Slovenian DInner Week 36: Bograč II, or Perfect Make Ahead Goulash Soup

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Bograč II (Slovenian Goulash Soup)
Cabbage-Beet Slaw
Cooked Greens
Crostini


I had made my first version of bograč, or Slovenian goulash soup, just four weeks earlier. Normally, I wouldn't be so quick to repeat a dish.  But that Week 32 Dinner had been a success and I had discovered that bograč could be made in advance. If anything, it had improved with reheating.

I needed a make-ahead dish today, because I had to go to my office in the afternoon, instead of working  from home.  So I started the goulash soup in the morning, cooked it for about an hour, and then refrigerated it.  When I returned home, I cooked it for another hour.

There are many approaches to making bograč.   So now I had the chance to experiment with a few variations.

Bograč II (Slovenian Goulash Soup, all beef, with some flavor additions)

The basic recipe is here.  This time, I made the following changes :

I used all beef stew meat, instead of half pork.
I used 2 peppers (1 green and 1 red) instead of just 1.
I added part of a small hot red pepper, minced.
I skipped the tomatoes. Instead,
I added 2/3 c. dried mushrooms, soaked and sliced, along with their liquid.

And this time, I remembered to add two important seasoning boosts:

1 t. fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 cup of red wine

For the verdict, scroll down.

preparing the vegetables

fresh rosemary from the garden

bograč, starting to cook

ready to serve!

So how did Bograč II compare to the first version?  I did like the seasoning additions. Next time, I might go back to using some tomatoes.   I do think the dish is better with two different kinds of meat.  And pork is more tender than beef, I am coming to realize, so I will probably go back to the beef-pork mix.

The bottom line is that you can't go wrong with bograč!