Traditional Hungarian Babgulyás

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) dried pinto, cranberry, or white beans
• 1 lb (450 g) smoked pork hock or smoked pork shoulder
• 4 slices smoked bacon, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1–2 parsley roots or parsnips, sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 cups water or stock
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• 1 Hungarian wax pepper or mild green pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• ½ cup sour cream, optional

For the csipetke

• 1 egg
• About ¾ cup flour
• Pinch of salt

🍲 Method

1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain before cooking.
2. Start the base: In a large heavy pot, cook the bacon until it releases its fat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
3. Remove the pot from the heat for a moment and stir in the Hungarian paprika. This prevents the paprika from burning and becoming bitter.
4. Add the beans, smoked pork, garlic, tomato, pepper, carrots, parsley root, celery, caraway, bay leaves, and water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 1½–2 hours, or until the beans and pork are tender.
6. Add the potatoes during the last 25–30 minutes so they don’t become mushy.
7. Make the csipetke: Mix egg, flour, and salt into a firm dough. Pinch off tiny pieces with your fingers and drop them directly into the simmering soup. Cook for about 5–8 minutes.
8. Thicken the soup: Mix the flour with a little cold water to make a smooth slurry and stir it into the soup. Simmer another 5–10 minutes.
9. Remove the smoked pork, cut the meat from the bone, and return the meat to the pot.
10. Taste and adjust the salt and paprika.

🇭🇺 How Hungarians serve it

Serve very hot with a spoonful of sour cream, crusty bread, and extra Hungarian paprika on the table.

Grandma-style tip: If you can find a smoked pork hock, use it rather than ordinary ham. The smoky, gelatin-rich broth is what makes babgulyás taste especially authentic.