Gram's Goulash Soup

INGREDIENTS
2lb beef stew meat
2-3 medium yellow onions
7 average sized white potatoes
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2-3 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
8-10 cups of water
1/2-2 tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Cube beef into 1 inch pieces
Peel and slice onions into thin rounds.
Heat large pan over high heat, at 1 TB oil, swirl to goat, add onions to hot oil, cook until lightly browned. Remove onions to soup pot
Add another 1 TB oil, when oil hot add half of beef. Brown beef for about 5 minutes. Add 1-1 1/2 TB paprika and fry the paprika for about 1 minute.
Remove beef to soup pot, scraping up paprika bits.
Heat final TB of oil, when hot, add second batch of beef , brown, add rest of paprika and cayenne pepper, fry an extra minute, remove to soup pot.
Add 8-10 cups of water to soup pot. (pour some water into frying pan to get the bits)
Add bay leaves.
Bring soup to a simmer, simmer for one hour.
Add peeled and cut potatoes to soup, along with salt and pepper.
Raise heat to medium and cook for another 45 minutes

Yield 12 bowls.
Penzey's fall 2011 catalog