This hearty Goulash Soup is a weeknight-friendly meal that can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop in a Dutch oven. It’s an easy beef stew made in one pot that is the ultimate meat and potatoes dinner. It’s also a great prep ahead dish for a weekend entertaining meal that’s sure to impress family and friends.
When the cold weather seasons roll around, I always have Goulash Soup on the menu. Why? It’s a hearty beef stew flavored with warm, rich sweet paprika and studded with delicious vegetables like carrots and potatoes. It’s a simple yet comforting meal that everyone truly loves.
There are a couple of different types of Goulash. The traditional recipe hails from Hungary and Austria where it’s similar to an American beef stew with braised chunks of meat. The American version of goulash can often use ground beef instead, which can be a time-saving swap if desired. When I developed this recipe, I wanted to recreate a classic Hungarian version with a rich paprika infused broth.
The beauty of this goulash recipe is that it’s one pot meal and uses simple, approachable ingredients. You can make it quickly in the Instant Pot in under an hour. We also tested out the stovetop version where you use the oven to braise the meat until fork tender. This version takes a little longer, but is still mainly hands-free cooking so it’s simple to make.
Need more great stew recipes? Try our Serbian White Bean Soup, Pozole Recipe, and One Pot Carne en su Jugo. You won’t be disappointed.
Why We Love this Goulash Soup
- One pot soup. Everything goes into the same pot to cook until tender, rich, and so delicious.
- Approachable ingredients and affordable. No surprises here, all the ingredients are easy to find at the store and won’t break the bank.
- Perfect meal prep stew. Make extra and freeze it for a busy weeknight meal. Future you will thank you!
What is Goulash?
A mash-up of everything I adore about Hungarian goulash and Austrian goulash, this easy beef dinner recipe is my modern twist on a centuries-old dish. Goulash, or gulyás, dates back to the 9th century when Magyar shepherds prepared it before long shifts out with their flocks.
They would slow-cook meat, onions and seasonings in a stock, dry this goulash in the sun, then pack it into bags. Come mealtime, the shepherds would reconstitute the stew with water.
Goulash’s signature paprika appears to be invited to the party during the 1700s. Today, goulash soups are mainstays across Central Europe—and now can be a signature in your kitchen, too.
There are three origins of goulash, Hungarian, Austrian, and American. Let’s break them down easily.
- Hungarian goulash is traditionally made with equal parts (in weight) of meat and onions. That means it’s very onion heavy.
- Austrian goulash tends to have a richer soup base, thanks to tomato paste and thickeners like flour. It also features a couple additional herbs and spices, including dill and caraway.
- American goulash recipes are a bit like a mash-up of both; featuring ground beef, tomato sauce, and pasta. My Goulash Soup sticks more to the dish’s European origins.
Although this dinner recipe idea sounds similar to stroganoff, goulash recipes are in a category of their own thanks to their cooking method (often slow and low, but here, I speed things up in the Instant Pot, compared to stroganoff’s speedy skillet sauté) and service style (Goulash Soup is just that, soup, while stroganoff is piled over noodles).
Ingredients for Goulash
- Boneless beef chuck-eye roast: Choose either the chuck roast, a large, collagen-rich cut of meat that’s often used for pot roast, beef stew meat, or roast beef, or chuck-eye roast. Chuck-eye, also sold as chuck steak, is a smaller, leaner cut.
- Alternatively, substitute another budget-friendly beef stew meat, such as oxtails or short ribs. Since we’re pressure cooking the protein in an instant pot, there’s no need to splurge on fancy cuts of steak.
- Sweet Hungarian paprika: This spice is what makes Goulash Soup “goulash.”
- Tomato paste: A mere ¼ cup spikes the soup base with a lot of sweet-tart flavor.
- Whole-wheat flour or all purpose flour: To thicken the sauce.
- Caraway seeds: To lend an Austrian element.
- Yukon gold potatoes: Or another waxy small- to medium-sized potato, such as fingerling.
Test Kitchen Favorites: Equipment
How to Make Goulash in the Instant Pot
Here’s a rundown of how to make the recipe, get the full recipe (amounts and instructions) in the recipe card below.
Unlike dump dinners where you set and forget, investing a little prep time at the beginning pays off in spades by the time you dive into your Goulash Soup.
It’s essential to give the beef roast and vegetables a head start before you lock the lid of the Instant Pot so they score the benefits from the maillard reaction. What’s that, exactly? It’s the reaction of food browning, aka flavor. It’s easy:
- Pat the beef dry then season with salt.
- Turn the Instant Pot to “sauté,” and brown half of the meat (in butter). Avoid overcrowding the pot so the beef browns instead of steams! Transfer the browned beef to a bowl and repeat this step with the other half of the beef.
- Cook the onions, celery, garlic and salt in the reserved drippings.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the tomato paste, paprika, flour, caraway seeds, and pepper. Cook this mixture briefly.
