Easy Goulash Soup with Ground Beef

Let's talk about goulash soup, a staple on the menu in Czech pubs! This soup is the very definition of comfort food and tastes of garlic, marjoram, and caraway, typical Czech herbs. It goes best with a slice of rye bread and a glass of cold beer. Here is the recipe!

➜ What Is Goulash Soup

It is a thick soup of ground beef and potatoes, flavored with distinctive spices such as dried marjoram, crushed caraway seeds, sweet ground paprika, or freshly pressed garlic.

The soup is not only filling but also warming. It fits perfectly into the cold winter months; however, you can indulge in it throughout the year.

Czechs call the soup “gulasova polevka” (exactly written “gulášová polévka”). In the Czech Republic, goulash soup counts among the classic soups. You can order the soup in every traditional restaurant, but Czechs also like to make it at home from scratch.

MY TIP: If you are looking for real Czech goulash with fluffy white dumplings, check this recipe for beef goulash (it tastes so good!)

➜ Pronunciation

I recorded a short audio clip on how to pronounce the Czech word gulášová polévka. The first word in the audio is "gulášovka", the last is "gulášová polévka", which means goulash soup.

➜ Ingredients

To make Czech-style goulash soup, you'll need:

• Ground beef; such as chuck
• Onion; peeled and finely chopped
• Potatoes; somewhat waxy, which remain firm even after cooking and do not fall apart
• All-purpose flour; to thicken the soup
• Beef broth
• Garlic; freshly chopped or pressed garlic cloves
• Lard; or vegetable oil (sunflower or Canola)
• Sweet ground paprika, such as Hungarian paprika
• Dried marjoram
• Caraway seeds; crushed or roughly ground. Do not confuse caraway seeds with cumin!
• Black pepper, ground
• Salt; the exact amount will depend on your taste and the salt content of the beef broth

✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

➜ Instructions with Photos

STEP 1: Peel and finely chop the onion. Please do the same with the garlic cloves: peel and finely chop them. Crush the caraway seeds coarsely in an electric grinder or by hand in a mortar. Salt, pepper, and mix the ground beef. Peel potatoes and slice them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.

STEP 2: In a heavy-bottomed soup pot or dutch oven, melt lard or vegetable oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté while stirring until light brown.

STEP 3: Add the caraway seeds and the ground meat. Stir and sauté until all the juices that the meat has released have evaporated. Slightly turn up the heat to speed up the process. Stir frequently.

STEP 4: Add the flour to the meat. Reduce the heat to a third, and fry the flour with the meat for one minute, stirring constantly.

STEP 5: Add the chopped garlic and sweet ground paprika, mix thoroughly and pour in the broth.

STEP 6: Stir, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a minimum.

STEP 7: Add potato cubes to the soup together with the dried marjoram.

STEP 8: Cook the soup over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir the soup occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom. Salt and pepper the finished soup to your liking.

➜ Serving

In the Czech Republic, goulash soup is usually served as the first course on the lunch menu. Or enjoy the soup as a lighter dinner.

Garnish the soup in a bowl with a few fresh parsley leaves or marjoram (optional). Goulash soup goes perfectly with a slice of rye bread or white bread (rohlík roll, housky braided rolls, baguette).

➜ Storage

If you have leftover goulash soup, let it cool and store it in the fridge. It will keep for about four days. Heat the soup in a pot on the stove (recommended method) or in the microwave.

As with other goulash-based dishes, this soup tastes better the next day after the flavors have blended.

➜ Useful Tips

• Traditional Czech goulash soup has a spicy taste that warms you up perfectly. If you still want to boost its flavor, add half a teaspoon of hot ground paprika to the soup when preparing it.
• The added flour will make sure the soup is appropriately thick. It is advisable to fry the flour briefly (see recipe) to enhance its taste and digestibility a little.
• Goulash soup is popular with our neighbors in Germany and Austria, calling it Gulaschsuppe. You could find soupy goulash with various twists in other Central European countries as well.

➜ What is the difference between goulash and soup?

Goulash contains chunks of beef stewed slowly and for a long time. The sauce from goulash is less and thicker. Goulash goes on the table with a side dish such as bread dumplings as a main course.

On the other hand, the goulash soup is more liquid, more flavorful. Goulash soup combines ground beef with potatoes and is quick to prepare.

Don’t miss these Czech soups:

• Clear garlic soup – cesnekova polevka, cesnecka
• Potato soup – bramborova polevka, bramboracka
• Sauerkraut soup – zelna polevka, zelnacka

Not enough? Browse the category with all soup recipes!