Korhely Soup with Smoked Meat and Potatoes

Melt the lard in a pot, add the finely chopped red onion, and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle with ground caraway, paprika, and flour, then sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and mix thoroughly.

Squeeze out the sauerkraut (set aside its juice), chop it coarsely, then add it to the soup along with one-third of the sauerkraut juice. Add the bay leaves and the potatoes cut into 1 cm cubes. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Then add the smoked meat, diced to the same size as the potatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, then season with salt, pepper, and, if necessary, sugar or the reserved sauerkraut juice. When serving, add a spoonful of sour cream.

Tip: For smoked meat, pork neck or hock is most suitable. If the meat is tougher, it's worth pre-cooking it in separate water so that the smoked flavor doesn't become too dominant in the soup. Always add the caraway to the hot fat at the beginning so that its aromas can fully develop. Instead of smoked meat, you can also enrich the soup with fried sausage slices.