Fanni Forgács · 16/12/2023

· Special Hungary

Three must-try traditional Hungarian soups for Christmas season – RECIPE

If you’re looking for something delicious for the Christmas season, look no further. These traditional Hungarian soups are both yummy and nourishing. Don’t worry, preparing them is not as hard as it might seem!

The classic goulash

Goulash is one of the most famous Hungarian soups, which you’ve most likely savoured when visiting the country. Preparing this hearty brew may seem a tad bit time-consuming, but fear not – it’s a culinary challenge worth mastering. While the pot simmers away, why not check out the other two Hungarian delicacies?

Ingredients for the soup:

0.6 kg beef shank

0.3 kg red onion

2 large carrots

1 large white carrot

1 small celery

0.4 kg potatoes (peeled)

1 tbsp paprika (sweet)

0.5 tbsp hot paprika

1 tbsp salt

2 bay leaves

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 small tomato

1 pepper

3 gloves garlic

2 tbsp lard

Parsley

5 celery leaves

2.5 l water

Ingredients for the so-called Hungarian csipetke pasta:

1 egg

80 g flour

1 tsp salt

Preparation:

Cube the onions, rinse and cut the beef into 2 cm cubes.
Heat up the lard, sauté the onions, mix with paprika, add 150 ml water and cook until the lard melts away
Add the beef and cook it while stirring until it becomes white. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with cumin, add the crushed garlic, diced tomatoes, diced whole peppers and bay leaves.
Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 90 minutes.
Add the vegetables: diced carrots and white carrots, diced celery, potatoes, chopped parsley and celery greens. Add 2–2.5 l of water.
Cover and simmer for a further 50 minutes. Add the csipetke, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Watch the magic unfold:

Chicken soup

Some swear by chicken soup as the ultimate cure-all, from sniffles to hangovers. Picture it – a soul-soothing elixir on a crisp winter day, a staple of the quintessential Hungarian Sunday lunch. Here’s your ticket to mastering this golden nectar:

Ingredients:

1.2 kg of chicken (preferably home-grown)

1 medium onion

1 head of garlic

salt

8 peppercorns

0.5 large celery

1 medium kohlrabi

1 large white carrot

2 large carrots

1 bunch of parsley

4 l water

Preparation:

Cut the chicken, wash it, remove the heart, liver, egg and gizzard.
Pour 4 litres of cold water into a large saucepan, add the meat and bring to boil over a medium-high heat. Lower the heat, remove the foamy top with a sieve. Add the chopped onions and garlic, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and simmer for 1.5 hours.
Add celery, kohlrabi; cook for another 1.5 hours.
Check the meat – if it’s visibly tender, add the peeled carrots, cut into wedges and simmer for another hour. If you like gizzards and hearts in your soup, add them too.
Once the meat and vegetables are tender, add the parsley and the liver. Cook for another 10 mins.
Remove the vegetables and meat and place them in a separate bowl. Strain the soup and serve with small noodles, meat and vegetables.

Fish soup

Despite Hungary’s lack of sea, most locals are fond of freshwater fish. One of the best ways to prepare it is to make a rich steamy fish soup with multiple types of fish. Dive into the depths of Hungarian fish soup, a dish so cherished that towns like Szeged and Baja boast their unique twists. Here’s a timeless recipe for your Christmas feast:

0.7 kg perch

0.7 kg dwarf catfish (Hungarian grey catfish head)

0.7 kg carp (tail)

0.5 kg red onion

4 cloves of garlic

2 l water

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp hot paprika

0.5 kg dwarf catfish (Hungarian grey catfish fillet)

Preparation:

Combine perch, catfish, and carp in a large saucepan; add chopped onion, garlic and 2 litres of water.
Season, bring to a boil, sprinkle with paprika; cook for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle the catfish fillets with salt and set them aside.
When all cooked, strain the soup through a sieve, reboil it and cook for a further 8-10 minutes with the catfish fillets.
Serve it hot with fresh bread or small egg noodle pasta and hot peppers.