Hungarian Potato and Sausage Soup

There’s nothing better than a hearty soup to chase away the chill of a cool autumn day. This soup is the perfect fall comfort food. The savory flavor from smoked sausage and the earthy sweetness from onions and cabbage are balanced perfectly with a splash of vinegar and a bit of sour cream, all brought together by soft and tender potatoes--the only way this gets better is serving it with a nice hunk of buttered, crusty bread.

Ingredients

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  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 6 ounces smoked Hungarian sausage, sliced into rounds

  • 1 yellow onion, diced

  • 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 5 cups chicken broth, or more to taste

  • 2 cups chopped green cabbage

  • 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

  • ½ cup sour cream, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons sliced green onion, or to taste (Optional)

Directions

  • Step 1

    Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook and stir until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage to a bowl, leaving behind any butter in the pot.

  • Step 2

    Toss onion into the pot with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until onion just starts to turn translucent and picks up a brown color from the meat juices in the pan, 4 to 5 minutes. Add flour; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and paprika; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the paprika.

  • Step 3

    Stir in 5 cups chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally so flour does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Stir in cabbage and cook until it just loses its stiffness, about 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes and bring back to a simmer. Add black pepper, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf, plus a splash of chicken broth if desired. Bring back to a simmer.

  • Step 4

    Stir soup and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very soft and tender, about 30 minutes. Add sausage and vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt.

  • Step 5

    Remove from heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with sour cream, green onions, and cayenne pepper.