This Authentic German Goulash Soup recipe is so stinking good! It’s comforting and has complex flavors that balance out one another, like sweet, savory, sour, and subtle spices. Warm and meaty, it’s the perfect comfort food for the chilly months.
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Authentic Gulaschsuppe
My husband can’t stop raving about this recipe. He kept saying that he hoped I wrote it down since I’m famous for adding things here and there. The good news is I did write it down!
Back in 1987, I was an au pair in West Berlin, Germany, living with a dear family. The wife was a fantastic cook and baker, and she taught me how to make many German dishes, including this traditional German Goulash Soup.
Speaking of Oktoberfest, we are right in the middle of the celebration! The German Bavarian autumn festival begins mid September and ends early October, so it’s the perfect time to share this authentic Gulaschsuppe recipe rooted in German culture!
If you’re looking for more German recipes, I’ve got you covered—check out my Beer and Cheese Soup and other traditional Oktoberfest recipes. Or, for a sweet treat, see my German grandmother’s Pfeffernusse Cookies or this Blueberry Strudel (oh y!!).
Why You Will Love This Gulaschsuppe Recipe
- Easy to Make: The steps for making this German Goulash soup are super simple and practically effortless. All you do is chop your ingredients, brown the meat, and toss everything into one large pot to simmer on the stove.
- Feed a Crowd: Sometimes, goulash soup is referred to as Mitternachtssuppe (midnight soup) because it is often served on New Year’s Eve, feeding many hungry mouths at a family gathering. This recipe easily doubles for a crowd!
- Delicious Aroma: While making this traditional soup, your kitchen will be filled with the sweet and savory scents of the simmering fresh vegetables and seasonings.
- Warm and Comforting: With warm, rich, and savory flavors, this hearty beef stew is oh-so comforting and cozy—especially for the fall and winter months ahead.
Gulaschsuppe Ingredients
- Butter and olive oil: Butter and olive oil are used to caramelize the vegetables and brown the meat for this traditional German soup.
- Beef: Savory and tender beef brings a heartiness to this recipe. I like to use steak tips from ButcherBox, I love this company-ethical, clean, sustainable meat! However, you can also use stew meat or chuck roast, cut up.
- Onion, Carrots & Celery: Freshly diced veggies are classic, adding subtle sweetness and additional flavor to the soup.
- Bell peppers: If you can’t tell yet, this soup is very well-rounded with all sorts of flavors, a little savory and sweet. You can use whatever combination of yellow, green, or red bell pepper you prefer.
- Red potatoes: These add a little bit of starchy texture and doubles as a thickener.
- Garlic cloves: Freshly minced garlic cloves lend subtle, spicy, and nutty notes to this German Goulash recipe.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste brings a burst of acidic tomato flavor and helps to thicken the stew-like soup.
- Sweet paprika and Hot paprika | Giving this German goulash it’s signature flavor. These spices bring a subtle heat and rich smokiness to the overall taste. Hot paprika is optional if you prefer to keep the recipe mild without a kick of spice, but doesn’t make it too spicy.
- Marjoram & Caraway seeds: This herb tastes like oregano but is a little sweeter and more complex in flavor. Caraway brings a hint of nuttiness – and an authentic German flavor.
- Dry red wine: Most goulashes call for an acid; like lemon juice or, in this case, dry red wine.
- Beef broth: While simmering, the broth seeps into the beef and vegetables, blending the flavors. If you have it, use homemade bone broth for deeper, richer flavor!
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make This Authentic German Goulash Soup Recipe
Step 1 | Gather and Chop
To start, get everything prepped and ready to go—this recipe will come together quickly. So, it helps to have the meat cut into 1-inch cubes, and the vegetables washed and diced. Also, measure out the rest of the ingredients.
Now take out a large soup pot or Dutch oven and melt the butter over medium heat and then add the oil.
Step 2 | Putting the Veggies In
Toss your onions, carrots, peppers, celery, and a little bit of kosher salt and black pepper into the pot. Stir the veggies frequently, turning down the heat if needed, as you sauté.
Once the veggies are soft and caramelized, stir in the paprikas, garlic, tomato paste, marjoram, and caraway. Then, remove the cooked vegetable mixture to a medium bowl and set it aside for later.
Step 3 | Brown the Meat
Next, increase to medium-high heat and add a small pat of butter or a little swirl of olive oil, if necessary. This next step may be most successful in batches.
Without crowding the meat, brown both sides quickly. Remove that batch and do the second batch of meat. Then, remove the browned meat to a plate.
Step 4 | Deglazing the Pan
With the juices and all those bits of tender veggies and meat sticking to the bottom of the pan, it is time to deglaze. Add the 2 cups of wine to the pot and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
If you prefer not to use wine, use additional beef broth and 2-4 tablespoons of dill pickle juice or try a little red wine vinegar.
Step 5 | Make Gulaschsuppe
Pour in the beef broth and return the vegetables and beef to the pot.
