In Hungary, summers can get really hot. It is a struggle to keep your house from warming up, and once it is hot inside, it is absolutely understandable if you do not want to stand in the kitchen for a long time or want extra heat from turning the oven on. Luckily, there are some Hungarian dishes that are easy to make and not necessarily need the oven, making them perfect for the summer.
Soup
Sour cherry soup
Recommending a soup for the summer may seem like an odd choice. However, sour cherry soup is actually the perfect dish to help you cool down, as it is meant to be served cold. You can even add fresh cream to it, or eat it with ice cream or whipped cream, making it extremely popular among children as well.
Sour cherry soup also has a fascinating history. The fruit has been familiar to Hungarians since before conquering the Carpathian Basin, but it is unknown when the soup’s tradition began. However, there is no doubt that by now, it has become one of the signature Hungarian dishes, especially when the weather is warm.
If you want a recipe to make at home, click here.
Main course
Potato paprikash
Potato paprikash is an ideal main course for the summer months. It is super easy to make: it takes less than an hour, so, you do not have to stand in the kitchen for too long. Moreover, you can make it from potatoes from your own garden, for example, and nothing tastes better than the food that you grew yourself. Alternatively, you can even make it outside in a cauldron together with family or friends, making it into a special event. You only need some vegetables, sausages and bacon if you like, and the must-have Hungarian ingredient: paprika.
If you want a recipe you can make at home, click here.
Hungarian lecsó
The Hungarian lecsó is also a good choice as far as summer meals go. It is essentially a vegetable casserole, so, you can make it from fresh ingredients from your garden. You can leave out the sausages and bacon, too, making it a vegetarian-friendly dish. Lecsó became popular only in the 19th century, with the spread of tomatoes and peppers – up until that point, people believed tomatoes were poisonous. Today, there are many varieties of lecsó. Many people add rice to it, while others eat it with eggs or sour cream instead. Or, the squash-dill version is also popular. Whichever version you choose, this vegetable-based dish will definitely make you feel content, even in the warmest months.
For a recipe to try at home, click here.
Dessert
Sport slice
In Hungarian cuisine, there are countless delicious dessert recipes. However, some of them are quite difficult and require time in the oven. This is where sport slice comes in: it is a heavenly chocolatey mixture that requires no oven time, just some cooling in the fridge. The ingredients are very basic – butter, biscuits, cocoa powder, and some rum – and you only need to mix them all together. So, it will be ready in no time, but the result will be a huge success – the perfect summer dessert.
For the recipe to try at home, click here.
Favourite Hungarian ingredients – sour cream