Recipes 'Round The World! 🌍 Austria: Paprika-Erdäpfelsuppe — Paprika Potato Soup

Austrian cuisine blends Alpine heartiness with Central European elegance, where simple ingredients are elevated through careful technique and generous spicing. This vibrant paprika potato soup showcases Austria's love affair with sweet Hungarian paprika—a spice that transforms humble potatoes into a warming, colorful bowl of comfort. Rich, satisfying, and deeply flavorful, it's the essence of gemütlichkeit in liquid form.

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 (𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝟰–𝟲)

3 tbsp butter or lard

1 large onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2–3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for depth)

2 lbs (900 g) waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, diced

5 cups (1.2 L) beef or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream or crème fraîche

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Crusty Austrian bread or semmel rolls, for serving

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 6–8 minutes until golden and soft.

Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove pot from heat briefly.

Stir in sweet paprika and smoked paprika (paprika burns easily—off heat prevents bitterness). Stir 30 seconds until fragrant.

Return to heat. Add potatoes, bell pepper, and carrot; stir to coat in paprika mixture.

Pour in stock. Add bay leaf and caraway seeds. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗶𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱–𝟯𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 until potatoes are very tender.

Remove bay leaf. Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher (leave some chunks for texture), or blend half the soup for creaminess.

Stir in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.

𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲

𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘀; 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺

Serve with crusty Austrian bread or fresh semmel rolls

Perfect with a glass of Austrian Grüner Veltliner or a cold beer

𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 & 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Protein boost: add diced smoked sausage (Käsekrainer) or crispy bacon.

Vegetarian: use vegetable stock and butter.

Extra richness: finish with a knob of butter before serving.

Spice level: add a pinch of cayenne or hot paprika for heat.

Texture: blend completely smooth for elegant presentation, or leave chunky for rustic style.

Storage: refrigerate up to 3 days; flavors deepen overnight.

𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮

Austria enchants with its imperial grandeur and Alpine beauty, from the baroque splendor of Vienna's palaces where Mozart and Strauss once performed, to the crystal-clear lakes of Salzkammergut where mountains reflect in mirror-still waters, and the snow-dusted peaks of Tyrol where traditional mountain huts serve hearty fare to skiers and hikers. This warming paprika soup might be savored in a Viennese heuriger (wine tavern) where new wine flows and accordion music fills the air, enjoyed at a mountain refuge in the Austrian Alps after a day on the slopes, or shared in a cozy Salzburg gasthaus where the aroma of schnitzel and strudel mingles with wood smoke from ceramic tile stoves.

The dish embodies Austria's gift for creating comfort through tradition—where paprika represents the country's historical ties to Hungary, where every meal reflects centuries of imperial culinary refinement, and where gemütlichkeit transforms dining into an art of cozy contentment. As you waltz through Vienna's grand ballrooms, explore medieval castles perched on Danube cliffs, or hike through Alpine meadows where cowbells echo and edelweiss blooms, this vibrant soup connects you to Austria's warm heart—where potatoes and paprika create liquid comfort, where sour cream adds the perfect tangy finish, and where every shared bowl becomes a celebration of the Austrian understanding that life's greatest pleasures are found in good food, good company, and the simple joy of being together.

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