The genuine herdsman's soup Hungarians actually call gulyás - a brothy beef, paprika, and caraway soup with pinched egg-dough dumplings (csipetke), not the thick, gravy-like stew most non-Hungarian recipes serve under the goulash name (that thicker dish is properly called pörkölt).
1.Heat the lard or oil in a large pot and cook the onions over low heat until deeply softened and golden, about 15 minutes.
2.Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the paprika, caraway seeds, and garlic - taking the pot off the heat before adding the paprika keeps it from scorching and turning bitter.
3.Return the pot to the stove, add the beef, tomato, and bell pepper, and stir to coat.
4.Pour in the beef broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours until the beef is tender - keeping the pot covered so it stays brothy instead of reducing down is what makes this genuine gulyás soup rather than the thick stew most non-Hungarian recipes call goulash.
5.Add the potatoes and simmer for another 20-25 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, mix the flour, egg, and a pinch of salt into a stiff dough for the csipetke. Pinch off small, pea-sized pieces and drop them into the simmering soup for the final 8-10 minutes until they float and are cooked through.