Hungarian Potato and Sausage Soup (or Paprikás krumpli) is a favorite peasant soup full of flavor and rich hearty ingredients that is a full meal in itself.
One secret of this sausage and potato soup is making sure that the sausage is smoked. Traditional Hungarian sausage, Kolbász can be substituted with Polish kielbasa, another smoked sausage flavored with paprika.
Another important ingredient is the Hungarian Paprika (sweet and optional hot). Most of us have a bit of paprika sitting in the spice rack that is there basically to give a little color. What you are looking for here is flavor, and an old jar of paprika isn’t going to deliver much. Most grocery stores stock quality paprika and it’s worth in investing for the most flavorful results.
There are those who enjoy some heat, and adding a bit of hot paprika is a personal preference. Univer Piros Arany is a common Hungarian hot paprika paste that packs a lot of of flavor and some heat. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a little spice.
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Another flavor option is to add some smoked paprika. The best advice is to try a little of each and decide which is your favorite. Also important as different brands pack a different level of spice and flavor, so start with a little and add until it’s perfect for you.
Serve it with slices of crusty bread and enjoy the creamy texture from the rich broth and sour cream, mingling with the spicy paprika and smoky favor of the sausage. It comes together very quickly and a perfect dish for any night of the week.
Here are some additional Eastern European recipes you might enjoy!
Hungarian Potato and Sausage Soup

Hungarian Potato and Sausage Soup with a rich broth thickened with sour cream and a deep flavor from the smoked sausage and paprika. A flavorful traditional soup perfect for weekday dinners.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) smoked Hungarian sausage (or kielbasa or mild Spanish Chorizo)
- 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 carrots
- 4 potatoes (such as red-skinned or russet)
- 5 cups (1.2 liters) vegetable or chicken stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) flour
- 2 teaspoons (4.6 g) sweet Hungarian Paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon (.25 g) hot Hungarian Paprika (optional)
- 1/2 cup (123 g) sour cream
- Univer Piros Arany (hot pepper paste - optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley, white vinegar, sour cream and hot sauce for garnishing
Instructions
- Cut the sausage into slices on the bias. Add to a frying pan with the onion and garlic and enough oil to prevent them from sticking to the pan. Cook over medium heat until the sausage browns (about 5 minutes per side). Set aside
- Peel the potato and carrot and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Add them to a soup pot with the stock and bay leaves. Bring the pot to a boil.
- Add the onions and sausage to the soup. After it returns to a boil reduce the pot to a simmer.
- Add the olive oil and flour to a pan and cook over medium heat for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Once it is cool, combine with 1/2 cup (118 ml) of liquid from the soup and add the sour cream and paprika.
- Return the mixture to the soup (slowly) and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender (about 12 minutes).
- Taste and season. Add hot pepper paste (such as Erös Pista or Univer Piros Arany - traditional Hungarian seasoning, or your favorite hot sauce or additional smoked paprika flavoring).
- Top with parsley and serve with sour cream and additional hot sauce on the side along with crusty bread.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 377Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 39mgSodium 693mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 13g
Nutritional values are estimates only
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Linn
Monday 30th of October 2017
Thanks for the recipe! We all really loved it. I used vegetarian sausage plus some additional chili fruit, and it still had a lovely rich flavour. (Doesnt beat the real chorizo we had on the side for us meateaters though haha) We didnt have any sour cream so I used fat yoghurt and a little cream, and it worked perfectly. Thanks again, we will surely revisit this recipe.
Jen
Monday 30th of October 2017
Using vegetarian sausage is a brilliant idea! I'll have to try it myself. Thanks for the comment and I'm thrilled you liked the recipe.