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Hearty Beef and Gnocchi Soup Recipe

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Comforting, filling and delicious Beef and Gnocchi Soup

An overhead view of a hearty bowl of beef and gnocchi soup

This chunky soup is worthy of an entire meal, especially when served with a hunk of Artisan bread to sop up all the delicious broth!

The cool rainy days of fall have arrived here in Virginia and that means all I want is my super-ugly, 30+ year old sweater and hearty pot of this Beef and Gnocchi Soup simmering away on the stove.

Dinners like this are some of my most favorite meals of all. With vegetables, meat, chicken or fish and a rich savory broth, it’s hard to go wrong with a great soup recipe!

How to make Hearty Beef and Gnocchi Soup:

This hybrid stew-like-soup starts with a chuck roast cut into bite-sized pieces as the base. Next, add plenty of paprika, red wine, garlic, onions, carrots and celery. After simmering for about 2 hours, stir in the potato gnocchi, fresh chopped parsley and frozen peas.

That’s it! What a terrific and delicious bowl of flavor.

OVERVIEW: Ingredients

  • chuck roast – about 3 pounds trimmed of extra fat
  • salt and pepper
  • vegetable oil – used for sautéing the beef and vegetables
  • onions – two large sweet onions work well here
  • carrots – two large carrots peeled and chopped
  • celery – one large stalk
  • garlic – we use plenty of fresh garlic in this recipe. You’ll need 6 medium to large cloves.
  • thyme – I always have fresh thyme on hand, but dried will work well in a pinch. Use half the amount of dried to fresh in this soup.
  • paprika – you’ll need 2 teaspoons Hungarian, hot, sweet or smoky paprika. We use Hungarian paprika if we have it on hand.
  • tomato paste – 2 tablespoons is all you need to add a punch of flavor to this soup. Leftover canned tomato paste can be frozen in 1 tablespoon size mounds and placed in a zipper bag until needed.
  • red wine – any dry red wine will do
  • beef broth –  I typically use low-sodium beef broth. Check the seasoning when the soup is done and adjust the amount of salt needed.
  • soy sauce – always a nice addition to anything beefy. You’ll need 1 teaspoon.
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • bay leaf
  • cornstarch – for thickening the broth, just a little
  • prepared potato gnocchi – vacuumed sealed gnocchi works well here, but fresh or homemade are great too! If you don’t have gnocchi on hand, use diced potatoes instead. Add the potatoes with the other vegetables instead of at the end like the gnocchi.
  • frozen peas
  • fresh parsley – for garnish and stirring in at the end

A table set with a bowl of soup, a soup pot and fresh baked rolls

While developing this recipe for beef and gnocchi soup, I thought about our trip to Hungary.

This recipe reminded me of our trip to Budapest Hungary last spring and about how much the Hungarians love to cook with copious amounts of paprika.

We enjoyed many good meals in Budapest and one of our favorites was those big bowls of authentic Hungarian goulash. Real Hungarian goulash is not like the goulash served here in the US. It’s more like a simple beef stew with potatoes, no carrots, and generous amounts of paprika.

Not a noodle or elbow macaroni shell could be found in their goulash, and no ground beef like the recipe I remember from my childhood. To experience the flavors of an authentic real-deal Hungarian goulash, try our recipe!

 

A photo from the second floor of the Great Market Hall in Budapest Hungary

Being the foodies that we are, our first stop in Budapest was at the Great Market Hall.

If you get the chance to visit Budapest be sure to stop by the Great Market Hall for breakfast, lunch or to do a little shopping. Don’t forget to try a bowl or two of goulash while you’re there, and a few pastries too!

In addition to some delicious eats, we found great souvenirs for the family. Vendors sell everything from prepared foods to fresh meats and fish, vegetables, fruits, breads, linens, liqueurs, spices, toys, dolls and amazing works of art.

 

A display of paprika from the Great Market Hall in Budapest Hungary

When traveling in Hungary, buy lots of paprika to bring home!

Since we traveled by train from Hungary to Austria, and then the Czech Republic, we had to carry all our belongings to each destination. We couldn’t buy a lot of bulky trinkets as space and weight were limited. I had to be able to carry all my own bags, including camera equipment.

However I managed to buy, and bring home, loads of Hungarian paprika anyway! I stored the bags of paprika in ziplock bags stuffed in my suitcase and to this day my suitcase still smells like this earthy, sweet, exotic spice we love.

Red peppers and produce from the Great Market Hall in Budapest Hungary

What I learned from eating in Budapest is that we obviously don’t use enough paprika in our cooking.

I was inspired to push the paprika limits in this soup and while it’s well seasoned, the soup’s not overwhelmed by paprika so no worries. Everything from the beef to the gnocchi bind together for a lovely spoon full of rich meaty soup.

