Hungarian Meatball Soup – Húsgombócleves

Hungarian meatball soup with tender chicken meatballs, root vegetables and small pasta shells.

If you are craving the comforting flavour of Hungarian chicken soup but don’t have three or four hours to wait for it, this Hungarian meatball soup is the perfect alternative. It takes only a fraction of the time, but its golden broth, root vegetables and fresh parsley give it that familiar homemade flavour. Instead of cooking a whole chicken, I make tender meatballs with ground chicken, seasonings and a little duck fat. They cook directly in the broth, adding even more flavour while staying wonderfully juicy.

This soup was an enormous success in our house—my 12-year-old ate five bowls! I think that may be the best review any recipe can receive. 😂

Why You’ll Love This Soup

• Ready in approximately 45 minutes

• Comforting flavour similar to traditional húsleves

• Tender, juicy chicken meatballs

• Filled with colourful root vegetables

• Perfect for a cozy family dinner

• Kid-approved—and apparently five-bowls-approved!

Recipe Information

Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6–8

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 90 g duck fat, divided

• 1½ medium onions, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Salt, to taste

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into approximately ½ cm pieces

• 1 parsley root or parsnip, peeled and chopped

• 280 g celery root, peeled and chopped

• 150 g kohlrabi, peeled and chopped

• 2.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock

• Fresh parsley, for finishing

• Small pasta shells or another small soup pasta, cooked separately, for serving

For the Chicken Meatballs

• 500 g ground chicken

• 1 egg

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• Sweet Hungarian paprika, to taste

• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

• 90 g onion, very finely chopped

• ½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped

• Remaining duck fat

The chicken meatballs gently simmer directly in the vegetable-filled broth.

How to Make Hungarian Meatball Soup

1. Start the Soup Base

Heat approximately 2 tablespoons of the duck fat in a large soup pot. Add the finely chopped onion and garlic, then season lightly with salt and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

2. Add the Vegetables

Add the carrots, parsley root, celery root and kohlrabi. Cook over medium-high heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring so the vegetables become lightly coated in the duck fat. Pour in the stock and taste the broth. Add more salt if needed. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

3. Prepare the Chicken Meatballs

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the meatballs. Place the ground chicken in a large bowl. Add the egg, breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, parsley and the remaining duck fat. Season with salt, black pepper and sweet Hungarian paprika. Mix everything together until just combined. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the meatballs dense.

With slightly wet hands, form the mixture into balls approximately the size of a ping-pong ball.

4. Cook the Meatballs

Carefully place the meatballs into the gently simmering soup. Cook for another 10–12 minutes, or until the meatballs are completely cooked through. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer so the meatballs stay tender and do not break apart. Taste the broth one final time and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Finish with additional fresh parsley.

5. Serve

Cook the pasta separately according to the package instructions. Place a little pasta into each bowl, then ladle the hot soup, vegetables and chicken meatballs over it. Cooking the pasta separately keeps the broth clearer and prevents the pasta from absorbing too much liquid while the soup is stored.

Serve the soup piping hot with separately cooked pasta and plenty of fresh parsley.

Helpful Tips

• Ground chicken is quite lean, so the duck fat helps make the meatballs tender and juicy.

• Finely chop the onion used in the meatballs so it softens completely while cooking.

• Wet your hands before shaping the meatballs to prevent the mixture from sticking.

• Keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding the meatballs. Boiling too strongly could cause them to break apart.

• Store the cooked pasta separately from the soup so it does not become overly soft.

• The soup tastes even better the following day once all the flavours have had time to develop.

Tender and juicy chicken meatballs make this quick soup satisfying enough for a complete meal.

More Hungarian Soups to Try

If you were craving traditional húsleves but needed something much quicker, I hope this húsgombócleves becomes one of your new family favourites. It delivers that familiar golden broth and comforting homemade flavour without keeping you beside the stove for half the day.

For the traditional slow-cooked version, try my Hungarian Sunday Chicken Soup.

If you would prefer something lighter and filled with seasonal vegetables, make my Hungarian Kohlrabi Soup with Homemade Csipetke. For another filling childhood favourite, try my Hungarian Fresh Bean Soup with Csipetke.

You can also explore my complete collection of Hungarian Soup Recipes for more warm and comforting ideas.

If you make this Hungarian meatball soup, leave me a comment and tell me how many bowls your family ate. Rachel’s record is currently five! 😂🍲

Jó étvágyat! ❤️