Hungarian Tarragon Potato Soup (Tárkonyos Krumplileves)

Tárkonyos Krumplileves — traditional Hungarian tarragon potato soup, creamy, tangy and full of simple homemade flavor.

There is something about Hungarian cooking that makes soup appropriate at almost any time of year. We don’t really need “soup season” — give us a few potatoes, some vegetables, paprika and sour cream, and somehow there will be a pot of soup on the stove. 😃

This Hungarian Tarragon Potato Soup (Tárkonyos Krumplileves) is a simple, inexpensive and comforting meatless soup made with potatoes, root vegetables, sour cream and plenty of tarragon.

The combination of creamy sour cream, sweet paprika and the slightly tangy, aromatic flavor of tarragon makes this much more interesting than an ordinary potato soup. A little tarragon vinegar added at the end gives it that characteristic Hungarian sweet-sour balance.

And although this version is vegetarian, you could absolutely add some Hungarian sausage if you wanted to make it heartier.

Why You’ll Love This Soup

It’s inexpensive, filling and made mostly from basic pantry ingredients. It also comes together in about 40 minutes, making it an easy weekday lunch or dinner.

Most importantly, it tastes even better after it has had a little time to sit and all those tarragon, paprika and sour cream flavors come together.

Ingredients

Serves approximately 4–6

• 1 tbsp lard (or neutral cooking oil for a vegetarian version)

• 1 medium yellow onion, about 120 g, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ large carrot, about 100 g, peeled and diced

• ½ parsnip or parsley root, about 50 g, peeled and diced

• 400 g (about 14 oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into approximately 2 cm cubes

• 2 tsp dried tarragon

• 1 tbsp Hungarian paprika paste

• 1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika

• 1.2 litres (about 5 cups) vegetable stock

• Salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 100 g (about ⅓–½ cup) sour cream

• ½ tbsp all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

A note about the paprika paste

Hungarian paprika paste adds extra depth and richness to the broth. If you can find Piros Arany or another Hungarian paprika paste, it works beautifully here.

If your paprika paste is already salty, be careful when adding additional salt to the soup.

How to Make Hungarian Tarragon Potato Soup

1. Start the soup base

Heat the lard in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the finely chopped onion, minced garlic and bay leaves. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften and becomes fragrant.

2. Add the vegetables

Add the diced carrot, parsnip or parsley root, potatoes and dried tarragon.

Cook everything together over medium-high heat for another 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.

This little sauté before adding the liquid helps develop more flavor in the vegetables.

3. Add the paprika

Stir in the paprika paste and Hungarian sweet paprika.

Mix well so the vegetables are evenly coated.

Be careful not to burn the paprika — it only needs a brief moment in the hot fat before you add the stock.

4. Simmer

Pour in the vegetable stock and stir everything together.

Bring the soup to a boil, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for approximately 25 minutes, or until the potatoes and root vegetables are completely tender.

5. Make the sour cream mixture

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and flour until smooth.

Take approximately 1 tablespoon of hot broth from the soup and whisk it into the sour cream mixture.

I actually like adding a little more broth gradually until the sour cream mixture becomes warm and pourable. This tempering step helps prevent the sour cream from separating when it goes into the hot soup.

6. Finish the soup

Slowly pour the sour cream mixture back into the soup while stirring continuously.

Let it gently heat through until the broth becomes slightly creamy and thickened.

Finally, stir in 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar.

Taste and adjust the salt, pepper or vinegar if necessary.

Then it’s ready to serve. ❤️

What Is Tarragon Vinegar?

Tarragon vinegar is simply vinegar infused with tarragon, and it works especially well in creamy Hungarian soups.

That little splash at the end is important. You aren't trying to make the soup taste strongly of vinegar; you're adding just enough acidity to balance the richness of the sour cream and bring out the flavor of the tarragon.

If you cannot find tarragon vinegar, you can use a small amount of mild white wine vinegar and adjust it to taste.

Can I Add Meat?

Absolutely.

This particular version is meatless, but sliced smoked Hungarian sausage would be delicious in it. You could brown the sausage first, remove it from the pot, prepare the soup in the rendered fat and add the sausage back toward the end.

Chicken would also work if you wanted to turn it into a more substantial meal.

What to Serve With Tarragon Potato Soup

For me, a bowl of this soup and some good fresh bread is enough for an easy lunch.

Try it with crusty bread, homemade rolls or a thick slice of rustic bread for dipping into that creamy paprika broth.

And because this is Hungarian cooking, don't be surprised if someone reaches for extra sour cream. 😃

Storage

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat it gently over medium-low heat rather than bringing it to a hard boil because of the sour cream.

If the soup thickens in the refrigerator, simply add a splash of vegetable stock or water when reheating.

A closer look at Tárkonyos Krumplileves, a comforting Hungarian potato soup flavored with tarragon.

A Little Taste of a Hungarian Kitchen ❤️

Hungarian soups don't always have to be complicated. Some of my favorites are exactly like this one — inexpensive vegetables, a few familiar Hungarian seasonings and one big pot bubbling away on the stove.

And this is only Part 1 of my soup season, although calling it a “season” might be misleading.

Hungarians can technically make soup out of anything, at any time of year. 😂🇭🇺

So there are plenty more coming.

If you make this Tárkonyos Krumplileves, let me know in the comments: Are you team soup-only-in-cold-weather, or could you eat soup all year round like a Hungarian? ❤️

Jó étvágyat! 🇭🇺