Next, carefully drop in the potatoes and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
Now you are going to let that simmer covered for 2-2 ½ hours. Be sure to stir it occasionally. If even thicker goulash is desired, smash a few potatoes on the side of the pot, stirring in and remove lid from pot and simmer 15-20 minutes longer.
Finally, serve with a sprinkle of paprika, a little chopped parsley, some rustic bread, rye bread, or even these traditional Bavarian pretzels. Come to think of it, Sweet Molasses Brown Bread Rolls might be nice too!
It’s so delicious!
Chefs Tips
- This thick soup is more like a stew than a traditional soup. However, if you want it to be more soup-like, add up to 3 cups of more beef broth and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- On the other hand, if you prefer a thicker consistency, remove the lid for the last 15-20 minutes and smash some of the potatoes into the broth—YUM!
Toppings
As mentioned, I like to serve this traditional soup with a sprinkle of paprika and some chopped parsley. You can add a dollop of sour cream or red pepper flakes.
Tips for Two
- This is the perfect meal to make for two! It doesn’t make a huge amount and it chills or freezes beautifully so you get two-three meals out of one!
- Store or freeze leftovers in individual servings for easy meal prep!
Variations & Substitutions
- Most traditional goulash soup recipes include an ingredient that will add some sour flavor. In my recipe, I use dry red wine for this purpose. However, other variations use lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or other vinegars.
- If you can’t get your hands on marjoram, you can substitute it with another herb, like sage, bay leaves, or oregano.
- Hot paprika isn’t always easy to locate. In this case, you can add cayenne pepper instead.
- Add egg noodles, elbow macaroni noodles, or another type of pasta to make the extra soup filling.
- No beef broth? No problem—use water and a beef bouillon cube (one cube/teaspoon per cup of water) or beef stock in its place
- Some Germans like to add ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream as a final ingredient to make the soup creamier and even more comforting.
- Use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste for a milder tomato flavor and less thick consistency. You can also use tomato puree if you prefer.
Recommended Equipment & Ingredients
- Soup pot or Dutch Oven | I love my Staub dutch oven, it’s perfect for this soup!
- Wusthof Knife | A solid, sharp knife is essential to every recipe.
- Paprika | It’s worth the splurge to purchase some good, authentic sweet paprika and hot paprika. Check your local World Market or Amazon has some too!
Storage Tips
Refrigerate for Later | While this traditional Hungarian Goulash soup can be served immediately, it may be wise to refrigerate it for a day or two before serving. When the soup sits, the flavors continue melding and become further incorporated with one another, making a delicious taste. In an airtight container, the soup should last up to four days in the refrigerator.
Store in the Freezer | German Goulash soup is an excellent meal to store away in the freezer for a later date. Plus, it is easy to reheat on the stovetop, making for a quick and hassle-free weeknight dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
This rich stew-like soup originated in Hungary, but as families immigrated to other Central and Eastern European countries it took on local flavors and seasonings.
German Goulash Soup is a rich, savory stew made of beef or other meat and loads of vegetables that include onions, garlic, carrots, loads of bell peppers and potatoes. Rich in red wine, tomatoes, and bell peppers, this gulaschsuppe is generously seasoned with paprika and caraway seeds.
Yes, and yes! To make this soup a little easier to prepare, you can use a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
Slow Cooker | Brown beef and saute veggies in a skillet, add to slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with red wine and pour into crock pot. Add seasonings, potatoes, beef broth and rest of ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. If thicker soup is desired, turn to high during last hour of cooking and leave lid propped open with a spoon.
Pressure Cooker | Preparing this recipe in a pressure cooker is pretty similar to the process using a slow cooker. Start by browning the beef, (hint) brown some beef on and the veggies in the Instant pot for flavor, then place it in the pressure cooker with the red wine, broth, and seasonings. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 25 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes. Remove lid and turn on saute function for about 20 minutes, until thickened.
This authentic German goulash soup recipe has many variations, like the American goulash! It differs from the German recipe by using ground beef, elbow macaroni, Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce.
American goulash is typically topped with cheddar or parmesan cheese. Perhaps I’ll try out some of the other types of goulash later this year.
What to serve with Authentic German Beef Goulash Soup Recipe
- Easy 4 Ingredient Beer Bread
- Rich Russian Black Bread
- A crisp salad
- German Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) or try this easy and delicious Slow Cooker Red Cabbage — oh yum!
- Crunchy garlic spread with my irresistible cheesy spread
- 4 Ingredient Irish Soda Bread, which can also be made gluten-free.
- Don’t forget a classic Apple Strudel (apfelstrudel)
Before diving into this recipe, remember to have all your ingredients chopped and measured. It will make the whole process take less time and run much smoother.
More delicious dinner recipes
- Dutch Oven Beef Stew {or Slow Cooker}
- Outback Potato Soup Recipe (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
- Bread and Butter Pot Roast
- Italian Braised Short Ribs
- Best Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
I hope you loved this authentic German Goulash soup recipe — if you did, would you share your creation on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest? And be sure to comment below!