I use Hot Hungarian paprika which is earthy and sweet with a warm (not burning or overly hot) bite at the end. This spice is available in the United States too so check the link at the bottom for more information.

A bowl of hearty beef and gnocchi soup with vegetables and crusty bread

What kind of wine is best in this soup?

I’m not a wine expert but I enjoy cooking with both red and white wines. Since I’m never able to drink an entire bottle of wine before it goes bad, I started buying mini bottles of wine that come in a 4-pack. Many large wine shops carry these individual bottles.

Check your local listings and see if you have a Total Wine in town. They carry the mini Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon bottles that I use in this recipe, but any dry red wine will do. If you don’t want to open an entire bottle of red, pick up a 4-pack of red wine for about $5.99.

Finally, don’t forget the crusty bread. This unique Hearty Beef and Gnocchi Soup is pure comfort food at it’s finest!

A collage of photos showing how to make homemade gnocchi

Did I mention how terrific gnocchi is in this soup?

Soft and pillowy, the texture of these potato dumplings is perfect and they take on the flavor of the soup when cooked in the broth. If you have time, try making your own Homemade Potato Gnocchi! Homemade gnocchi is fun to make and freezes well too. Watch the video to see how to form these pillowy soft bites of heaven.

Thanks for PINNING!

A closeup of a bowl of beef soup with gnocchi

 

 

5 from 19 votes

Beef and Gnocchi Soup

Prep Time: 40 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs 10 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins
Yield: 8
Course: Soup
Author: Tricia
PRINT RECIPE
A warming and delicious chunky soup worthy of an entire meal. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the delicious broth

Ingredients

  • 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast trimmed of fat
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 2 carrots peeled and chopped
  • 1 stalk celery sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 teaspoons paprika hot, sweet or smoky (I used Hot Hungarian)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • 4 cups beef broth low-sodium
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 pound potato gnocchi or peeled diced potatoes
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves minced

Instructions

  • Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Remove all visible fat and any silver skin. Cut into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom soup pot until shimmering. Brown half the beef, about 10 minutes, and transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon; cover to keep warm. Brown the remaining beef cubes and remove to the bowl along with any beef juices.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the now empty Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables are softened and the onions start to brown and caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme leaves, paprika and tomato paste to the vegetables. Sauté for about 30 second or until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any browned bits.
  • Add the cooked beef to the pot along with the beef broth. Add the bay leaf to the soup, cover and reduce the heat to medium/medium-low. Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  • Mix the cornstarch and the water until dissolved. Slowly stir the slurry into the soup. Add the soy sauce, red pepper flakes and gnocchi. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked through (check package directions for cooking time). The gnocchi will float to the top once cooked. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the peas and parsley and check the seasoning. Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the broth.

Recipe Notes

  • If using potatoes instead of gnocchi, add them with the broth in step 3.
  • Use fresh gnocchi or a vacuumed sealed package found in the pasta section of the store. If using frozen gnocchi, check the package for preparation directions.
  • For this recipe I often use Sutter Home brand Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 868mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3030IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 7mg

Here are a few more hearty beef recipes you might enjoy:

A bowl of Guinness Beef Stew with potatoes and carrots

Guinness Beef Stew Recipe – Tender chunks of beef are cooked, uncovered in a rich, thick and flavorful gravy with carrots and potatoes. This is a wonderful, hearty and flavorful stew that’s super simple to make.

 

Vegetable Beef Soup with green beans, carrots, potatoes and peas

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup – A family favorite for years and years. The broth is rich and tomatoey with plenty of herbs and flavor. Our recipe makes a lot of soup but it freezes beautifully.

A bowl of chunky Hungarian style beef goulash with parsley

Enjoy this rich and flavorful Hungarian Style Beef Goulash featuring super tender, slow cooked beef, potatoes, onions and a beefy broth packed with roasted red peppers, tomatoes and plenty of sweet paprika.

Originally published September 2018, updated October 2020

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87 Comments

  2. Julie says

    Such a great recipe!! Made it last week and we decided it was a keeper. But even for how much we liked it, we agreed that it is in second place to your Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup. We’re crazy about that one!!

    reply to this comment >

  3. Heather says

    This was so yummy! My family loved it! There weren’t any leftovers. Doubling it next time and using my large slow cooker instead of my dutch oven. I subbed grape juice for the wine and omitted the red pepper flakes and peas for our tastes. Thanks for sharing a great recipe ?

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Taylor. I think it will work fine in the crockpot as long as you sauté everything in a skillet, first. Those little browned crusty bits on the bottom are what start building all the flavor. I don’t think this would be as good if made as a dump and run soup recipe. However, I think it will work great in an Instant Pot 😉 Good luck. Hope you enjoy this soup!

      reply to this comment >

  7. Sabrina Hendricks says

    5 stars
    I made the soup and followed your instructions to the letter. It was superbly tasty and loved by everyone. It’s nearing winter for us here in Melbourne and this recipe now looks to be one of our favourites if not the number one soup.
    Thank you for the clear instructions.

