Hungarian Vegetable Soup  

Recipe from Agi Matrai

This hearty winter soup is a Hungarian classic.

It can be made with whatever vegetables are in season. Or whatever you have at home. Feel free to substitute, say zucchini for the Brussels sprouts or to add different veges that you like, such as  potatoes or pumpkin. Beans of all kinds are also a good addition. Half a cup of brown kidney beans, or white haricot beans go very well in this soup. 

ingredients

• 5 tablespoonslive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 carrots
• 3 parsnips
• 6 champion mushrooms
• 6 Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 cauliflower
• 1 tomato
• 1/2 cup peas
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 750 ml - 1 litre water, or stock

Method

Optional: Begin by making a stock from all the vegetable peels and bits you cut out from the veges you are preparing for the soup. This stops you from being wasteful, and will also result in a tastier soup. Otherwise use another vegetable or chicken stock, or just use water.

1. Dice all the vegetables
2. Fry the diced onion and crushed garlic in olive oil in a large soup pot till the onion becomes transparent. 
3. Add the diced tomato. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring, over a low heat. 
4. Add the remaining vegetables. Cover the pot, and let the vegetables "sweat" so they reduce in volume, for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
5. When the vegetables have reduced, add the flour and spices. Stir until all the veges are covered. 
6. Add 750ml of stock or water and stir again. If consistency is too thick, so that it looks more like a stew than a soup, add 1 more cup liquid.
7. Bring to the boil, and then cook on low heat for 10 minutes. It's worth stirring often, to make sure the flour does not form lumps or stick to the pot.

Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley, and grated Parmesan.