Keto Pumpkin Beef Goulash with Paprika and Sour Cream

Preparation

1. Sear the meat

   · approx. 12 minutes

   Done	Amount	Icon	Ingredient
   Check off beef chuck for stew	800  g	🥩	beef chuck for stew from the shoulder or chuck rib, cut into 4 cm cubes
   Check off clarified butter	30  g	🧈	clarified butter approx. 2 tbsp, for searing
   Check off beef broth	500  ml	🥩	beef broth low-sodium, hot

   Pat the beef chuck (800 g) dry. Heat the clarified butter (30 g) in a heavy Dutch oven until very hot and sear the meat in three batches on all sides until deep brown. Remove and set aside.

2. Soften the onions

   · approx. 11 minutes

   Done	Amount	Icon	Ingredient
   Check off onion	80  g	🧅	onion 1 medium onion, finely diced
   Check off garlic cloves	2  cloves	🧄	garlic cloves finely chopped
   Check off tomato paste	20  g	🍅	tomato paste approx. 1 tbsp
   Check off sweet paprika	2  tsp	🫑	sweet paprika
   Check off smoked paprika	1  tsp	🫑	smoked paprika Pimentón de la Vera

   Reduce the heat, add the diced onion (80 g) and the chopped garlic cloves (2 cloves) to the pot and cook over medium heat until soft and golden brown. Add the tomato paste (20 g), the sweet paprika (2 tsp) and the smoked paprika (1 tsp) and toast for 30 seconds.

3. Deglaze and braise

   · approx. 90 minutes

   Done	Amount	Icon	Ingredient
   Check off caraway seeds	1  tsp	🌿	caraway seeds whole, lightly crushed in a mortar
   Check off bay leaves	2  pieces	🍽️	bay leaves
   Check off dried marjoram	2  g	🍽️	dried marjoram approx. 1 tsp
   Check off apple cider vinegar	15  ml	🍎	apple cider vinegar approx. 1 tbsp, for deglazing
   Check off salt	1  tsp	🧂	salt
   Check off pepper	0.5  tsp	🧂	pepper freshly ground

   Deglaze with the apple cider vinegar (15 ml) and the hot beef broth (500 ml) and return the meat to the pot. Add the caraway seeds (1 tsp), bay leaves (2 pieces), dried marjoram (2 g), salt (1 tsp) and pepper (1/2 tsp), bring to a boil once, then cover and braise over low heat.

4. Add the pumpkin

   · approx. 30 minutes

   Done	Amount	Icon	Ingredient
   Check off Hokkaido pumpkin	300  g	🎃	Hokkaido pumpkin unpeeled, cut into 3 cm cubes

   Add the unpeeled Hokkaido cubes (300 g) to the pot and continue braising, covered, until the meat falls apart and a knife slides into the pumpkin without resistance. If the sauce is too thin, let it reduce uncovered for the last 10 minutes.

5. Season and serve

   · approx. 3 minutes

   Done	Amount	Icon	Ingredient
   Check off sour cream	80  g	🥛	sour cream 24 % fat, for serving
   Check off parsley	10  g	🌿	parsley fresh, chopped, for serving

   Remove the bay leaves and season the goulash with salt and pepper. Ladle into deep plates, top each with a spoonful of sour cream (80 g in total) and sprinkle with the chopped parsley (10 g).

celebration You did it! Enjoy every delicious bite.

Why is this goulash keto-friendly?

A classic goulash with potatoes, boiled potatoes or noodles comes to 35 to 50 g of carbs per serving; the meat itself is practically carb-free. Here, Hokkaido pumpkin takes on the role of the filling side, but in a limited amount: the 300 g in the recipe are spread over four servings, so 75 g and roughly 3.4 g of usable carbs per person. The 80 g of onion contributes 1 g per serving, tomato paste 0.7 g, sour cream 0.6 g, and broth, garlic and spices about 1.3 g together. That puts a serving at around 7 g net carbs. That is reasonable for a keto dinner and fits into a daily plan of 20 to 50 g. With 41 g protein and 32 g fat per serving, the goulash is also one of the highest-protein dishes here - which is why a fatty cut such as beef shoulder or chuck rib pays off over lean stewing beef, and the sour cream is not a garnish but what tips the fat ratio in the keto direction. The sauce is thickened not with flour but with slowly braised onions and the collagen in the connective tissue, which turns into gelatin during braising. The nutrient values of the individual ingredients can be looked up in the German Nutrient Database (BLS).

Source: Max Rubner Institute – German Nutrient Database (BLS) , FDDB Nutrition Database

How do I serve and vary the pumpkin goulash?

Serve the goulash hot in deep plates with a spoonful of sour cream and chopped parsley; it needs no side dish, because the pumpkin takes the place of the potatoes. If you want more on the plate, add cauliflower mash or a green salad. In my experience, the decisive step is to really sear the meat in batches: if the pot is crowded, the meat boils in its own juices, stays gray and the sauce loses its depth. The second point is patience with the onions, which need to soften for at least 10 minutes before any liquid goes in. The Hokkaido cubes stay unpeeled and go into the pot only for the last half hour - any longer and they would fall apart. In October, small Hokkaido pumpkins with firm skin are cheap and easy to find everywhere.

Nutrition values

Note: Nutrition values are estimated averages per 100 g and per serving and may vary depending on ingredients, brands, portion size, and preparation. They do not replace individual nutrition or medical advice.

FAQ