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Aww thank you Sabrina! So glad you enjoyed this soup. We love it but didn’t get to make it much this past winter. It never seemed to get cold for long. We’ve never been to Melbourne but loved Sydney! Hope you have a terrific winter. Stay safe and healthy!

      reply to this comment >

  8. Amy Nanney says

    5 stars
    10 star recipe if I could give it that! Its a go to for my family, even when we have guests. I make sure to always have the ingredients. I’ve also shared this recipe with friends and family. Its a hearty comforting budget friendly meal. Also a great one pot meal that last for a few days for my small family of 3. thanks for sharing!

    reply to this comment >

  9. Sonsia says

    5 stars
    This recipe was so good! I used cauliflower gnocchi to make it a little healthier and it turned out great. I just sautéd the gnocchi in a pan and added at the very end because they can get mushy in soups!

    reply to this comment >

  10. Olivia says

    Do not cover and let simmer on medium- I didn’t even let mine sit an hour and I went to check and all of the brother had soaked into the contents of the soup. I had to add an entire other 4 cups of broth. Good flavor- but add more broth than listed.

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Emily Grace! Yes you can omit the wine but before you do, let me share my little trick. I buy wine in mini-bottles, usually in a carton of 4. Each bottle is about 1 cup of wine. That way you don’t have to open a big bottle and drink it. I keep dry red and dry white wine on hand for cooking and don’t ever have to take a sip. I don’t mind drinking, I just don’t need the extra calories. You’ll love the soup either way. Just use extra broth! Enjoy 🙂 P.S. are the lovely Emily Grace that sings and plays guitar and writes beautiful songs?

      reply to this comment >

  20. kelly says

    5 stars
    I made this last night – all I had to stop at the grocery store for was the beef!
    I can’t even explain how flavorful this broth was – with the red wine, the fresh thyme and the paprika – it was so full of punch! I sprinkled some parmesan on top and it brought a perfect amount of cheesiness (I even tried a little feta with my leftovers when I ran out of parm and it was also great!). I did add two extra celery ribs, one extra carrot and some more beef than recommended so I wasn’t surprised when the broth wasn’t very brothy – I would add more of everything next time, leftovers didn’t last long enough!

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Shannon – great question. You can add the gnocchi to the soup when you make it, then immediately remove from the heat to cool and store. Or, feel free to bring the soup (without gnocchi) to a simmer the next day and add the gnocchi then. Even leftover, the gnocchi did not break down when reheated gently. Enjoy this soup – one of my all time favorites!

      reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Emily. I have not put it in the crockpot but am sure it all work. Not sure about the time because you don’t want the vegetables to be too soft. I like the meat super tender but not falling apart in the soup. Don’t add the gnocchi until the end as it only needs a few minutes. Thanks for the great question. If you try it please let us know how it turned out. Thanks so much!

      reply to this comment >

      • Tricia Buice says

        Hi Jennifer. Yes the soup freezes well but I would wait to add the gnocchi until after it’s thawed and reheated. If you’re using potatoes instead of gnocchi, just undercook the whole pot of soup a little, then freeze. Gnocchi doesn’t need to be cooked very long and it’s easy just to add later. Enjoy, this is one tremendous soup!

        reply to this comment >

  24. Terri Tomlinson says

    Just in case you’re looking for a real deal goulash recipe my mom’s friend was from Czechoslovakia, this is her version

    Two tomatoes chopped
    Two onions chopped
    One green pepper chopped
    One pound chicken breast or stew meat
    Sear meat in just a little bit of oil in a deep heavy bottomed pan, cook onion and green pepper with it until the onion begins to go a bit clear. Add the tomatoes and then add water just to cover. Add two tablespoons of paprika and half teaspoon of salt or to taste. Cook down covered on low heat stirring occasionally for about an hour and a half. Serve on fresh homemade spaetzle. I add sour cream when serving.

    reply to this comment >

    • Tricia Buice says

      Hi Sue – the recipe is at the end of the post, just before the box where you left this comment. Sorry if it’s hard to find. The recipe is always at the end of the post and it is beige in color. Thanks for signing up. Let me know if you don’t find it and I’ll email it to you.

      reply to this comment >

      • Sue says

        Tricia~ I found it!!! Thank you so much for your help!! I cannot wait to try this soup. I live in Florida, so I have to wait for cooler temps to make it. So glad that I found your web site! Thanks again!!

        reply to this comment >

  30. Susan says

    This looks incredibly delicious, Tricia! Especially with that Hungarian paprika brought home from Hungary! You’re right, I don’t use paprika often enough. This delightful soup would be a great way to break that habit 🙂

    reply to this comment >