Gulasch Soup

Many years ago, dear hubby and I spent a winter vacation in Austria. We skied (real mountains!), we sledded (dear Gods, 8 km down a steep mountain road together on a single little sled!), and we led the genteel life in Vienna (Coffee! Sacher Torte!) It's a vacation we still talk about many years later. Among the treasures we brought back from that vacation were a thick Viennese cookbook and a half kilo of paprika. Both of these were in support of our enthusiasm for gulasch, or goulash - beef and sometimes potatoes with a marvelous blend of onions and paprika, bound with a hint of tomato. As a soup, it's a grand pick-me-up or restorative. As a stew, it can be plain or very fancy. It lends itself to variations: 'student style' has more gravy and less meat. 'Carriage driver style' includes a little sausage (würstli) and a fried egg. At our house, we like it 'Plouff style': Something between a stew and a soup, thick with beef, potatoes, sausage (frankfurter) and pickles. I can't think of a better dish for cold, grey, or damp weather. You don't have to find a thick German-language cookbook to learn this dish; I'll share our family favorite. The most important component is the paprika. While there are eight types of paprika in its native Hungary, the kind you'll want is 'noble sweet'.

Submitted by: Maurita from 37 Cooks,