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Köménymagos leves
Köménymagos leves: Hungarian caraway roux soup with toasted bread cubes and a ribbon of egg
Köménymagos leves was the breakfast of Hungarian peasants and soldiers long before coffee arrived, and it is still made in villages on cold mornings and as a soothing soup after a big night. A dark roux of flour and fat is cooked with plenty of caraway and a touch of paprika, thinned with water and finished with beaten egg and crisp bread cubes. The common mistake is not browning the roux enough: pale roux gives a floury, grey soup, so keep stirring until it is the colour of hazelnuts. Chef's tip: add the paprika off the heat, just before the water, because paprika burns in seconds in hot fat and turns bitter.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 oz butteror sunflower oil
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 5 cups waterhot
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 slices day-old white breadcut into 1 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Melt 1 oz butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in 3 tbsp plain flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 5–6 minutes until the roux is an even hazelnut brown.
6 minStep 2: Add 2 tsp caraway seeds and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Take the pan off the heat and stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika.
1 minStep 3: Pour in 5 cups water a little at a time, whisking so no lumps form. Add 1 tsp salt, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Meanwhile, fry 2 slices day-old white bread in 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden.
5 minStep 5: Pour 1 egg into the gently simmering soup in a thin stream while stirring, so it sets into soft ribbons. Simmer for 1 minute more, until the egg is fully cooked.
1 minStep 6: Ladle into bowls and scatter the bread cubes on top just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does köménymagos leves take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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