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What to eat in Central Europe? Top 5 Central European Seafood Soups

Last update: Fri Feb 14 2025
Top 5 Central European Seafood Soups
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01
Halászlé
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Halászlé or fisherman's soup is made with mixed river fish cooked in a broth that is heavily spiced with hot paprika. The fish—mainly carp, catfish, perch, or pike—is locally sourced from the Tisza and Danube rivers, and though halászlé may seem like a simple dish, this rich soup is traditionally prepared outside and cooked in a kettle over an open fire.


Every region has their own version, but the two most popular are Szeged halászlé, made with four types of fish, and Baja halászlé, made mainly with carp and served with homemade pasta called gyufatészta.

MOST ICONIC Halászlé

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02
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Traditional Polish fish soup usually consists of fish fillets, vegetables, and a variety of spices and fresh herbs. Even though the choice of ingredients and the method of preparation might vary, the soup is usually made with a flavorful fish broth.


For most Poles, this hearty soup is a vital part of every Christmas Eve dinner, when it is traditionally prepared with carp and enjoyed as one of the first courses.

MOST ICONIC Zupa rybna

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03
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Rybí polévka is a traditional fish soup that is enjoyed as a part of the festive Christmas Eve dinner. It is typically prepared with carp, various root vegetables, and different spices, but some versions also use white wine, cream, or fish roe.


This hearty fish soup is usually cooked with carp’s head, bones, and innards, while the body is fried and enjoyed as the main course. A staple in every Czech household, rybí polévka is often garnished with a hefty amount of fresh parsley, and it is recommended to serve it hot.

04

Fish Soup

DALMATIA, Croatia
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Juha od oslića is a traditional fish soup originating from Dalmatia. Although there are many recipes, it's usually made with a combination of hake, garlic, tomatoes, lemon juice, rice, olive oil, bay leaves, parsley, salt, and pepper. The garlic, halved tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and hake are placed into cold water, then cooked.


After about twenty minutes, when the fish is cooked, it's taken out of the pot. Rice is added to the pot and cooked, and the soup is then served with pieces of the hake.

05
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Hamburger Aalsuppe is a traditional eel soup originating from Hamburg. In the past, several hundred years ago, it contained no eel and was in fact called aol suppe in northern German dialect, which means all soup, referring to the leftover ingredients such as ham bones and old fruits and vegetables.


To Germans outside of the Hamburg area, aol sounded like Aal, meaning eel, so they complained that the eel was missing from the soup. That was the case until the late 18th century, when smart cooks started to add the eel to the broth, doubling the price of the soup in the process. 

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Central European Seafood Soups