Hungarian Archives - Hungarian Eats

March 16, 2022

Traditional Hungarian Gulyás (Goulash) Soup with Homemade Noodles

Hungarian gulyás (GOO-yash) or goulash soup is one of the most traditional and loved meals in Hungary. However, this hearty soup with home made noodles is not the same dish that people around the world call goulash! While goulash is a delicious beef stew without …

Soups

by Kata

Superb savoy cabbage stew with caraway seeds

January 18, 2022

Comforting easy carrot ragout

This delicious creamy carrot ragout (in Hungarian – “sárgarépa főzelék”) has all you need for a fast, easy and comforting vegetarian dish.

Carrots are the perfect winter superfood with multiple health benefits. They are awesome either fresh or cooked, and available all year long. Did you know that by steaming carrots instead of boiling them, they keep more of their beneficial nutrients?

“Főzelék” is a special meal category in Hungarian cuisine, and actually it does not even have an English translation. It is a kind of vegetable ragout, thicker than a soup, and a bit thinner than a stew. Almost every vegetable has its own “főzelék”. They are usually served as a main dish, or on the side of a protein course. My mother always made us many different varieties of főzelék in my childhood, and so I make this for my kids and family.

Comforting easy carrot ragout

2 lb carrots

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

½-1 cup water

⅓ cup parsley

½-1 tbsp salt

Wash, peel and cut the carrots into rounds or half moons depending on the size of the carrots.

Melt the butter in a medium pot, and add the chopped carrots, half the amount of parsley, and ½ tbsp salt . Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the carrots are fork tender.

Stir it occasionally, and add a bit of water if necessary.

Mix the flour, milk and ½ cup cold water. Add the flour mix and the remaining parsley to the carrots and stir. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until it thickens. Add a bit more water if the stew is too thick – it should have the consistency of a thick clam chowder. Add salt if needed and adjust the flavour to your liking.

Serve it as it is, or with eggs, a slice of meatloaf, wieners, or any protein you like – and don’t forget the fresh bread!

You might like these veggie stew recipes too!

Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient

Creamy spaghetti squash with dill

Decadent And Oh So Simple Hungarian Donut Treats

Course Desserts

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword apricot preserves, donut, doughnut, farsangi fánk, Hungarian

Prep Time 15

Total Time 2

Servings 6

Ingredients

4 cups flour 500g
1-1¼ cups milk, lukewarm (about 105 °F – 40 °C)
4 egg yolks
½ cup butter melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
2¼ tsp active dry yeast 1 package
1-1½ tsp lemon zest zest of half a lemon
¼ tsp vanilla extract
few drops rum or rum aroma optional
4-6 cups canola or vegetable oil for frying
icing sugar for serving

Instructions

Place the yeast and 1 tsp sugar into a small bowl, and add ¼ cup lukewarm milk. Stir, cover and set aside for about 10-15 minutes.
Using a standing mixer with the dough attachment mix the flour and the rest of the sugar. Add the yolks, the yeast-milk mixture, the melted butter, the lemon zest, the vanilla extract, a few drops of rum/rum aroma, and add the milk gradually until the flour mix forms a soft dough. The dough is good when it separates from the wall of the mixing bowl.
Form a ball, lightly flour the bottom of the bowl, and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and put it in a warm place (I preheat my oven to 200 °F/90-95 °C for 1-2 minutes, then turn it off) for about 45-60 minutes, until it doubles the size.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to about ½ inch (1-1.5 cm). Cut out the doughnuts, and place them on parchment paper lined or lightly floured baking sheets.
Cover them with a kitchen towel, and let them rest in a warm place for another 20 minutes.
In a large heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven heat the oil (fill to about 1-2 inches deep). Fry the doughnuts until golden – about 1-2 minutes each side – on medium low heat, about 3-4 at once in the skillet. I usually cover the skillet for about a minute right after placing in the doughnuts, then uncover and continue to fry without it. I use long metal tongs for frying.
Once they are golden on both sides place doughnuts vertically beside each other in a paper towel lined large dish.
Sprinkle with icing sugar, and serve warm with some apricot preserves, plum butter, or any other kind of fruit spread. Bon appétit!

