German · Authentic-ish German
Gulaschsuppe
347 kcal a serving, against 523 for the traditional version. That is 176 kcal off, or 34%, with 37.2g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours.
What the traditional version is
A rich, warming soup made by browning cubed beef, sweating a mountain of onions in generous oil or lard, and simmering both with paprika, caraway, garlic, potatoes and bell peppers. Sometimes sausages get chucked in. It's finished with a dollop of soured cream and often mopped up with bread.
What changed, and what each change costs
600g beef-braising to 700g beef-skirt
Beef skirt is the first swap: leaner, more protein per gram, and still flavoursome if you cook it low and slow. Upping it to 700g means you get a proper chunk of meat in every spoonful, not just a lucky dip.
What it costs you. Skirt is lean but a bit tougher if rushed. Let it cook long enough and it's fine, but don't expect instant melting tenderness.
40g oil-veg to 5g olive-oil
Most of the original fat comes from frying off the onions. Drop almost all the oil and sweat the onions on a low heat with just a dab of olive oil and a splash of water. Still develops sweetness, dodges 350 calories.
What it costs you. Loses some richness - you get a clean, clear broth rather than that clingy, glossy texture. If anyone complains, hand them a bread roll and let them dunk it.
150g soured-cream to 250g yoghurt-greek-0
Full-fat soured cream is lovely, but you can easily use 0% Greek yoghurt, which is high in protein and a quarter of the calories. Plus, it thickens the soup almost as well.
What it costs you. Yoghurt is tangier and not quite as thick. If you close your eyes, it's almost the same, but let's not kid ourselves.
300g white bread to nothing
Bread soaks up the soup but brings a wallop of starch and gluten. Dropping it means the soup becomes the meal, not the sauce for someone's late-night sandwich.
What it costs you. You will miss mopping up the bottom of your bowl. That's the price for staying awake after lunch.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 523 | 347 |
| Protein | 34.6g | 37.2g |
| Fat | 18.6g | 9.5g |
| Saturated fat | 5.6g | 3.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 55.6g | 29.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.6g | 10.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish German prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This isn't quite the cauldron of comfort you'd get after a night in Munich, but it's a proper meal. You've doubled the beef and lost two thirds of the fat, which means there's enough going on that no one will call it watery. Bread is out, but honesty is in: the soup is no substitute for a proper beer hall blowout, but your body might actually thank you afterwards.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish German, along with 54 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.