- From there, you’ll add the broth, water, potatoes, partially-cooked beef and seasonings back into the pool.
- Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and quick-release the pressure.
- Skim excess grease from surface of stew then finish with lemon zest. Serve with sour cream and dill and dig in!
How to Make Goulash Soup on the Stovetop
If you don’t own a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, no need to worry! It’s so easy to make goulash on the stove too.
- Heat your oven to 325ºF degrees.
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels then season with salt. Brown half of the beef in butter in a large dutch oven. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and repeat with remaining beef.
- Cook the onions and garlic in the reserved drippings then stir in the tomato paste, paprika, flour, caraway seeds, and black pepper and cook briefly.
- Gradually stir in broth and water. Then stir in browned beef, carrots, celery and potatoes.
- Bring the soup to a simmer then cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise until the meat is tender and a fork easily slips in and out of beef; this will take 2½–3 hours.
- Skim excess grease from surface of stew.
- Skim excess grease from surface of stew (a wide shallow spoon works well for this) then finish with lemon zest and serve.
Test Kitchen Tips
- Make the soup like a stew. For a thicker, stew-ier version, skip adding the cup of water.
- Carrots and celery are not traditional Goulash Soup ingredients, but I found this recipe lacked a bit of sweetness without it. By the end of the cook time, all of the vegetables end up being quite tender, so the finished product delivers some majorly cozy classic beef stew vibes.
- Use a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot. The pot may get smoky when the beef is browning, so have a fan or vent hood handy.
- If you can’t find Hungarian Paprika, you can substitute with sweet paprika.
Storage and Freezing
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or freeze for up to two months. Reheat on the stove for a few minutes until simmering or in the microwave until warmed through.
FAQs
It’s a traditional Hungarian or Austrian soup made with meat and potatoes. The broth is flavored with sweet paprika as well as other vegetables as well.
Hungarian goulash uses slow simmered beef and is served alongside egg noodles. American goulash sometimes uses ground beef and cooks the noodles inside the pot with the stew.
Add a tablespoon or two of flour to the vegetable mixture in the pot prior to adding the broth. The flour will help the broth to thicken.
Very similar to beef stew with a hearty and comforting seasoned beef broth with paprika and other warm spices.
Goulash Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
Description
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes (1 pound after trimming)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound yellow onions, diced (4 cups)
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch chunks (1 ½ cups)
- 1 large or 2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks (1 ½ cups)
- 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup sweet Hungarian paprika
- ¼ cup whole-wheat flour or all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lemon, zested
- Fresh dill & sour cream for serving
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Pat beef dry with paper towels; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Instant Pot on sauté function. Once melted, add half the beef in an even layer and cook until browned on all sides, about 6–8 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon butter to reserved drippings, repeat browning with remaining beef, cooking 4 minutes. Transfer beef to bowl.
- Add onions, celery, carrot, garlic, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to drippings and cook 4 minutes.
- Turn Instant Pot off and stir in tomato paste, paprika, flour, caraway seeds, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
- Return Instant Pot to sauté functions and gradually add in 1 cup broth in ¼ cup increments, stirring and scraping up any browned bits after each addition. Stir in remaining 3 ½ cups broth and 1 cup water. Stir in browned beef and any accumulated juices, and potatoes.
- Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
- Using a wide shallow spoon, skim excess grease from surface of stew.
- Stir in lemon zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream and fresh dill.
Dutch Oven Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325ºF degrees
- Pat beef dry with paper towels; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in Dutch oven over medium-high. Once melted, add half the beef in an even layer and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl. Add remaining tablespoon butter to reserved drippings, repeat browning with remaining beef, cooking minutes. Transfer beef to bowl.
- Add onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to drippings and cook, over medium, until softened (not browned) 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in tomato paste, paprika, flour, caraway seeds, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
- Gradually add in 1 cup broth in ¼ cup increments, stirring and scraping up any browned bits after each addition. Stir in remaining 3 ½ cups broth and 1 cup water. Stir in browned beef and any accumulated juices, carrots, celery and potatoes, bring to a simmer.
- Secure lid then transfer to oven and braise until meat is tender and a fork easily slips in and out of beef, 2½–3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
- Using a wide shallow spoon, skim excess grease from surface of stew.
- Stir in lemon zest and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream and fresh dill.
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Notes
The pot may get smoky when the beef is browning, so have a fan or vent hood handy.
To make it gluten-free: use sorghum flour instead of whole-wheat flour.
To make it dairy free: use vegan butter or grapeseed oil to brown the beef. Swap out the sour cream for vegan yogurt.
The Dutch oven version is more stew-like than the Instant-pot version and is absolutely phenomenal. If you want it to be more soupy, add some water or broth at the end to thin it out.
Nutrition
This sponsored post is in partnership with the Iowa Beef Council. As always the thoughts, opinions, recipe, photos and content are all my own.
