Goulash Soup

The Goulash we ate growing up was a concoction of macaroni noodles, tomato sauce, and hamburger. Kinda like Spaghetti, but all mixed together and made with a mysterious packet of powder Mom bought on the spice aisle. It was alright, but imagine my surprise when I ordered this while stationed in Germany. Hmmmmm....the beef, the peppers, and potatoes simmered in this yummy broth and served with crusty bread. This was not my mother's Goulash, but it was heavenly!

3T butter or oil
1 lb beef (cut into 1" cubes)
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 green peppers, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp paprika
2 Bay leaves
1 Tbs lemon juice
4c beef stock
2c water
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
3T tomato paste

Brown meat in butter. Remove meat, leave the drippings. Saute onions in drippings until translucent. Add garlic, peppers, and tomato paste. Saute for 10 minutes. Add caraway seeds, paprika, and lemon juice. (The is where the original recipe tells you to run the soup through a blender and return it to the pot, but I like it better chunky so I skip this step.) Throw beef and all your sauted vegetables in a pot. Add beef stock, water, and bay leaves. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add potatoes. Simmer an additional 45 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.