pairing
Any robust red works well with any of these dishes. I would suggest a Rhone GSM blend, a Merlot or a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Related Recipes
Goulash- Cook Once and Create Three Meals
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Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
Goulash
- 5-6 lbs stewing beef cubed
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil divided
- 6 medium onions
- 4 Tbsps Hungarian sweet paprika
- 5 tsps salt divided 4 +1
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups tomato passata (strained tomato)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz sliced mushroom
- 3 Tbsps butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pkg wide egg noodles
- sour cream for garnish
Goulash Shepherd's Pie
- 4 large potatoes
- 8 oz mushrooms
- 6 tablespoon butter divided 4 + 2 Tbsps
- ½ cup milk or light cream
Goulash Soup
- 1 cup beef broth
Instructions
Goulash
- Heat ⅓ cup of oil in a large dutch oven. Cook the onions until soft, about 7 minutes over medium high heat.
- Meanwhile, combine 4 tsps salt, pepper and paprika in a large bowl. Toss all the stewing beef cubes in the bowl with the spices.
- Remove onions from the dutch oven. You will need to brown the stewing beef in 2 batches. Heat ½ the remaining oil in the dutch oven and brown ½ the stewing meat over medium high heat. Remove browned beef and reserve with the onions. Repeat with the last half of the oil and stewing beef.
- Return onions and stewing beef to the dutch oven. Add the tomato sauce, water, garlic and remaining teaspoon salt. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow it to simmer for approximately 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
- When the goulash is done, if you are making the goulash, soup and shepherd's pie remove 1 cup of stewing beef and reserve for the soup. Drain off about 3 cups of the sauce and reserve for the soup. Divide the remaining goulash and sauce in half. Reserve half for the shepherd's pie and serve the other half with the noodles as per below.
- When ready to serve cook the noodles according to manufacturer's instructions. While noodles are cooking heat the 3 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic powder. Fry mushrooms until they have released their liquid and liquid has evaporated. This may take about 15 minutes or so.
- When noodles are done, drain them and pile on a platter. Top with fried mushrooms and goulash. Serve with sour cream on the side.
Goulash Shepherd's Pie
- While the goulash is cooking, peel and dice potatoes into 1"cubes. Simmer over medium high heat approximately 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- When tender, drain and mash. Add 4 Tbsps butter and the cream and beat until smooth.
- While potatoes are cooking heat the remaining 2 Tbsps of butter over medium high heat and fry mushrooms until they release their liquid and it evaporates. This may take about 15 minutes.
- To assemble take a casserole about 9X3" and spray it with cooking spray. Put the goulash portion reserved for the shepherd's pie in the bottom. Spread the mushrooms evenly over the top and top with the whipped potatoes.
- If serving immediately, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat until the top starts to brown and it is evenly warmed, about 20 minutes.
- If freezing, allow it to cool. Wrap tightly and freeze. To serve heat from frozen at 350 degrees for approximately 60 minutes or until heated through.
Goulash Soup
- Mince the cubes of stewing beef reserved for the soup. Add the broth and the meat to the 3 cups of sauce reserved. Heat through over medium heat.
- If freezing, cool and put in a freezer container . To serve remove from freezer and heat over medium heat until evenly warmed.
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