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Palóc leves
Lamb and green bean soup
Palócleves: lamb soup with green beans, potatoes, caraway and sour cream
HungarianIn the 1890s a famous Budapest restaurateur created this soup in honour of the novelist Kálmán Mikszáth, who wrote about the Palóc people of the northern hills of Nógrád, and it became a classic of Hungarian menus. It sits halfway between soup and stew: tender lamb (or mutton) cooked with onion, paprika and caraway, then green beans and diced potato, all finished with sour cream and a handful of dill, so it is creamy, fresh and gently sour. Serve it as a full lunch with crusty bread. The usual slip is adding the beans and potatoes at the start, so they go to mush while the lamb is still tough; give the meat a head start. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of vinegar stirred in at the end lifts the sour cream and brightens the whole bowl.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 5
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless lamb shouldercut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 14 oz waxy potatoesdiced
- 10 ½ oz green beanscut into 3 cm pieces
- 7 oz sour cream
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 3 tbsp fresh dillchopped
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a large pot over a medium heat and fry the 1 onion for 6 minutes, until soft and golden.
6 minStep 2: Add the 1 ⅓ lb boneless lamb shoulder and stir for 5 minutes, until it has lost its raw colour on all sides.
5 minStep 3: Take the pot off the heat and stir in the 1 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika, 2 garlic cloves and 1 tsp caraway seeds, then add the 2 bay leaves, 1 ½ tsp salt and the 6 ¼ cups water.
2 minStep 4: Bring to a simmer, skim, cover and cook over a low heat for 40 minutes, until the lamb is nearly tender.
40 minStep 5: Add the 14 oz waxy potatoes and 10 ½ oz green beans and simmer for 15 minutes more, until both are tender and the lamb is soft enough to cut with a spoon.
15 minStep 6: Whisk the 7 oz sour cream with the 1 tbsp cornflour and a ladle of hot soup until smooth, then stir into the pot and heat for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Do not boil hard.
3 minStep 7: Stir in the 3 tbsp fresh dill and 1 tsp white wine vinegar, taste for salt and serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does palóc leves take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 5 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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