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1-1 ½ pounds beef I used steak tips, may use sirloin, stew meat or chuck roast, cut into ½-1 inch cubes
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2-3 stalks celery diced
- 2-3 bell peppers colors your choice
- 3-4 red potatoes diced into cubes
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon marjoram or sub with oregano or Italian seasoning
- ½-1 teaspoon caraway seeds optional, but add that authentic flavor
- 1 teaspoon hot paprika optional, but not super spicy
- 2 cups dry red wine or substitute with ¼ cup pickle juice or your favorite vinegar and the rest beef broth
- 2 cups beef broth add up to 3 cups more for soupier soup
- kosher salt to taste, start with 1 teaspoon, then adjust before serving
- black pepper to taste, start with ½-1 teaspoon, then adjust before serving
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes, dice vegetables and measure out the rest of ingredients, this recipe will come together quickly.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and add oil. Reserving some for the meat if needed.
- Add onions, carrots, peppers, celery and a little bit of kosher salt and pepper to the pot, stirring frequently, turning down the heat if needed, saute for 10-15 minutes, the veggies should be soft and caramelized. Stir in the paprikas, garlic, tomato paste, marjoram and caraway. Remove to a bowl, set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high heat and if needed, add a small pat of butter or a little swirl of olive oil. Without crowding the meat (doing in batches if needed) brown quickly on both sides, remove and repeat until all meat is browned.
- With the heat on the higher side, deglaze the pan by (carefully) adding 2 cups of wine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom. Then add the beef broth. Return the vegetables and beef to the pot, add in the potatoes and bay leaves. Bring to simmer, cover and simmer for 2-2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
- If thicker soup is desired, remove the lid the last 15-20 minutes and smash some of the potatoes into the broth.
- Serve with a sprinkle of paprika, a little chopped parsley, some rustic bread, rye bread or traditional Bavarian pretzels. It was so delicious.
Notes
- This thick soup is more like a stew than a traditional soup. However, if you want it to be more soup-like, add up to 3 cups of more beef broth and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- On the other hand, if you prefer a thicker consistency, remove the lid for the last 15-20 minutes and smash some of the potatoes into the broth—YUM!
- Most traditional goulash soup recipes include an ingredient that will add some sour flavor. In my recipe, I use dry red wine for this purpose. However, other variations use lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or other vinegars.
- If you can’t get your hands on marjoram, you can substitute it with another herb, like sage, bay leaves, or oregano.
- Hot paprika isn’t always easy to locate. In this case, you can add cayenne pepper instead.
- Add egg noodles, elbow macaroni noodles, or another type of pasta to make the extra soup filling.
- No beef broth? No problem—use water and a beef bouillon cube (one cube/teaspoon per cup of water) or beef stock in its place
- Some Germans like to add ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream as a final ingredient to make the soup creamier and even more comforting.
- Use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste for a milder tomato flavor and less thick consistency. You can also use tomato puree if you prefer.
Nutrition
Marie
Just made this today. Got back a few weeks ago from Budapest and Vienna and ate Goulash soup a couple of times. This recipe is top notch. Used Paprika I got in Budapest and it made a difference. Thank you for this recipe.
Oh I bet that paprika is the best!!! Thank you for your sweet comment!
Chelsea
This really is such a warm and comforting recipe…it will be on rotation all fall/winter long in my house. The way it weaves together diverse flavors like sweet, savory, sour, and those delicate spices results in a dish that embodies the essence of comfort food.
So glad you liked it! Total comfort food!
Gianne
This is comfort in a bowl! Perfect for the season. This is my new favorite.
YES!!!
Holly
This soup was comforting and delicious with just the right amount of heat for my family. Everyone really enjoyed this recipe. Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it, Holly!
Anjali
This looks so hearty and delicious!! Perfect for the cooler fall months we have coming up!
It really is!
Sara Welch
Enjoyed this for dinner last night and it was a savory success! Easy, hearty and delicious; my kind of comfort food, indeed!
Thank you so much Sara!
Linda
Great hardy and flavorful meal.
Thanks so much Linda!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Dannii
This looks so warming and comforting. I am definitely going to try it out.
I hope you love it!
Janessa
Yum, such a comfort food! Thank you for including directions for the instant pot.
You are very welcome!
Mama G
Hearty, delicious and comforting. A warm hug in a bowl. We loved it! Thank you!
The perfect way to describe this recipe! Hugs!
Lyn
Thanks for the recipe! This hearty stew looks perfect for colder days and one my family will love!
It is so perfect for those chilly days!
Gina Abernathy
A comforting bowl of soup full of so much flavor! Perfect for a cool evening.
Yes, it really is! Thanks Gina!
nancy
yummy. this goulash Soup sounds so hearty and satisfying
It really is Nancy, thank you!
Beth
Goulash is one of my favorite dishes. I love the flavor and I love that it can feed an army. I love your version!
Thank you! So glad you loved it!
Heidy
I had not had Gulaschsuppe in years! My grandmother used to make it when we were small. This was very good. I will be making it again!
Love when a meal brings back sweet memories!
kushigalu
Interesting soup recipe. I love the combination of flavors here. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome!