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Hungarian potato soup with sausage and sour cream
Hungarian potato soup with sausage is an easy soup to make, and its flavor is unique. It has been a favorite in my family for many generations, full of flavor with a rich hearty broth thickened with sour cream. The deep smoky flavor comes from the sausage which makes the potato soup super delicious. This Hungarian potato soup with sausage is perfect for warming up to on a cold day.
It is just some potatoes cooked in water with sausage and bay leaves. The bay leaves are an important flavor ingredient. Do not omit them. In the end you stir in a light roux with some paprika powder and sour cream and the potato soup is done. Easy, 30 minute meal, perfect dinner for busy weekdays.
What kind of sausage to use in the potato soup?
Dried or smoked sausage (száraz kolbász, füstölt kolbász): It is ready to eat, no need to cook it. You can have it with bread and butter and make sausage bites for breakfast and dinner, or make it as a sandwich and place the sausage between 2 slices of bread. This sausage can also be used in a variety of different Hungarian soups and main dishes (potato soup, lecsó, layered potatoes, bean soup, potato paprika). It is close to the Spanish chorizo in taste and look.
If you want to learn more about sausages, CLICK HERE!
What is the best paprika to use?
Use sweet paprika powder that has a rich red color. I never use smoked or spicy paprika in this dish. We add the sausage to get the smoky flavor, and you can make your dish spicy after you serve, you add as much heat to the dish as you want. I love to mix in some Erős Pista (Hungarian chili paste), adds such a bold, spicy kick to the dish or sprinkle with some fresh hot peppers.
Pride of Szeged
Hungarian sweet paprika
from Amazon
Hungarian Chili Paste
to make your dish spicy
when you serve
Hungarian potato soup with sausage and sour cream
Equipment
- Soup pot
- Chef's knife
- Peeler
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Saucepan
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes peeled, cut into small cubes
- 3.5 ounces smoked paprika sausage sliced, chorizzo style
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sweet red paprika powder
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil (sunflower, canola)
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a soup pot heat a little oil and lightly brown the sliced sausage. When the sausages lightly browned and rendered of fat, add the cubed potatoes, the bay leaves, salt and 5 cups of water and cover. Keep boiling until potatoes are well cooked (but not too cooked).
- Roux (to thicken your soup): Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan; add 2 tablespoons of flour, stirring constantly. You need just enough oil to make the consistency of your roux not too thick and not too thin. It should spread out in your pan and bubble a little.
- After 2-3 minutes of searing, when it starts to brown, take it off the heat, allow to cool and add 1 teaspoon of red paprika powder. Cooking tip: do not burn the paprika, otherwise it will become bitter.
- Add 2 tablespoons of sour cream. and mix in.
- Now add some water (1/4 cup) or soup broth to the roux to thin it. Pour this mixture back to your soup pot and bring the soup back to a boil.
- You can serve it with or without sour cream.
- Enjoy!
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You did no indicate where to add the 3.5 oz of smoked paprika. Even adding extra red paprika and a table spoon of butter still pretty tasteless. Seems like there are some missing elements to the recipe.
Dear Pat,
Thanks for your note. The recipe calls for 3,5 oz of smoked paprika sausage. You need only 1 teaspoon of paprika powder.
Use vegetable oil or lard instead of butter.
Did you add the sausage to the soup? This is how you start the recipe.
Thanks,
Agnes
This is lovely – my nagymama made this on cold Sunday afternoons with lángos (warmed sour cream/no cheese). It have to order kolbasz for mail delivery as I can’t get it locally but I think it is time!
Thank you! I love looking through your recipes as they are very similar to what I grew up eating ❤️❤️
Hello Tracy, That sounds absolutely wonderful! There’s nothing like the comforting flavors of nagymama’s cooking, especially on a cold Sunday afternoon.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes and that they bring back such warm memories. Happy cooking, and enjoy every bite! ❤️❤️
This was FANTASTIC! Honestly this was so good I shocked myself. I had the best of the best Paprika and quality sausage which I’m sure made all the difference, but it was ever so tasty. I used Chicken Stock in the water I added however which was 1 Litre, along with an extra teaspoon of Paprika to the soup pot as well as the roux.