👨‍🍳 Instructions
1. Start the base
In a large pot, heat lard over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in garlic, then paprika, and quickly add a ladle of stock to prevent the paprika from burning.
2. Add the meats
Stir in smoked sausage and smoked ham. Sauté for 2–3 minutes so they release their smoky aroma.
3. Build the soup
Add sauerkraut, potatoes, carrots, parsnip, bay leaves, peppercorns, and caraway seeds. Pour in the remaining stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes until vegetables are tender.
4. Make the sour cream roux
In a small bowl, mix sour cream with flour until smooth. Temper it by adding a ladle of hot soup to the mixture, whisking constantly. Then stir the mixture back into the pot. Simmer gently for another 5 minutes (don’t boil after adding sour cream).
5. Taste & serve
Adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread.
đź“ť Hungarian kitchen tips:
- Some cooks add a splash of white wine or brine from the sauerkraut for extra tang.
- This soup tastes even better the next day after flavors meld.
- It’s often enjoyed with a shot of pálinka — purely for “medicinal” purposes, of course.
If you’d like, I can also give you the New Year’s Hungarian feast lineup — Korhelyleves served with töltött káposzta and poppy seed rolls — the traditional hangover-curing trio. Would you like me to prepare that?