Lebbencsleves is a classic Hungarian pasta soup that comes from Hungary’s Great Plains (Alföld). This Lebbecsleves recipe takes its name from the small ‘flaps’ (or ‘lebbencs’) of pasta. Hungarian peasants would make giant sheets of paper thin pasta and dry them out. They would then break off little pieces of the pasta as they needed them. They then cooked them with Hungarian kolbasz and potatoes to create this tasty and filling meal. The kolbasz gives a rich smokey flavour which is unmistakable Hungarian. And the potato helps thicken the soup and give it a bit of extra body.
These days, you can buy dried lebbencs pasta in packets, just as can you can with other pasta shapes. Unfortunately, this ready made lebbencs pasta is not readily available outside of Hungary. But you can easily use lasagne sheets broken into thirds instead. Lebbencleves can also be made from left over pasta and therefore this recipe was often used to use up leftovers.
Lebbencsleves is a comforting dish, and it is especially popular during colder months. But you can enjoy it at any time of the year. It perfectly reflects the rustic, home-cooked style of Hungarian cuisine.
As with most Hungarian soups, serve this lebbencleves soup with side of Hungarian pickled peppers or cucumbers to balance the soup’s richness. And of course, with some crusty bread. Nothing beats mopping up that last bit of soup with a nice rustic crust.
This Hungarian soup is a true peasant dish, and not something you will see on a restaurant menu in Budapest. But this taste of the Hugnarian Great Plains is definitely worth trying, and it is very easy to make at home, so give it a go!
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Also Read
Looking for more classic Hungarian dishes? Check out these posts:
- Hungarian Chicken Noodle Soup – a delicious soup for any time of the year
- Töltött Paprika – Hungarian stuffed peppers
- Cold Sour Cherry Soup (Hidel Meggyleves) – a refreshing Hungarian cold fruit soup
- Hungarian Food – the Ultimate Guide
Or take a look at my full collection of Hungarian recipes for more Hungarian flavours.
Lebbencsleves – Hungarian Pasta Soup
Equipment
- Chef Knife
- Large pot
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp pork dripping or extra virgin olive oil
- 100 grams smoked kolbasz (cut into slices – use chorizo if you can’t get kolbasz)
- 100 grams Hungarian kolbasz or smoked bacon lardons (finely chopped)
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 200 grams of lebbencs pasta or broken up lasagne sheets
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 250 grams potato (peeled and diced)
- Flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Heat the pork dripping in a heavy based pan, and add the kolbasz. Sauté until it releases its red oils into the pork dropping and starts to darken in colour, then remove the kolbasz from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving as much of the fat in the pan as possible.
- Add the bacon lardons and onion into the pan and sauté in the remaining fat until the bacon lardons start to take on some colour and the onions softens.
- Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute. Then take off the heat and add the paprika powder, and stir well to combine.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the lebbencs pasta (or broken lasagne sheets) and fry for a few minutes in the onion mixture, making sure to coat the pasta with the hot oil.
- Add the potato, salt and ground black pepper and the bay leaf, and 1 litre of water, and bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the potatoes are cooked through but still firm.
- Stir in the chopped parsley, and adjust seasoning.
- Serve into bowls and garnish with some parsley before serving.
