Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyásleves)

Name: Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyásleves)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil ((avocado or other light tasting oil)); 8 ounces beef (we used beef chuck); 1 whole onion (medium peeled and chopped); 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced); salt and white pepper ( to taste); 3 potatoes (large, peeled and chopped); 3 carrots (peeled and sliced in about 1/4 inch slices); 3 teaspoons Hungarian Sweet Paprika; 2 tablespoons Paprika Cream (store bought (piros arany, red gold) or homemade paprika cream **see notes below for recipe. ); 2 whole bay leaves (dried); 1 cup tomatoes (fresh tomatoes pureed * see notes); 6 -8 cups vegetable broth (or beef broth); 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (ground); 1 cup parsley (large handful of flat leaf parsley chopped, if you can find parsley roots this is even better.); 2 eggs (beaten); salt (to taste); 4-5 tablespoons flour (or just enough to make a thick paste. * see notes)

Published: Sep 3, 2014 · Modified: Aug 30, 2025 by HWC Magazine · 80 Comments

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Cozy up with a bowl of our Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyásleves)! This isn't just any goulash recipe; it's the real deal, taught to us by our Hungarian Friend. You are going to love the tender beef, hearty vegetables and sweet Hungarian paprika coming together in just 25 minutes in the pressure cooker!

A heart bowl of Hungarian Goulash Soup in a yellow bowl with petite dumplings and garnished with parsley.

Our unique "homemade paprika cream" elevates the flavor, while traditional petite dumplings and parsley stems add that authentic touch.

A special thank you to our dear friend Anna for teaching us how to make traditional Gulyásleves together in September 2014. Today we are sharing with you the updated and simplified authentic Hungarian goulash so that you can make it anywhere with easy to find ingredients.

Warm up on these cool days with this hearty aromatic soup!

Jump to:

Hearty Wholesome Ingredients
Petite Hungarian Dumplings
Flavorful Spices and Aromatics
How to Make Homemade Copycat Paprika Cream for Goulash
Step by Step: Hungarian Goulash Soup in the Instant Pot
Basic Recipe Tips
Petite Dumpling Tips
What to serve with Hungarian Goulash?
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
More Delicious Cozy Soup Recipe
Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash Soup (Gulyásleves)

Ingredients to make Hungarian Goulash soup on a wooden board and also items to make homemade paprika cream from scratch.

Hearty Wholesome Ingredients

Beef - As the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) will be doing all the hard work of tenderizing the meat, tougher cuts of beef like beef chuck or shank work well. You can even use a pre-cut beef stew meat from the grocery store to save you time.

Potatoes - Waxy potatoes like a red potato or Yukon gold are less apt to breakdown during the cooking process. We are all about using what you have on hand, so we used russet potatoes. Just be sure to keep them large enough so they get tender but don't break down in the Instant Pot.

Carrots - Cut them into thicker slices like you would if you were making a stew or Cantonese ABC Soup.

Tomato - Check out our video below to learn our quick and easy hack for pureeing a fresh tomato and leaving the tomato skin behind. Grated fresh garden tomatoes are delicious in this Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash soup but also in our spicy tomato glass noodle soup. You can also use canned pureed tomatoes.

Broth - We were taught how to make Hungarian goulash soup with Vegeta bouillon, and it is quite nice. You can also use a beef broth or homemade bone broth.

Ingredients to make petite soup dumplings on a wooden table.

Petite Hungarian Dumplings

Eggs - we used two whole eggs.

Salt - to flavor the dumplings.

All Purpose flour - or a measure for measure or cup for cup gluten free flour for gluten sensitivities.

Flavorful Spices and Aromatics

Onions and garlic - but of course, right?

Bay leaves - Did you know that bay leaves contain certain enzymes that break down tougher cuts of meat? Yes, they do, and bay leaves help round the flavor in soups and stews.

Caraway seeds are optional, but they add tons of flavor. Be sure to use a mortar and pestle to grind them up before putting them in the soup.

Bright red orange Hungarian sweet paprika in a white and yellow dish.

Hungarian Sweet Paprika - is an essential ingredient for a traditional goulash. It has a bright red-orange color, slightly sweet with little essence of pepper but not hot and spicy. As you may already know, there are 3 main types of paprika: hot, smokey and sweet. Each one has a very different flavor. Using sweet paprika will give you the best flavor. In a pinch, you can try a smokey paprika, but the soup will have a different flavor profile and will be a darker red color.

Parsley - This fresh herb adds a ton of flavor to the soup. If you are living in Europe, you may be able to find parsley root which is a traditional ingredient in Gulyásleves. However, if you are living anywhere else in the world - good luck! By the way, parsley root is a NOT a parsnip.

We found the easiest solution is to use the "chopped parsley stems" to season the soup whilst it cooks in the Instant Pot. It's frugal, convenient and a great way to use this underestimated herb! We add the freshly "chopped parsley leaves" upon serving for a delicious aroma and flavor.

Holding a tube of store bought paprika cream - red gold.

Paprika Cream (piros arany, red gold) - is a traditional Hungarian Paprika paste. This paste adds a savory and deep peppery flavor to many Hungarian dishes. This paste is difficult to find unless you live in Europe. You can find the mild version on Amazon or at specialty European food markets.

We have no idea why they call it a cream instead of a paste because the ingredients do NOT include any dairy. According to Univer the producer, Red Gold includes raw spice- and red bell paprika (87%), salt, modified starch, thickener: xanthan gum, acid: citric acid, preservative: potassium-sorbate.

