Goulash Soup

This is one of my favourite meals, doesn't take too long to make - you just let it simmer on the stove and sew away... ehm, I mean, go about your chores in the house - doesn't cost a fortune and packed full of protein, iron, vitamins and all!

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tomato, chopped or a tsp tomato puree
2-3 tsp paprika (you can be generous, it gives a full flavour and a deep colour to your soup!)
600-800 g stewing steak, cut into 1,5 cm cubes
2-3 celery stalks or 1/2 a small celeriac
8-10 medium carrots, chopped
4-5 turnips, chopped
a good pinch of ground cumin, or a few whole ones
10 peppercorns
salt
4-5 biggish potatoes, peeled and chopped

 Heat the oil in a large (and I MEAN LARGE!) pot. Add the onion and cook until softens. Add the finely chopped pepper and tomato.

 Take off the heat - otherwise the paprika would burn and turn bitter - and stir in the paprika.

 Put in the meat, stir and put back on high heat. I usually put in the celery here, or ou can put it in at the next step.You can add about half a cup of water, so it wouldn't burn. Lower the heat, place a lid on and simmer until the meat is tender.

 When the meat is done add the cumin, peppercorns, carrots, turnips.Stir, add more water and cok until the vegetables are done. Season with salt. Add the potatoes for the last 10 mins.

Ladle into soup bawls and serve with crusty bread!

This quantity serves 8 persons or 4 persons for 2 days. This is very nice the next day, too.
And when you don't have to cook you can do more crafting with the kids ;) I'm just not sure who enjoys it more, my little one or me...

From yet another of her fairy craft books...