A white bowl of smooth orange-red paprika fish soup with a curved piece of white fish, set on a blue woven tablecloth. — Photo: János Korom Dr. from Wien, Austria · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Eastern European · Lunch · Dinner

Hungarian Fisherman's Soup

Name: Hungarian Fisherman's Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 75 min
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 600 g Carp fillets, skin on, cut into 5 cm chunks; 2 large Yellow onions, finely chopped; 1 medium Ripe tomato, quartered; 1 large Hungarian wax pepper or green bell pepper, sliced into rings; 3 tbsp Sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 small Fresh hot chilli pepper, sliced; 1 tsp Salt; 6 cups Water

Halászlé

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

A fiery red, brothy river-fish soup in which tender chunks of carp simmer in a silky onion and sweet paprika base. It is light, warming and naturally low in fat.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 55 min
Total: 75 min
Serves: 4

Medium
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
High protein
Low Carb

12%

Per serving247kcal12% of a 2,000 kcal day

29gProtein

12gCarbs

9gFat

4gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 20% · Fat 34% · Protein 46%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

600 gCarp fillets, skin on, cut into 5 cm chunks
2 large300 gYellow onions, finely chopped
1 medium120 gRipe tomato, quartered
1 large120 gHungarian wax pepper or green bell pepper, sliced into rings
3 tbsp21 gSweet Hungarian paprika
1 small15 gFresh hot chilli pepper, sliced (optional)
1 tsp6 gSalt
6 cups1,500 gWater

Steps

1
Lightly sprinkle the carp chunks with 1/2 tsp of the salt and refrigerate while you make the base.
2
Put the onions, tomato and water in a large wide pot and bring to a boil, about 10 minutes.
3
Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes until the onions are very soft.
4
Blend the broth with a stick blender until smooth, or press it through a sieve for a silkier soup.
5
Stir in the paprika and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, then return the broth to a gentle simmer.
6
Lay the fish chunks and pepper rings into the broth in a single layer.
7
Simmer very gently for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pot instead of stirring so the fish stays whole, until the fish flakes easily and reaches 63 °C / 145 °F.
8
Serve hot, with the sliced chilli on the side for those who like it fiery.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Swap the carp for catfish, pike-perch or another firm white fish if carp is hard to find.
Use a green bell pepper instead of Hungarian wax pepper for a milder, easier-to-find option.
Leave out the fresh chilli entirely, or stir in a pinch of hot paprika instead, to adjust the heat.
If fresh tomatoes are out of season, use a couple of canned whole tomatoes in their place.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating gently until steaming hot. The fish is best eaten fresh as it can fall apart and toughen on reheating, so freezing is not recommended.

Make ahead

Make and blend the onion, tomato and paprika broth up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, then bring it back to a simmer and cook the fish just before serving.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

Contains: Fish

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (667 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	247 kcal	37 kcal
Protein	28.8 g	4.3 g
Carbohydrates	12.4 g	1.9 g
of which sugars	5.2 g	0.8 g
Fiber	4 g	0.6 g
Fat	9.3 g	1.4 g
of which saturated	1.8 g	0.3 g
Sodium	679 mg	102 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.