Hungarian Goulash Soup

1. In a large soup pot, sauté the onions in vegetable oil or pork lard over low heat, stirring frequently, until translucent. Do not let them burn. Salt lightly to help tenderize them. The onions should be cut into very, very small pieces. This is essential in order to achieve the “stew consistency”. Add a small amount of water, if necessary, to keep them from sticking to the pan. 2. Remove the pot from the heat, add the sweet Hungarian paprika, stir. Add the tomatoes, the sweet yellow pepper, and the meat, and stir again. Do not burn the paprika, or it will become bitter. 3. Add the bay leaves, the peppercorns, and about 7-8 cups (2 liters) of water. Salt to taste. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is almost tender, adding water as necessary. It takes about 1.5-2 hours. If you use a pressure cooker add only 6 cups of water and cook for about 35-40 minutes. 4. Add the carrots, the parsley roots, the ground caraway seed, and the garlic. Salt to taste. Cover, bring back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Add the potatoes and the pinched noodles (Csipetke) when the vegetables are half tender and cook until the vegetables (including the potatoes) are tender. It takes about 5-8 minutes. Csipetke (pinched noodels) can be cooked directly in the soup or stew broth, or in plain water. It’s a great accompaniment for goulash soup. Their name comes from the way they are formed.