I love a pot of soup that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. I do not love spending all afternoon making it. This Beef Goulash Soup splits the difference. It’s hearty, a little peppery, packed with vegetables, and it goes from cold pot to full bowl in about 50 minutes, most of which I spend walking away from the stove.
The shortcut is the Wyoming Fireside Beef Goulash mix from Frontier Soups. I brown some ground beef, stir in the mix, add broth and let it do its thing. I’m not going to pretend I measured out lentils, potatoes, peppers and four different spices from scratch. I didn’t. Frontier did that part, and I’m grateful.
Video: Beef Goulash for People With Better Things To Do
What’s Actually in the Mix
I read labels the way some people read mysteries, looking for the bad guy. This one doesn’t have one. The mix is green lentils, potato, red and green bell pepper, carrot, onion, leek, paprika, caraway seed, marjoram and thyme. That’s the whole list. No added salt, no preservatives, no MSG, and it’s certified gluten free.
These are ingredients you’d recognize in your own kitchen, just dried and portioned so you don’t have to buy a jar of caraway seed you’ll use twice before 2030.
Is Beef Goulash Soup Healthy?
Pretty healthy, for comfort food.
The lentils do the heavy lifting. According to the package nutrition panel, each quarter cup of dry mix has 5 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein and only 5 milligrams of sodium. Fiber keeps you full longer and keeps things moving, which after a certain age is not a small perk.
The ground beef adds protein and iron. Use lean ground round, which is what the package calls for, and you keep the fat in check without losing the beefy flavor.
The vegetables are there for more than color. Carrots bring vitamin A, peppers and tomatoes bring vitamin C, and potatoes and tomatoes add potassium.
One honest note: the mix is low in sodium, but your broth and canned tomatoes probably aren’t. If you’re watching salt, use low-sodium broth and no-salt-added tomatoes, then season at the end.
How I Make It My Own
Frontier Soup mixes gives you a solid base, and I can’t leave well enough alone. I start by sautéing sliced mushrooms, onion and celery in my Dutch oven before the beef goes in. More vegetables, more flavor, and the pot stretches further.
Then I follow the package. Brown the beef, stir in the mix, add four cups of beef broth, bring it to a boil and simmer covered. At the end I stir in a can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles and a tablespoon of Worcestershire. The chiles give it a little kick that plays nicely with the paprika.
Top each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream. Want it heartier? Ladle it over wide egg noodles for the classic Eastern European version. It also freezes well, so future you gets dinner too.
Why Frontier Soup Mixes Live in My Pantry
I keep a few of these mixes on hand for nights when I’m tired, hungry and out of ideas, which describes most Tuesdays. They save me the shopping, the measuring and the chopping, and I still end up with a homemade meal I feel good about serving. No mystery powders, no ingredients I need a chemistry degree to pronounce.
Save on Frontier Soup Mixes
Want to try it? Shop Frontier Soups with my link and use code JILL10 at checkout to save.
TRY MY OTHER SOUP RECIPES!
Here are some other soup recipes you might enjoy:
- Red Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage
- Anti-Inflammatory Thai Chicken & Meatball Soup
- Poblano Chicken Chowder
- Creamy Chicken and Potato Soup in the Instant Pot
- Matzo Ball Soup
- Anti-Inflammatory Lentil Soup
- Easy Sausage Cassoulet Soup
- 10-Minute Black Bean Soup
PIN IT!