Notes

If you wish to make donuts with holes in the middle:

•Before placing them into the oil, push down the middle of each donut, then fry them with the holes facing down first

•Place some apricot preserves in the holes when serving

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by Kata

December 11, 2021

Unbeatable Hungarian beef stew recipe

This classic Hungarian beef stew recipe is simple to make, it only needs a few everyday ingredients, and no matter when or for how many, it is going to be a hit and an all time favourite. But wait a single second – is this …

by Kata

October 8, 2021

Easy Hungarian egg dumpling recipe (nokedli)

Nokedli, these delectable Hungarian egg noodles or dumplings make the perfect side dish. They need only a few everyday ingredients and are easy and super fast to make. These little dumplings (we call them nokedli or galushka) are very similar to the German spaetzle. They …

Side dishes

by Kata

August 13, 2021

Refreshing Hungarian cucumber salad recipe

Hungarian cucumber salad is an extremely refreshing side-dish, which usually accompanies traditional main courses like chicken paprikash. It is served along with the main course and not before. In Hungary many meals with meat (or meat substitutes) are served with some pickles and/or a vinegary salad on the side. These acidic salads and pickles provide a nice balance to the meal, and also help digestion.

This cucumber salad is one of the classic Hungarian vinegary salads. It is easy to make, it needs only a few everyday ingredients, and of course, it is super delicious and refreshing. Every family has its best salad recipe. It could be made or served with or without a dollop of sour cream, fresh dill, onion, tomatoes, it is really up to you. We love this light and easy version that I am sharing with you here. I make this recipe with English cucumbers throughout the year, except late summer when I can find larger field or slicer cucumbers. These cucumbers look shorter and thicker than the English ones, and tend to have more seeds and thicker skins. As cucumbers are among the “dirty dozen” which means they contain more pesticide residue than other produce, try to get organic cucumbers whenever you can.

You can serve the salad right after mixing the brine with the cucumbers, but I highly recommend serving it after letting it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

I dedicate this post to the memory of Marika, who loved this salad.

Hungarian cucumber salad

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt – mostly to prepare cucumbers

1.5 cups water

3 tbsp white vinegar – 5%

2 tsp powdered (icing) sugar

1 pinch red paprika powder

1 pinch ground black pepper

sour cream for serving – optional

Method

Wash and peel the cucumbers, discard the ends, and slice into very thin slices with a mandolin.

Place the cucumbers into a bowl, add the salt, and mix. Cover and put it aside for about 30 min.

In the meantime mix the water, minced garlic, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add the sugar gradually. The brine is not going to be sweet, it is just reducing the acidic flavor of the vinegar. Add more vinegar and/or sugar if you like. Add a pinch of red paprika and ground pepper.

After 30 minutes the salted cucumber will give off liquid. Remove the sliced cucumbers one handful at a time and gently squeeze out any extra liquid (you may wear single-use gloves, or squeeze with a large spoon). Discard the liquid.

Add the vinegar mix to the cucumbers, stir, cover, and put it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with some red paprika, ground black pepper, and serve the cucumbers with some juice in small salad bowls on the side with the main dish. Enjoy!

Hungarian cucumber salad

Course Salad

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword cucumber, garlic, vinegar

Prep Time 15

Resting Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt – mostly to prepare cucumbers
1.5 cups water
3 tbsp white vinegar – 5%
2 tsp powdered (icing) sugar
1 pinch red paprika powder
1 pinch ground black pepper
sour cream for serving – optional

Instructions

Wash and peel the cucumbers, discard the ends, and slice into very thin slices with a mandolin.
Place the cucumbers into a bowl, add the salt, and mix. Cover and put it aside for about 30 min.
In the meantime mix the water, minced garlic and the vinegar in a small bowl. Add the sugar gradually. The brine is not going to be sweet, it is just reducing the acidic flavour of the vinegar. Add more vinegar and sugar if you like. Add a pinch of red paprika and ground pepper.
After 30 minutes the salted cucumber will give off liquid. Remove the sliced cucumbers one handful at a time and gently squeeze out any extra liquid (you may wear gloves, or squeeze with a large spoon). Discard the liquid.
Add the vinegar mix to the cucumbers, stir, cover, and put it into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle the top with some red paprika and ground black pepper, and serve the cucumbers and some juice in small salad bowls on the side with a main dish. Enjoy!

