Húsgombócleves

Ingredients

• 12⅓ ozporkfor the meatballs
• 1eggfor the meatballs
• 3 tbspsemolinafor the meatballs, swells in the mixture
• 1onionsmall, finely chopped, for the meatballs
• 1onionfor the soup, whole or diced
• 2 clovesgarliccrushed into the meatballs or whole into the broth
• 2carrotpeeled, sliced or diced
• 1parsley rootpeeled, cut up
• 8½ cupswaterfor the broth
• 1 bunchparsleychopped, for the meatballs and for garnish
• 1½ tsppaprikafor the meatballs
• 2 tbspoilfor sweating the onion, or lard
• saltto taste
• black pepperground, to taste
• 2¾ ozmacaronie.g. csiga pasta, cooked in at the end (optional)
• 1stock cubefor the broth, or seasoning mix (optional)
• 1green peppersimmered in the soup (optional)
• 1tomatosimmered whole, removed before serving (optional)

Method

1. Start the brothBring the water to a boil in a large pot and, if you like, dissolve the stock cube in it.
2. Simmer the vegetablesPrepare the carrots, parsley root and the onion for the soup, cut them up and add them to the broth. If you like, add the green pepper and the whole tomato too, along with the garlic cloves left whole if you're not putting them in the meatballs. Season with salt and pepper and let everything simmer gently for 30 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
3. Sweat the onion for the meatballsMeanwhile, finely chop the small onion for the meatballs, sweat it in the sunflower oil or lard until translucent, and let it cool a little.
4. Mix the meatball fillingCombine the ground pork with the softened onion, the crushed garlic (unless you added it whole to the broth), the egg, the wheat semolina, salt, pepper, the sweet paprika and some of the chopped parsley, and knead it all together thoroughly.
5. Let the mixture restLet the mixture rest for 10 to 30 minutes so the semolina can swell and the meatballs hold together nicely later on.
6. Shape the meatballsWith wet hands, shape the mixture into walnut-sized meatballs.
7. Poach the meatballsSlide the meatballs into the soup at a bare simmer, not a rolling boil, and let them poach for 12 to 20 minutes. If you're using soup pasta such as csiga, add it towards the end and cook it right in the soup.
8. Season and serveTaste and adjust the seasoning, then fish out the tomato if you cooked one. Ladle the soup into bowls piping hot and scatter the rest of the parsley over the top.

Tips and variations

For the Alföld version, in the style of the Great Hungarian Plain, the soup is thickened at the end with sour cream and flour and brightened with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar. The broth doesn't have to rely on a stock cube: chicken wings or pork bones make a good base too. Start them in cold water, skim off the foam once it comes to the boil, and lift them out of the broth before serving. Breadcrumbs work in place of semolina in the meatball mix, and if you want something heartier, simmer potatoes, cauliflower and green pepper in the soup; a bit of celery is good in the broth too. The meatballs can be frozen on a tray first and then stored in the freezer for later. The soup is at its best served really hot, with plenty of fresh parsley on top.