Chicken Soup with Paprika
It’s been about three months since I moved to Prague from Canada, and although the food is good, nothing beats home.
The heat wave that was moving through Prague has finally passed, and the cloudy, rainy days have set in. Fall has finally hit and I need some comfort food to ease my homesickness. To me, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of my Mama’s soup. This recipe is a perfect example of the magic of Hungarian cooking – transforming some of the simplest and most basic ingredients into something insanely delicious.
Ingredients
Chicken Soup with Paprika
1kg chicken (legs & breasts)
500 g green peas
mixed vegetables (4-6 big carrots, ½ celery root, 1 large potato)
1 large finely chopped yellow onion
1 head of garlic (halved)
3 tbs sunflower oil
salt & peppercorns to taste
2 tbs sweet paprika
parsley, a bunch
spring onions, to taste
1 L chicken broth
METHOD
01 PREPARTION
Thoroughly clean the chicken, finely chop the yellow onion, and dice the vegetables into cubes (skins peeled). Once these are prepped, heat the cooking oil until hot and then add the yellow onions into your pot.
02 COOK THE ONIONS
Cook the onions until they are glassy, then add the diced vegetables and cook these together for about 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat. Next, measure out ~200 ml of broth and pour the paprika into it.
03 MAKE YOUR BROTH
Stir this mixture so that the paprika doesn’t clump, then add it into your pot along with the remaining broth. Add the salt, pepper, meat, parsley, green onions and garlic.
Turn the heat down to a simmer, close your lid, and let it cook for about an hour (don’t lift the lid – I know it’s tempting!). Once an hour has gone by, give the soup a taste & add more salt and pepper if you need it.
04 SERVE & ENJOY!
Then, add your green peas a few minutes before serving so the stay a bright green colour.
Now, get yourself a bowl & ENJOY!
Autumn Green Bean Soup
It’s been about two months since I moved to Prague from Canada, and although the food is good, nothing beats home. The heat wave that was moving through the city has finally passed and the cloudy, rainy days have finally set in. Fall feels like it’s just around the corner and I need some comfort food to ease my homesickness.
To me, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of my Mama’s soup. This recipe is a perfect example of the magic of Hungarian cooking – making some of the simplest and most basic ingredients into something far more special.
Ingredients
Autumn Green Bean Soup
2 tbs (30 ml) sunflower oil (or lard)
3-4 cups (450-600 g) green wax beans, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of crushed garlic
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into disks
7.5 cups (~1.5 L) chicken broth
sour cream, to taste
1 tsp (3 g) corn flour
1 tsp (3 g) sweet paprika
salt, to taste
1 bay leaf
7-10 peppercorns
fresh parsley & dill
METHOD
01 PREPARATION
First, wash and slice the green beans into 1-2 inch pieces, finely chop the onions, slice the carrots, cube the potatoes, and crush the garlic.
02 COOK YOUR ONIONS
Add about 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil (or lard) into your cooking pot, then add your onions. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes, then add your crushed garlic. Do this until they’re soft and glassy.
03 MAKE YOUR BROTH
Take your pot off the heat and stir in about 200 ml of chicken broth mixed with a teaspoonful of paprika powder (to prevent clumping). Then, add your vegetables, some chopped parsley & dill, and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes (stirring occasionally).
Pour in the remaining broth, add some salt and pepper to taste, drop in your bay leaf, and cook on low heat until the vegetables are soft (keep the lid on the whole time).
04 ADD SOME SOUR CREAM
Evenly combine a teaspoon of corn flour with your sour cream. Then add and mix some of the soup’s liquid into it to even out the temperature. Add this mixture into the soup and let it simmer until the soup thickens a bit.
05 SERVE & ENJOY!
Then, serve it with fresh crusty bread & butter.