We know how frustrating it can be when you want to make a recipe but can't find the ingredients. That is exactly why we went to our test kitchen and created homemade paprika cream.

Homemade paprika cream in a food processor with a spoonful showing the rich red paste.

How to Make Homemade Copycat Paprika Cream for Goulash

Here is our quick and easy recipe for homemade paprika cream.

Ingredients

1 extra-large roasted red bell peeled or about 1 heaping cup.
1.5 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of garlic chili sauce, sriracha sauce, or Cento Hot Cherry Pepper Hoagie Spread.
1 teaspoon of salt

Add the roasted peppers, tomato paste, chili sauce and salt to a small food processor or high-powered blender and blend well. We think the flavor is pretty darn close to the real deal. This copycat homemade paprikacream recipe has a cleaner and brighter flavor without all the preservatives.

Step by Step: Hungarian Goulash Soup in the Instant Pot

This is a quick overview of the steps to make the soup. Please scroll down to the recipe card for all the recipe tips and details.

Searing beef in Instant Pot and adding aromatics.

Set the Instant Pot setting on sauté. Add oil and sear beef cubes on all sides.
Add the onions and garlic and sauté until aromatic.

Adding carrots, potatoes, and Hungarian sweet paprika to the multi function pressure cooker.

Next add the potatoes and carrots.
Turn the Instant Pot off. Then, add the Hungarian sweet paprika.

Adding in the paprika cream to the pot and showing it all stirred up.

Add Paprika Cream or Homemade Copycat Paprika Cream.
Ground caraway seeds are optional but add them if desired.

Adding freshly grated tomatoes and vegetable broth to the soup.

Next, add the grated fresh tomato and vegetable or beef broth.
Add the finely chopped parsley stems and bay leaves.
Close and lock the Instant Pot. Set on high pressure for 25 minutes.
Make the petite dumplings. Beat eggs and add in flour.
Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10-15 minutes.
Carefully open the Instant Pot and remove the bay leaves.
Change the Instant Pot setting from warming to sauté.

Making the petite dumplings and dropping them by a small spoonful into the simmering broth.

Once the Hungarian Goulash soup coming to a light boil, drop in the petite dumplings.

Garnishing with fresh parsley and serving hot in cute little yellow and green soup bowls with matching lids.

Add in the chopped parsley leaves and serve hot!

Basic Recipe Tips

Use at least a 6-quart Instant Pot for the recipe.
Cut your vegetables into approximately 1.5-inch cubes so they do not break down while cooking in the pressure cooker.
Turn off the Instant Pot when adding the Hungarian Sweet Paprika so it does not burn.
Season with salt and pepper to your liking. We used white pepper as that is what we used when we first made the recipe in Hong Kong, but you can use black pepper too.
It can take upwards of 30 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to temperature to begin pressure cooking.

Petite Dumpling Tips

The ratio between egg to flour is 1: 2-3 or just enough flour to make a thick paste that leaves a line on the bowl. See the photo above.
Use a standard small spoon from your silverware set - about ½ tablespoon size or less to form the dumplings.
Drop the dumplings carefully into the soup in separate areas of the pot to cook - not on top of each other!
Dumplings will float to the top, like Grandma's Chicken and Sliders or our Thai dumpling soup, when they are fully cooked.

What to serve with Hungarian Goulash?

Crackers, crusty bread or whole wheat focaccia bread.
Salad with lemon balsamic vinaigrette.
Antipasto skewers or Ricotta Crostini
Sandwiches like our Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap or grilled cheese.
A nice glass of red for the chef!

I hope that your family enjoys this recipe as much as my family did. I highly recommending doubling this recipe if you have hungry teenagers at home as they will love this comforting soup after a stressful back to school day.

Thank you so much Anna for a lovely lunch and tutorial on how to make one of Hungary's most loved dishes, Hungarian Goulash Soup Gulyásleves.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)

How many servings in Instant Pot Hungarian Goulash Soup?

There are 4 hearty adult servings or 6 to 7 starter servings if serving with side dishes.

How long does it take the Instant Pot to heat up for soup?

It takes approximately 30 minutes give or take to heat up and pressurize the contents in the Instant Pot to make Hungarian Goulash Soup. However, this is inactive time that you can work on the other 5 million tasks on your to do list.

What's the difference between parsley root vs parsnips?

Parsley root and parsnip are similar in appearance, but they are two completely different plants. Root parsley tastes like the parsley herb. Parsnips have a taste all their own and are kind of sweet.

There's also a difference in how the leaves are arranged at the top of the root. Root parsley has leaves sporadically on top of the root. However, parsnips leaves are in a tidily inside a ring, much like that of carrots.

Root parsley is usually around 11-12 inches long and parsnips are like the length of a carrot. The root parsley is rather thin, like a carrot. Parsnips are sometimes double the diameter of carrots. We could compare parsley root to parsnips until we are blue in the face, but there is still no parsley roots in Hong Kong. Full stop!

More Delicious Cozy Soup Recipe

Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

Hungarian Goulash Soup-Healthy World Cuisine

More Soups, Curries and Stews

About HWC Magazine

Join our Healthy World Cuisine medical editors (trained in both Western and Eastern Medicine) and learn how to EAT your way around the WORLD from the comfort of your own kitchen. Grab free health tips, recipe ideas, meal plans and gain a better understand how eating choices can affect your health. Be the healthier and happier YOU!

Comments

5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)