What is goulash?
Goulash is essentially a thick stew of meats, vegetables, and especially paprika.
Goulash is primarily a soup, also existing as stew, originally from Hungary, usually made of beef, onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder. The name originates from the Hungarian gulyás, the word for a cattle stockman or herdsman.
Gulyás is a typical food of Hungary (often called "Goulash"). Gulyásleves is prepared as a soup (leves meaning soup). The dish Gulyás or Bográcsgulyás was traditionally a thick stew made by cattle stockmen; today, it is still prepared in both soup and stew form. The traditional Hungarian stews Goulash, Pörkölt, and Paprikás all originated as herdsmens stews and are considered to be the national dishes of Hungary. It is best to keep them simple: they do not really need anything else than the onions and paprika (hot and/or mild), although garlic, a little tomato for the colour, a small amount of caraway seed, fresh green pepper when in season, and wine for game, are always acceptable. Other herbs and spices should be avoided. Flour is used only for paprikás (see below), never for gulyásleves or pörkölt.
Source: Wikipedia
Goulash is something thrown together to make a quick or interesting meal. Here is a recipe for one of my goulash recipes that my family and I have at least once a month. From what I understand goulash was created in Hungary, but the recipe I use is very American and one i created for my family. I call it Goulash Tonight. With this recipe you can basically add or omit what you want. Giving it your own style.
Ingredients:
1 box elbow macaroni
1 can snaps
1 can corn
1 can tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce or ½ can tomato juice
1 can tomato paste
1 onion chopped into small pieces
1 can peas
Potatoes cut into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste and touch of garlic, paprika
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for about 1 hour. Stirring occasionally. Lower to low heat and cook an additional 1 hour. Serve.
Originating in Hungary, goulash is a dish that is prepared with a combination of different types of meat and an assortment of vegetables. The consistency of goulash is approximately that of a thick stew, which makes it ideal for serving over various types of noodles or rice. Often, the dish is served with a tablespoon of sour cream on the top of the mixture, adding a slightly creamy quality to the goulash. Here are some examples of how goulash can be prepared and served.
Goulash is a Hungarian beef-based soup or light stew made with paprika and onions and traditionally eaten with potatoes. The recipe for Gúlyas dates from the 9th century, before Hungary was a state, when nomads dried cooked meat in the sun, and carried it around to be boiled in water for stew or soup when the need arose. Although goulash recipes vary as recipes do, the purist insists that goulash should not include wine, flour or sour cream just before serving, as many modern recipes indicate (the addition of sour cream technically makes a paprikás). Goulash is eaten throughout Eastern Europe and the goulash that Americans usually make is closer to a Hungarian stew called pörkölt, that is eaten with noodles, although the term has come to mean a muddle of bastardized neo-goulash dishes with little resemblance to their Hungarian ancestors.
