Hungarian Mushroom Soup
This Hungarian mushroom soup is the most creamy, savory, and comforting mushroom soup you will ever come across. I show you how my Hungarian family makes this authentic recipe. This is EXACTLY how we eat it at home.
The trick to Hungarian flavors is using Hungarian sweet paprika. It has a sweet, mild flavor that works beautifully with savory mushrooms and is different from the smoky flavors of Spanish paprika.
If you are looking for more authentic Hungarian recipes, you will love this traditional Hungarian goulash recipe that’s straight from Hungary, or these Hungarian dumplings (nokedli) that are quite similar to German spaetzle.
❤️ Why you’ll love it
This mushroom soup has been passed down in my Hungarian family for generations. I teach you how to get authentic flavors regardless of where you are making it in the world.
It is a soup that can be enjoyed all around the year and truly represents Hungarian cuisine. The ingredients are budget-friendly and easy to find to create rich, authentic Hungarian flavors.
The combination of onion, mushrooms, sweet paprika, and sour cream is the key. You know it is a Hungarian recipe when it begins with saute onion in oil and add sweet paprika powder.
? Key ingredients
Most of the ingredients for this authentic Hungarian recipe can be found at your local grocery store, and you may already have many of them in your kitchen.
Button mushrooms are the star of this dish, bringing a rich, earthy flavor and meaty texture that is truly satisfying. Hungarians rarely add wild mushrooms, it is always button mushrooms.
Onions and garlic are the perfect duo to start the flavor base of this soup. They add a depth of flavor that is both savory and slightly sweet, which pairs beautifully with the mushrooms and paprika.
Carrots and parsnips are the key ingredient in most Hungarian soup recipes. They add a touch of natural sweetness and complement the earthy flavor of the mushrooms.
Hungarian sweet paprika is essential. Not Spanish and not chili peppers. Keep those for Mexican dishes.
Hungarians love to use sour cream in all kids of traditional dishes. It adds a rich, tangy creaminess that is absolutely delicious. If you want to make this soup completely plant-based, you can use a vegan sour cream. Preferably soy-based natural tasting.
? You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
?? Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
STEP 1
Peel and chop onion and garlic. Once these are ready, move on to your root vegetables. Wash, peel, and slice your carrot and parsnips.
STEP 2
Now, it is time to prepare your star ingredient – the mushrooms. Clean them well and slice them. Once all your ingredients are prepped, you can move on to cooking.
Making the Hungarian mushroom soup
STEP 1
Heat a stock pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add vegetable oil and chopped onion. Sauté these for about 3-4 minutes.
STEP 2
Next, add your chopped garlic, sliced carrot, and parsnips to the pot. Stir these ingredients together and cook for about 5-6 minutes.
STEP 3
Add your sliced mushrooms to the pot. Season everything with some salt and black pepper. Stir well and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
STEP 4
Add some sweet smoked paprika to the pot. This is a key ingredient in Hungarian cuisine and will give your soup its characteristic flavor and color. Just a quick stir and go to the next step. The paprika powder can easily get burnt and you don’t want that.
STEP 5
Pour your veggie broth into the pot and let the soup cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat.
STEP 6
While the soup is cooking, prepare a mixture of sour cream and cornstarch (or all-purposes flour) in a separate bowl. Add 2-3 ladles of the soup to the bowl with the sour cream and starch mixture. Mix everything well. The whisk is your best friend here to get a smooth consistency.
STEP 7
Pour this sour cream and starch mixture back into the pot of soup. Let the soup boil for another 3-4 minutes. This will thicken the soup and the flavors will meld together.
? Expert tip
The activate the flavors of the paprika powder, you need to add it before any liquid ingredient. The soup taste different if the powder gets mixed with the oil and fried a bit. But only for a couple of seconds. You also don’t want to burn the paprik powder. It is quite bitter like that.
? Variations
If you prefer a bit of heat in your food, consider adding a touch of chili powder to the recipe. However, Hungarians add Eros Pista, which is a roughly pureed hot paprika or spicy Hungarian wax pepper.
If you like your soups on the creamier side, you can increase the amount of sour cream in this recipe. An extra dollop or two will make the soup richer and creamier. But if you add too much, you will lose the mushroom flavor.
Traditionally, button mushrooms are used in Hungary for an authentic flavor. However, feel free to use wild mushrooms. Many Hungarians like to forage, and use those to make this soup.
? Serving ideas
Hungarian serve it as a first course and pair it with a light meet-free pasta dish. We usually dunk our bread in it or add a dolop of sour cream or a couple of spicy Hungarian wax pepper slices. But nothing else. We don’t eat it with salad or use it in any other way. It is a simple, filing meal that we usually serve for weekend lunch.
❄️ Storing tips
The key is to allow the soup to cool completely before storing it.
To store, once the soup has cooled, you can transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. The soup will stay fresh and tasty for up to four or five days. However, I doubt it will last that long because it is so delicious and will likely be enjoyed quickly.
I would not recommend freezing this particular recipe. The sour cream can separate and become grainy when you thaw and reheat the soup, which can alter the texture and consistency.
When you are ready to enjoy the leftovers, you can reheat the soup on the stovetop. Place the soup in a saucepan and heat it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is warmed through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave. Just be sure to stir the soup every 30 seconds to make sure it heats evenly.
? FAQs
Yes, you can absolutely use a different variety of mushrooms. In fact, using a mix of mushrooms can add a depth of flavor to this dish. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time as different mushrooms have different textures and water content.
While the recipe calls for vegetable broth, you can substitute it with chicken broth if you do not have any. However, this will make the soup non-vegan.
Traditionally, Hungarian mushroom soup is made with full-fat sour cream, which gives it a rich and creamy texture. However, you can use low-fat or non-fat sour cream if you prefer. Just be aware that this may alter the texture and richness of the soup.
Instead of using sour cream, you can use a plant-based sour cream or make a cashew cream. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice for a tangy flavor.
More Hungarian recipes
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- Cast-iron Dutch Oven (3-quart / 2.8 liter)
- Stockpot
Ingredients
- 17 oz Button mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion (medium)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Carrots (medium)
- 1 Parsnip
- 5 cup Veggie broth
- 1 Tbsp Sweet paprika powder
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- Parsley (fresh)
- 3 Tbsp Sour cream
- 1 tsp Corn starch
Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
- Peel and chop onion and garlic. Wash, peel, and slice carrot, and parsnip. Clean and slice mushrooms.
Making the soup
- Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven to medium heat and add olive oil and chopped onion. Cook them for 3-4 minutes.
- Add chopped garlic, sliced carrot and parsnip. Stir and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add mushrooms. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir well and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
- Add sweet smoked paprika powder. Stir to combine.
- Add veggie broth and simmer the soup for 15 minutes on medium heat.
- In a bowl combine sour cream and starch. Make sure there's no lumps. Then add 2-3 ladle soup into the bowl (one by one) and mix it well.
- Finally, add this mix into the soup and boil the soup for 3-4 minutes.
