(This is a spicy beef soup flavored with hot Hungarian paprika, chiles, and caraway seeds. You can use sweet paprika with the chiles to cut the heat a little.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 small dried red chiles such as Cayenne or Piquin
- 5 Tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika
- 1 cup flour
- 1 pound cubed, boneless beef chuck
- 2 Tablespoons bacon fat or oil
- 1 medium onion, cut in thin slices
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh black pepper, coarsely ground
- 3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
Preparation:
Mix 4 tablespoons of the paprika with the flour. Add the beef, toss to coat, and shake off excess flour. Brown the beef cubes in the bacon fat, remove and drain.Add the onions to the oil and saute until they are browned.
Place all the ingredients in a large pot or crockpot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the vegetables and meat are very tender and start to fall apart. Add more water if necessary to thin to desired consistency.
Variation: Add diced potatoes and tomatoes that have been peeled and seeds removed for a heartier soup or stew.
Yield: 6 servings
Notes: Since hot paprika is hard to find, bring up the heat by adding small dried red chiles, rather than adding more paprika, which can make the soup too sweet.
Source: The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach (Little, Brown & Co)
Reprinted with permission.
