Hungarian Mushroom Soup (2024)

This Hungarian mushroom soup recipe is a flavorful twist on a comforting favorite. Fresh herbs and paprika make the mushrooms shine, and sour cream gives it a unique tang and rich creaminess.

One thing that I love about Central European cuisine is the copious mushroom recipes. Foraging for mushrooms is a popular pastime for many people across Europe and one of the best ways to use up that bounty of wild mushrooms is a flavorful soup like this.

Whether you use wild mushrooms or store-bought ones, the unique additions of fresh herbs, sour cream, and Hungarian paprika make this a phenomenal soup recipe everyone will love.

If you love Hungarian food, try my recipe for chicken paprikash too.

Ingredient Notes, Substitutions, & Variations

The quantities of each ingredient are listed in the printable recipe card; this section will help you make the best Hungarian mushroom soup with what you have.

• Butter | Unsalted is best, but if you don’t have it just watch any additional salt and taste as you go.
• Onion, diced | Shallots are also fantastic instead.
• Cremini mushrooms & mixed wild forest mushrooms, thinly sliced | Use whatever you have on hand or prefer to use: porcini is wonderful in this soup, even if just a few dried slices.
• Bone Broth | I think a homemade beef bone broth or stock is best in this soup, but feel free to use chicken, chicken feet, turkey, wild game, or even vegetable. A stock cube and water will also work.
• Fresh Dill | You really want FRESH here, but dried will suffice in a pinch.
• Fresh Thyme | Dried thyme is a fine substitute.
• Sweet Hungarian Paprika | You want real, high-quality Hungarian paprika. Sweet is my favorite but hot will also do if you like it spicy. You can try smoked varieties too and adjust the amounts used in the recipe to suit your taste.
• Balsamic Vinegar | A bit of vinegar is excellent. Worcester sauce works instead. Instead of balsamic, you can also use apple cider vinegar, red wine, or white wine.
• Flour | All-purpose or gluten-free. Feel free to skip this if you desire.
• Sour Cream | You want full-fat sour cream. This ingredient is frequently used in so much of Central European cuisine, and I think it makes for such an incredible flavor and texture.
• Cream or Whole Milk | You can use more sour cream instead, I usually do.
• Fresh Parsley | An optional garnish that also adds more herbal flavor.
• Black Pepper + Salt | To taste. You want to watch for added salt if your stock has salt added.

Instructions

See Also

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• Step 1: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent. Take your time sautéeing the onions and mushrooms — let the heat and butter draw out their natural juices, and then let them get a little bit of color, too.

• Step 2: Add the stock, thyme, paprika, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then immediately reduce to low. Simmer gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by one-third.

• Step 3: Temper the sour cream so that it does not break: in a medium bowl, with a fork, whisk flour into the milk and sour cream until smooth. Add a ladle of hot soup broth into the bowl slowly, mixing the entire time.

• Step 4: Add the soup-milk-sour cream mixture back to the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens, about 10 more minutes.

• Step 5: Serve hot with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, fresh parsley, and fresh dill on top.

Hint: Serve this soup with bacon and an extra dollop of sour cream on top.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

Store your soup in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Reheat slowly on the stovetop over low heat with an added splash of water, stock, or wine.

Freeze up to 3 months and allow to defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.

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