hungarian lentil soup

My friends are always a little hesitant to cook for me, maybe because I am a professional chef, but if they do, I’m usually forever grateful, because – let’s face it- I cook 24/7 and it’s nice to just be eating for a change.

My friend Rob recommended a tiny Hungarian shop in Wimbeldon to me and threw himself into going shopping all over London with me, which is always a little annoying, because I’m easy to excite and food is definitely very exciting to me. He made this Hungarian lentil soup for me once before, but it didn’t agree with my stomach, simply because of the sausage and garlic to soup ratio. I’ve recreated it at home and although I bet that it wouldn’t be considered authentic by actual Hungarians, it is definitely a tasty soup, that always brings a smile to my face. It warms your heart and belly even on days where it’s cloudy and you can’t see any sunshine. I’m convinced there are about 333 versions of that particular soup on the internet, but this is my version and I loved it.

For my take on this green lentil soup you will need: 250 g of green lentils, half a Hungarian sausage (mine says “Csípős kolbász”, which according to Google means “spicy sausage”), a small piece of celery, a carrot, two potatoes, three cloves of garlic, an onion, a large tablespoon of paprika, a small chilli, salt, pepper, vegetable oil and a spoon of flour – or if you want to keep it gluten free a spoon of cornflour.

First you wash the lentils with cold water and let them soak for twenty minutes, then you cut all the vegetables into small cubes and fry them in a bit of vegetable oil. Afterwards you cut the sausage into chunks (I chose very small chunks, simply because it is easier to digest) and add it to your mire poix. Drain your lentils and add them to the pot. Add enough water to cover it all and let it boil for roughly 20 minutes on a low heat. Add water accordingly. Stir the paprika and the flour into a bit of hot oil and let that brown for a bit, as if you’re making a bechamel sauce. Add some water to it and put the mixture into your soup to thicken it. Season your soup with salt, pepper and a bit more paprika and serve it with a nice bread on the side.

Again, I’m not Hungarian, I’m German, so this recipe is hopefully not insulting anyones Great Aunt or late grandmother, but I always enjoy learning new things, as you never know when you might need them. I’m going to add the link to the Hungarian shop, but everything was paid by me and I am not taking responsibility for the contents of third party links.