Stefan's secret goulash soup

Ingredients for 16 servings:

• 2 kg beef goulash
• 300 g ham
• 1 kg onion(s)
• 2 peppers, red
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp, heaped vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp, heaped paprika powder, sweet
• 1 tbsp, heaped paprika powder, hot
• 1 tbsp, heaped caraway powder
• ½ tsp, ground chili powder (habanero powder)
• 2 ½ liters of water
• 1 liter of Coke
• 8 tbsp, heaped tomato paste
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp, heaped marjoram
• 1 tbsp, heaped oregano
• 1 tbsp, heaped basil
• 4 tsp, heaped cornstarch
• 4 bell peppers, red
• 4 cups of crème fraîche

Instructions

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

Caution: Spicy, but can also be cooked without spicy

It’s best to prepare everything and then turn on the stove. Be sparing with fat/oil, as everything will float to the top at the end. If you don’t like it spicy, simply replace the peppers with paprika and omit the habanero powder. The soup will get spicier the more you reheat it. Chop the onions and sauté them in a pot with the chopped garlic. Chop the peppers and sauté them in a pan with the ham, then add them to the pot. Cut the meat into pieces about 1.5 cm in size and sear them in the pan, then add them to the pot. Now sprinkle the pepper, both paprika powders, caraway seeds, cinnamon, habanero powder, and vegetable stock in the pot and pour on 1.5 liters of boiling water. Add the tomato paste, or a little more if you like. Add the cola and an additional 1 liter of water. Bring everything to a boil. Now add the vinegar, marjoram, oregano, and basil. Once everything is mixed, mix the cornstarch in a cup of cold water and stir into the soup. Simmer the soup for 2 hours over low to medium heat. Caution! The soup can burn easily. In the meantime, cut the bell peppers into 1.5 cm pieces. After 2 hours, add the bell peppers and simmer for another hour. Then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with white bread and crème fraîche to reduce the heat.