Notes

The salad could be served right away, but the best is to serve it chilled.
You can add some green or red onions cut into small pieces, some thinly sliced tomatoes as well.
Try the chilled juice! It is extremely refreshing on a hot summer day.
You can put some sour cream on the table when serving, for those who like adding some to their salad.
The salad is served usually along with a main dish, like chicken paprikash, but it is just delicious by itself too, you will see. There is a high chance, that it is going to “disappear” from the salad bowls, if it is served earlier than the main course.
Field or slicer cucumbers are in season in Ontario and Quebec late summer – they are an awesome option for this salad. They tend to have bigger seeds, and thicker skin.

Leave a comment on the recipe page! Did you try this recipe? Let me and others know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.

Pinterest – You can find us on Pinterest too, if you would like to pin the recipe pics!

Salads&pickles

by Kata

June 16, 2021

Light and easy chicken paprikash

Have you been craving a delicious Hungarian chicken paprikash, but you don’t want a heavy stew with flour, sour cream and chicken skin? Do not look any further, this chicken stew is your recipe! It is so easy to make, uses a few everyday ingredients, …

by Kata

May 11, 2021

Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient

We love lentils period! They are healthy & crazily delicious. Dried lentils can be stored for a very long time, once cooked they can be refrigerated for up to a week in an airtight container, or they could be frozen for up to six months. …

by Kata

Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient

April 27, 2021

Superb savoy cabbage stew with caraway seeds

This savoy cabbage stew recipe is an old time favourite in our family. It only needs every day ingredients, easy to prepare and fast to make.

Savoy cabbage has dark green, wrinkly leaves and a round head. It is delicious raw or cooked. It keeps fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks. Always choose a savoy cabbage that is compact, heavy for its size, and well coloured.

This stew makes a perfect lunch or dinner on a busy day. Either serve it as it is, or with some sunny side up or hard boiled eggs, for non vegetarians with some boiled frankfurters, and with a few slices of fresh bread. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. Enjoy!

Savoy cabbage stew

1 head savoy cabbage

3-4 medium potatoes

3 cloves garlic

½ tsp ground turmeric

¼ tsp ground marjoram

¼ tsp ground caraway seeds

1-1½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

¼ tsp ground sweet paprika

4 tbsp canola oil

5 tbsp flour

2 L water

Prepare the cabbage: wash, remove outer wilted leaves, remove stem and core, and cut the cabbage into about 1cm strips

Cut the potatoes into 2cm (3/4″) cubes, mince the garlic

Place the savoy cabbage strips, potatoes, garlic, turmeric, marjoram, caraway seeds, salt, pepper into a large pot, and add the water

Bring it to a boil, then simmer covered for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and the savoy cabbage are tender.

In the meantime prepare the roux: heat the oil in a small pot on medium heat, add the flour. Lower the heat and keep stirring it for a few minutes until the oil flour mix is getting bubbly and gets a bit whiter in colour. Remove the roux from the heat, add the sweet paprika, and mix it together.

Add the roux to the cabbage potato mix, stir it, and cook the stew for another 3-4 minutes until it thickens.

You might like these vegetarian recipes too!

Easy and quick leek soup

Hungarian cauliflower soup

Superb savoy cabbage stew with caraway seeds

Course Main Course, stews

Cuisine Hungarian

Keyword Hungarian, savoy cabbage, stew, vegetable stew

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings 6

Author Hungarian Eats

Ingredients

1 head savoy cabbage
3-4 medium potatoes
3 cloves garlic
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground marjoram
¼ tsp ground caraway seeds
1-1½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
¼ tsp ground sweet paprika
4 tbsp canola oil
5 tbsp flour
2 L water

Instructions

Prepare the cabbage: wash, remove outer wilted leaves, remove stem and core
Cut the cabbage into about 1cm strips
Cut the potatoes into cubes into 2 cm (¾"), mince the garlic
Place the savoy cabbage strips, potatoes, garlic, turmeric, marjoram, caraway seeds, salt, pepper into a large pot, and add the water
Bring it to boil, then let it simmer covered for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and the savoy cabbage are tender.
In the meantime prepare the roux: heat the oil in a small pot on medium heat, add the flour. Lower the heat and keep stirring it for a few minutes until the oil flour mix is getting bubbly and gets a whiter colour. Remove the roux from the heat, add the sweet paprika, and mix it together.
Add the roux to the cabbage potato mix, stir it, and cook the stew for another 3-4 minutes until it thickens.

Leave a comment on the recipe page! Did you try this recipe? Let me and others know how you liked it by leaving a comment below.

Pinterest – You can find us on Pinterest too, if you would like to pin the recipe pics!

by Kata