Goulash soup à la Marco

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg beef goulash, preferably from the boiled beef
• 1 kg onion(s)
• 4 bell peppers, red and green
• 50 g ginger root
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 2 m.-large chili pepper(s), red
• 300 ml red wine, dry
• 1 bunch marjoram
• 300 g mushrooms, fresh
• 1 can mushrooms (whole heads)
• 80 g tomato paste
• 50 g sweet paprika powder
• 20 g paprika powder, hot
• salt and pepper
• Sugar
• some oil
• possibly chili flakes
• 1 ¼ liters of water

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 4 hours

Brown the meat in a little oil in a sufficiently large pot, not all at once, as otherwise the liquid will leak out and the meat will not acquire any roasted flavors. Remove the meat and set aside. Finely dice the onions (rule: onion to meat weight ratio = 1:1). Chop the peeled ginger, garlic, and chili and sauté in a little oil, then add the tomato paste and lightly roast, taking care not to burn. Add a little more oil if necessary. Add the onions, mix everything together, and sauté until the onions are slightly translucent, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add the meat again and deglaze with the red wine; the red wine should just cover everything. Simmer for 3 minutes. Now add the water. Season with salt and pepper, add half of the sweet and hot paprika and a pinch of sugar, and simmer with the lid on for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, dice the bell peppers, slice the fresh mushrooms, and roughly chop the fresh marjoram. After two hours, mash the meat with a fork in the pot or on the side of the pot until it breaks apart. No whole pieces of meat should remain. This way, you’ll have meat in your mouth with every spoonful, which greatly enhances the flavor. If the meat doesn’t mash easily, let it simmer a little longer. Tafelspitz, for example, breaks down very quickly, whereas shoulder goulash usually takes longer. Now add the bell pepper pieces, the fresh mushrooms, the mushroom caps, and the marjoram, and let everything simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the remaining paprika and season to taste. You can adjust the heat to your liking with additional chili flakes. The soup is delicious immediately—but, as with all soups, it tastes best reheated or the next day. It’s perfect to prepare it in the evening—and then leave the hot pot covered on the stove overnight without a flame. Why “à la Marco”? An acquaintance with that very name once brought a pot of goulash soup to a party. Everyone loved it. I asked him for the recipe, but he didn’t have one. It just popped out of his head, and I experimented until the soup tasted like this, and I’ve now written it down, because it is by far the best goulash soup I’ve ever eaten. For example, the ginger adds a wonderful, fresh spiciness—and depending on the type of chilies used, you can adjust the heat even further (I always use medium-hot ones). And I think shredding the meat is really important! Good luck and enjoy!