Welcome to The Storied Recipe! My podcast guest, Dora Hurley shared this simple, easy Hungarian 5 Ingredient Potato Soup Without Milk. For years, every Friday her grandmother made her this meal, which served both religious and practical purposes. Listen to her episode, A Hungarian Friday Meal while you make this super simple 5 Ingredient Potato Soup!
![rustic old fashioned table with cozy simple golden 5 ingredient potato soup](https://i0.wp.com/thestoriedrecipe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Potato-Soup-Recipe-no-dairy-2.jpg?resize=720%2C1079&ssl=1)
My podcast guest, Dora Hurley, enjoyed her grandmother's Hungarian Chunky Potato Soup recipe without milk every Friday evening. As Dora explains in her episode, her strictly Catholic grandmother never ate meat on Fridays to recognize and remember that Jesus died on a Friday.
This delicious, super easy soup, which can come together in 15-20 minutes, had a practical advantage for Dora's grandmother as well. In a time and place where food shopping only occurred at a pop-up market once a week, a "Friday meal" had to use only the most basic of ingredients.
A non-dairy potato soup recipe still delicious thanks to bay leaf, onion, and classic Hungarian spice - paprika.
Another element to Friday's meal - Poppy Seed Bread Pudding, Mákos Guba. Enjoy!
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Listen to Dora's Story
Dora shares how her grandmother made her the very center of her world, despite working two jobs. As her grandmother grew up in poverty, she loved Dora every day by providing her with wholesome and delicious food.
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Just 5 Simple Ingredients
Potatoes - Most potato soup recipes call for waxy potatoes, like red potatoes or yellow potatoes as they hold their shape well in soups and stews. Personally, I don't mind using yukon gold potatoes. It is true that the Yukon golds break down, but I like how the blended potatoes thicken the soup. I don't prefer Russet potatoes, which are preferable for baking.
*Tip* - I don't worry about peeling potatoes for soup, as long as they are thin-skinned potatoes. A lot of nutrition is in the skin!
Bay Leaf and Onion - Simmering the potatoes in water with bay leaf and onion will flavor the broth and the potatoes as well.
Flour and Oil - You'll use flour and oil to make a simple roux (paste) to thicken the soup.
Flavorings and Garnishes:
Paprika - This is the most Hungarian of all the spices. Add 1/4 teaspoon to start and more if you like it.
Salt and pepper - Of course.
Sour cream - This is almost as Hungarian as paprika! This is a milk-free potato soup recipe, but obviously, if you add sour cream it will no longer remain dairy-free or vegan. If you prefer, you can always use sour cream - or skip it altogether.
Green onions, chives, and dill - all of these are common in loaded baked potato soup, but uncommon in Hungarian soup. Certainly, feel free to add them if you'd like.
Crispy Bacon - Again, this is more of a common American topping for loaded baked potato soup.
Cheese - Same as above.
Nutritional Yeast - Again, if you prefer to keep this soup dairy-free and vegan, nutritional yeast is a good option for cheese.
Substitutions and Variations
Heartier flavor: You can always replace some or part of the water with vegetable broth or chicken broth
Creamier soup - Before serving, add a bit of half and half or heavy cream.
Creamy vegan potato soup: Use any non-dairy milk like almond milk, oat milk, or cashew cream
Instructions
- Cook diced potatoes, onions, and bay leaf in water.
- Make a roux from flour and oil and slowly stir into the soup.
- Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garnish with your favorite toppings.
How to Make In a Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
Follow all the directions in the recipe except cook in the crock pot on low for 2 hours.
How to Thicken Potato Soup
- Use the roux as described in the recipe.
- For gluten-free soup, use chickpea flour to make the roux
- Another option for gluten-free soup: Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with water until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the hot soup broth and mix until smooth again. Add to the soup.
- Mash about 1/3 of the potatoes using a potato masher.
Equipment
- Enameled Dutch oven
- Large saucepan or large saucepot
- Potato masher
- Rustic soup bowls
Storage
- It's possible to freeze up to 3 months in freezer bags. This will take up very little space in your freezer if you freeze it flat. However, the potatoes will definitely break down and become watery when you defrost the soup. You may need to re-thicken it using any of the methods above.
- It's better to make and serve this soup fresh.
- This traditional potato soup can last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Related
Try this simple dessert, which was the second half of Dora's Hungarian Friday Meal:
More Eastern European Recipes
Recipe
Hungarian 5 Ingredient Potato Soup - No Milk
Ingredients
- 4 Potatoes
- 3 -4 cups water (*see note)
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 onion (large) diced
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Sprinkling of parsley
- Garnishes (*see note)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes to smallish dice. If you're really in a hurry, you don't need to peel the potatoes - I never do 😉
- Sauté onions to tender
- Add potatoes, water, bay leaves.
- Slowly bring to a simmer.
- Cover pot and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- In a non stick fry pan make a roux from 2 tablespoon oil and flour.
- Stir in the paprika and then add this to the soup to thicken it .
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sprinkle some parsley on top and serve with sour cream or any other preferred toppings.
Notes
- Make sure to listen to Dora on The Storied Recipe Podcast, A Hungarian “Friday Meal” while you make her Potato Soup recipe!
- Dora recommends sour cream and parsley as the most popular Hungarian garnishes. You can also try crispy crumbled bacon, fried onions, cheese, fresh dill, or anything else you imagine!
- Truly, the soup is plenty flavorful with water. However, if you'd prefer, you can always replace all or part of the water with chicken stock, vegetable broth, milk/cream, or a non-dairy milk.
Would love to hear from you!