Hungarian Hearty Cabbage Bean and Sausage Soup

🇭🇺 Hungarian Hearty Cabbage, Bean & Sausage Soup

🛒 Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 200 g (7 oz) smoked sausage (kielbasa or Hungarian sausage), sliced
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
• 1 small head cabbage, shredded
• 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 potato, diced
• 1.2 liters (5 cups) broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

Optional for serving:

• Sour cream
• Fresh parsley
• Crusty bread

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👩‍🍳 Instructions:

1. Sauté the base:
   Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic.
2. Cook the sausage:
   Add sliced sausage and cook for a few minutes until lightly browned.
3. Add paprika:
   Remove pot briefly from heat and stir in paprika (this prevents burning and keeps flavor rich).
4. Build the soup:
   Return to heat and add cabbage, carrot, potato, beans, bay leaf, and caraway seeds.
5. Simmer:
   Pour in broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes until vegetables are tender.
6. Season:
   Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve:
   Ladle into bowls and top with a spoon of sour cream and fresh parsley if desired.