Hungarian Green Pea Soup (Zöldborsóleves)

Hungarian Green Pea Soup, known as Zöldborsóleves, is a simple and comforting classic of Hungarian home cooking. Made with sweet green peas, carrots, parsley, and tiny homemade dumplings, this light soup is flavorful without being complicated.

It is especially popular as a spring and summer dish, when fresh peas are abundant, although frozen peas work beautifully throughout the year.

🇭🇺 What Is Zöldborsóleves?

Zöldborsóleves literally means green pea soup in Hungarian. Unlike heavy cream-based pea soups, the traditional Hungarian version is generally a clear, vegetable-based soup.

The natural sweetness of the peas combines with carrots, parsley, and a lightly seasoned broth. Small pieces of nokedli or simple soup dumplings are often added to make the soup more satisfying.

Ingredients

For the Soup

• 2 cups green peas, fresh or frozen
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 small parsley root, sliced, optional
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

For the Dumplings

• 1 egg
• 4–5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt