Two Hungarian soups are among the world’s best – here are their recipes

A list of the 100 best soups in the world has been compiled by the travel and gastronomy site, TasteAtlas. Among them are two Hungarian soups. Read their recipes here!

Both Hungarian soups are in the top 30

Two traditional Hungarian dishes were included in the collection of the gastronomy site, and both made it to the top 30. The chicken soup (húsleves) was 27th, while the goulash was 18th. Japanese Tonkotsu ramen leads the list, ahead of Polish Zurek and Turkish lentil soup. Czech garlic soup, Thai Tom Yum, or Paraguayan Vori vori are also among the top 20.

Chicken soup (húsleves) recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg chicken
• 3 carrots
• 3 turnips
• 1 small kohlrabi
• 2 pieces of celery
• 1 large red onion
• 1 TV pepper
• 2 bunches of parsley
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 15 dkg snail pasta (as many handfuls as the number of people we serve)
• 3.5 l water (approx.)

Firstly, soak the meat for 1-2 hours. Following that, clean the vegetables, chop the meat and onions and add them to a 5-liter container. Dissolve with enough water to cover (approx. 3-4 l). First, turn the stove to high heat until the soup starts boiling, then reduce it to low heat and season with salt and pepper. Then cut the vegetables and wash them. If the soup has boiled off its foam, add the vegetables and the tied parsley into the pot. When the soup is cooked, remove the chicken’s leg once the skin starts to split from the cartilage and joints. Then turn off the stove and take out the vegetables and meat separately.

Goulash soup (Gulyás) recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fat
• 1 red onion
• 50 dkg pork leg
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoon red pepper
• 1 tsp seasoning
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsley root
• 1 slice of celery
• 1 pepper
• 1 tomato
• 1 handful of whole pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
• 30 dkg potatoes

To prepare the goulash soup, simmer the chopped red onion in the heated fat until glassy. Then add the diced, salted and peppered meat and fry until white. When it has turned white, sprinkle it with red pepper and seasoning, pour 0.5 dl of water over it, then stir and simmer for a few minutes. Then pour enough water to cover it well and cook the meat until semi-soft. When the meat is half-softened, add carrots, parsley, celery, paprika and tomatoes cut to taste, then pour a little more water over it. Add the whole peppers, cumin seeds and salt and continue to cook. When the meat is almost completely tender (after about 35 minutes), add the diced potatoes and cook the soup until it is completely ready in 10 minutes.

+ 1 bonus recipe: Meat-filled crepes from Hortobágy

Although it is not a soup, the meat-filled crepes from Hortobágy are a real Hungarian specialty. Read the recipe below if you would like to try it out.

Ingredients for 4 portions

• 80 dkg chicken breast fillet
• 3 heads of onion
• 1 tomato
• 30 dkg sour cream
• 1 strong green pepper salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
• a little oil
• 25 dkg fine flour
• 2 dl milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• a little oil

Chop the cleaned onion into small pieces. Then cut the meat, peppers and tomatoes into small dice and cubes. After that, braise the onion in a little oil. When it is softened, add the red pepper and the meat. After stirring well, season with salt and pepper, and fry it a little. Add the peppers and tomatoes to the pot, cover with 200-250 ml of water and simmer for 30-35 minutes. Stir the sour cream into the stew and wait until it gives a crackling sound. Finally, strain the stew, add a few tablespoons of gravy to the meat and mix thoroughly.

If you enjoyed these recipes, here are some more for you to try:

• RECIPE, VIDEO: Traditional Hungarian stuffed paprika
• RECIPE: traditional Hungarian kenyérlángos
• VIDEO: Pork with sauerkraut/Székelykáposzta recipe