Hungarian Mushroom Soup

This Hungarian Mushroom Soup is full of flavor, creamy and so cozy. A variety of mushrooms and a dash of soy sauce make this soup full of umami flavor it’s insane. A few updates modernize this classic soup, making it wonderful for both weeknights and occasions. 

What makes this mushroom soup Hungarian? 

The key ingredient in this soup that makes it Hungarian is paprika. Paprika has been a mainstay ingredient in Hugarian cuisine for centuries. And while paprika can come from Spain, South America, and California, Hungarian paprika is considered to be of the highest quality.

You can find Hungarian paprika in most grocery and spice stores now, as well as Amazon.

One of the most common varieties of paprika hails from Spain and is labeled pimenton. Pimenton ranges from sweet to hot, and is a great addition to paella. However, be sure to use a sweet mild Hungarian paprika for this soup. There’s a place and time for hot paprika, but this soup is best with the sweet mild variety—adding flavor while not monopolizing the other players. 

I do offer an option to add a dash of smoked paprika, if you have it. It’s not necessary by any means, but it does offer a modern touch to the cozy soup. 

How to make the best Hungarian Mushroom Soup:

There are a few steps to creating the best mushroom soup. They’re all simple, but they do deserve a little time and attention. 

Use good quality mushrooms

Don’t compromise on freshness and quality in favor of variety of mushrooms. I love using a mixture of mushrooms for this soup because they add textural interest. However, if adding variety means you have to sacrifice on quality it’s just not worth it. If the best mushrooms you can find are button or cremini, use those! The soup will still be delightfully delicious. 

When looking for mushrooms choose those that have a fresh odor, are dry to the touch (not slimy), and are free of any discoloring.

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Make a roux to thicken the soup

First off, what’s a “roux,” and what does it do? A roux is a mixture of fat and flour that is slowly cooked over low to medium heat and is used to thicken soups, stews and sauces. 

When making a soup, I will most often add my flour right in with the sautéed veggies, cook it a bit, then stir in my liquid and simmer. But, to ensure a super creamy soup free of any lumps, I chose to clear out the pot (don’t worry you don’t have to clean it), cook the flour and spices in some butter, then slowly whisk in the liquid before adding the veggies back in.

Doing it this way puts my mind at ease, it’s a foolproof way to ensure you get a creamy soup free of any raw lumps of flour. 

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Skip the nonfat stuff

Here at ZK we like to make things “healthy-ish” but in an elevated, enjoyable way. AKA we’re here to create healthy food that tastes delicious, because what’s the point of healthy if you don’t actually enjoy the food? 

So, here’s the thing, skim milk and low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt just doesn’t do this soup justice. It’s all about the creaminess with this one. To make you feel a bit better, I do use 2% milk which when combined with sour cream, adds the perfect amount of creamy goodness. Additionally, I swapped half of the butter for olive oil—I’ll take any chance I can get to add some heart-healthy fruity olive oil to the mix. 

Finish with a bit of acid and something fresh 

Unless you are making a tomato-based soup, nearly every soup will benefit from a dash of acid right at the end. For this Hungarian Mushroom Soup I like to use white (or red) wine vinegar or sherry vinegar. Classically, lemon juice is added at the end, and you surely can use that instead, but the white wine vinegar plays nicely with the dry white wine used for deglazing earlier in the recipe. 

Gluten Free Hungarian Mushroom Soup 

This soup can easily be made gluten free thanks to sorghum flour! Simply swap the ¼ cup of all-purpose flour out for an equal amount of sorghum flour. Nutty in flavor, this whole grain flour is a wonderful—and flavorful—thickener for both soups and sauces. My go-to sorghum company? NuLife Market. Their products are top-notch, and wonderful for modifying classic recipes to be gluten-free. 

Vegetarian Hungarian Mushroom Soup

You’ll see I list either vegetable broth or chicken broth in the ingredient list. I prefer chicken broth here but you can absolutely use vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegetarian. Try to use low-sodium veg broth, if you can find it (sometimes it’s a challenge!). If you can’t find low-sodium veg broth, decrease the salt by ¼ teaspoon.

More mushrooms recipes you may like…

• Mushroom Veggie Burgers
• Mushroom & Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer
• Sweet Potato Ravioli with Seared Mushrooms
• Moroccan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
• Wild Mushroom Stuffing
• Savory Breakfast Bowl with Crispy Shiitakes
• Vegetarian Mushroom & Eggplant Pasta Bolognese 
  

Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this Hungarian Mushroom Soup!

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