Hungarian Mushroom Soup is serious comfort eats! Rich, earthy flavors combine with fresh herbs in a thick cream base to create this deeply satisfying, umami-intense cold-weather soup!
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When I was a kid, if you would have told me that mushroom anything would someday be my favorite, I would have told you that you were crazy. Mushrooms were… well, eww. And a soup made up almost entirely of mushrooms? No Way! And yet, here we are.
Some years ago, after I got over my childhood mushroom aversion, there used to be a lovely little tea room in our town that served an absolutely stellar Hungarian Mushroom Soup. When I dined there on Mushroom Soup days, the whole place was filled with its thick, heady aroma, and try as I might, I could not bring myself order anything else – it was just that good.
I started making my own Hungarian Mushroom Soup soon after, taking my original cues from Mollie Katzen’s recipe by the same name in her original Moosewood Cookbook. (Because I am that old.) Over the years, I’ve adjusted and adapted the recipe so many times that I’m sure it barely resembles the original, but I like to give credit where it’s due, so thank you, Mollie!
Hungarian Mushroom Soup is serious comfort eats! Rich, earthy flavors combine with fresh herbs in a thick cream base to create this deeply satisfying, umami-intense cold-weather soup!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how fast it all comes together and how dependable the results are. You can easily have it on the table in 40 minutes, start to finish, with very little effort.
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1/4 cup butter divided
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced (I use crimini)
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika I usually use a little more
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill divided (or 2 teaspoons dried dill)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 cup white wine I use a pinot gris
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup half-&-half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup broth (vegetable stock and chicken broth work equally well)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Garnish
- Sour Cream
- Chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- In an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven or other large heavy saucepan, saute onions in 2 tablespoons butter until translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes more.
- Add paprika, half of the dill, wine, and soy sauce. Stir to mix, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Turn off burner. Add remaining butter to mushroom mixture and stir to melt. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture and stir to thicken.
- Add half-&-half and stock all at once, stirring until smooth.
- Season to taste. I usually add a little more paprika at this time.
- Turn the heat back onto low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
- [Optional Step] At this point, I usually smooth the soup out a little with an immersion blender. If you do this, don't go crazy: you want to have meaty pieces of mushroom in it for texture and bite.
- Just before serving, stir in lemon juice and sour cream.
- Garnish with additional sour cream and chopped fresh dill.
Nutrition
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I will DEFINITELY be trying this recipe this season! Mushroom soup is one of my favorites 🙂
I love mushroom soup- this sounds great!
Way to make Hungarian Soup look good in a photo…that’s hard to do. 😉
From a talented photog like yourself, that is such a compliment. Thanks, Aubrie. 🙂
this is actually one of my favorite soups and recipes! love the original recipe from the moosewood!
ladies in navy
I’m not really a mushroom person, but this is such a lovely looking soup that it may make me change my ways!
We have a pot of soup going all the time, literally. I have found broth and soup to be very healing. It’s wonderful to see you writing about it. This recipe looks delicious!
Why I had to see this now? I totally feel like that soup right now and my country’s in summertime still!
This soup looks divine! I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, so I’m eager to try this out!!
Dear Renée!
The recipe is good! But sorry, but the soy sauce isn’t hungarian spice. (I’am a hungarian, hungry woman). 😀 Have a nice day!
I totally agree, but it seems to work for this recipe, so there you go. It was in the original that I references from the Moosewood Cookbook. Neither this one nor that claim to be authentically Hungarian, any more than your average corner Chinese place claims to be authentically Chinese.
I love the sounds of this soup. It sounds so luxurious and delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
You got me at mushroom and soup! Love them both. Can’t wait to try this recipe, sounds comforting!
Beautiful! The paprika really lifts the color (and I’m sure the flavor too). Can’t wait to try this version.
This looks so very tasty, can’t wait for the weather to get a bit cooler so I can cook up a bowl. Yum. PINNED
I really love mushroom soup and the color on this is gorgeous!
Cooked this soup last night and everyone went back for refills. The color was not quite as yellow but the flavor was amazing. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
So glad you liked it!