text: Since we moved to Romania from Canada almost 3 years ago I’ve fallen into a love-hate relationship with the food here – there are some traditional dishes I just can’t get behind no matter how hard I try, and then there are others that I’ve come to love so much they’d be hard to live without. This Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup has become an absolute staple recipe in our family, especially during the cold winter months, and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you today!
  There’s just something so comforting about stews and soups in the winter, and this Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup is one of our family’s favourite ways to warm up on a cold day. It’s packed with tender meat, lots of root vegetables, locally grown red bell peppers, all in a tomato-based broth that’s perfect soaked up by some crusty bread at the end of the meal!
  We live in Transylvania, an area of Romania populated by many German Saxons and many Hungarians which has had a big impact on the traditional local cuisine. In fact, I purchased the gorgeous soup bowl in these photos at a local market and it’s one of my favourite pieces. It was made and hand painted by a local artist in the traditional Transylvanian style and it’s the perfect vessel for this amazing traditional-style Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup. I just know you’re going to love this stew as much as our family does!!
  If you’re looking for a good Dutch Oven pot for recipes like this Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup, here’s my advice- My Dutch Oven pot is a total beauty from Le Creuset (affiliate link) and I use it almost ever day throughout the year for all kinds of soups, stews, sauces, curries, and even for baking bread (if you want my original Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe, grab it HERE! It goes GREAT with this Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup!). A pot like mine is definitely a financial investment, but considering how much I use mine and considering its high quality, it’s definitely a worthy investment since it will last for 10 or 20 years, or even longer! I’ve also used similar cast iron pots from other brands, like THIS ONE from KitchenAid and THIS ONE from Lodge Cast Iron (both affiliate links) if you’re looking for something a little less expensive but still high quality that’ll do the job well.
  I hope you love this Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite local cultural recipe from where you live? I’d love to know!
  This Homemade Hungarian Goulash Soup recipe is the perfect classic cold-weather soup that's hearty, full of flavour, and so easy to make!
  Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron dutch oven pots are PERFECT for this recipe) over medium heat.
  Add the chopped bacon and cook until just barely crisp, and remove the bacon to a large plate lined with kitchen paper
  Keep at least 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot (feel free to drain the rest if there's too much, and if there isn't approximately 3 tablespoons of bacon grease left, add a little olive oil).
  Season the pork cubes with salt and pepper, and add them to the hot pan, browning them in the bacon fat on all sides. Be careful not to overcrowd the bottom of the pan, or the pork will steam and not brown. Brown in batches, if needed.
  Remove the browned pork cubes to the plate with the bacon and add the onions, carrots, garlic, and paprika to the pot.