Orjaleves (Orja Soup)
Submitted by PEGGIO
Orjaleves is a traditional Hungarian wedding soup made with beef bones, pork, saffron broth, root vegetables, and handmade spiral egg noodles. A rich, celebratory first course.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
80 minREADY
140 minOrjaleves is the soup that opens a traditional Hungarian wedding feast. It’s a dual-meat broth built from beef bones and flank steak simmered alongside pork head and backbone, strained through cheesecloth until clear, then loaded with root vegetables and handmade spiral noodles.
The broth gets its depth from a slow simmer with paprika, whole peppercorns, cloves, and a pinch of saffron. That combination gives the finished soup a golden color and a warm, aromatic backbone that tastes like nothing from a box or can.
The handmade noodles are the showpiece. You roll a simple flour-and-egg dough paper thin, cut it into strips, and wrap them around a rolling pin to form spirals. A quick dry in a low oven sets their shape so they hold up in the hot broth without going mushy.
Chef Tips
- Blanch the pork head separately first, as the recipe directs. This removes impurities and scum so your final broth stays clean and clear.
- Skim the fat after removing all the meat. A defatted broth looks and tastes more refined, which matters for a celebratory soup like this.
- Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth for crystal-clear broth. Single layer lets fine particles through.
- Cook the spiral noodles directly in the broth just before serving. If they sit too long, they absorb liquid and get soft.
- Save the boiled beef flank. Sliced thin with mustard and horseradish, it makes a solid second course.
Variations
- Substitute parsley root for parsnips if you can find it at a Hungarian or Eastern European market. It’s the more traditional choice.
- Add a splash of white wine vinegar to each bowl at the table for brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash beef bones, cook bones and flank in 3 quarts cold water with 1tablespoon salt.
After 30 minutes, add onion, garlic, paprika, peppercorns, and cloves.
Continue boiling additional hour.
Put 3 quarts water in seperate pot with pork head section.
Boil 4 minutes.
Remove pork head, rinse and put aside until beef is finished.
Then add pork head and backbone to the beef.
Cook until done.
Meanwhile, peel vegetables, cut into long strips.
Using 2 cups of the meat broth, cook vegetables.
Add saffron, celery and parsley leaves.
Make a dough with flour and egg; roll it as thin as possible.
Cut into 3 inch stips and roll around rolling pin in spiral.
Slide off spirals onto baking sheet and dry in a 200 degree F oven - about 10 minutes.
Take soup from heat, remove meat and bones.
Remove pork meat from bones, cut into little pieces.
Reserve the boiled beef flank as a main course - or save for another occasion.
Skim soup to remove fat.
Remove vegetables; set aside.
Strain broth through cheesecloth.
Cook spiral noodles in soup just prior to serving.
Put pork meat in soup tureen, add cooked vegetables, pour in broth with noodles on top.
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