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Hungarian mushroom soup with cream and parsley.
Deborah Rainford

Easy Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup

This Hungarian Mushroom Soup is a rich, creamy, and flavorful dish that’s perfect for a cozy meal. Infused with paprika, dill, and a hint of sour cream, this soup brings a taste of Hungary to your kitchen. It's simple to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a comforting weekend treat.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: American, Hungarian
Calories: 273
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 pound cremini or white mushrooms sliced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 ¼ tablespoons Hungarian paprika* see notes
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce* see notes optional
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley chopped (optional, for garnish)

Method
 

Sauté the Onions and Mushrooms:
  1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot. Cook for another 10-12 minutes until the mushrooms release their moisture and start to brown. This may take a little longer if your mushrooms are very large as they will contain more moisture.
Season and Simmer:
  1. Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a hard simmer. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Add some salt and pepper at this stage.
  2. Stir in the, paprika, and soy sauce along with the dill of using dried. If you’re using fresh dill, stir it in at the end. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
Make the Cream Base:
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and flour until very smooth.
  2. Gradually pour the milk mixture into the soup, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
  3. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the soup thickens. It’s important to cook the milk and flour mixture for long enough to cook out the flavor of the raw flour.
Finish the Soup:
  1. Lower the heat to low and stir in the sour cream and lemon juice. Mix well and heat the soup gently—do not let it boil. If it boils the sour cream will curdle. Stir in the fresh dill if using.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve:
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Notes

  • Paprika: For an authentic flavor, use Hungarian sweet paprika. Depending on where you live, this may be more difficult to track down. If you can’t find it, you can use regular paprika. If you’d like a very bold flavor, you can use smoked paprika, but that will alter the traditional flavor of the soup.
  • Soy Sauce: This is a very non-traditional ingredient, but it really adds a punchy umami flavor. If you prefer to keep this recipe more traditional, you can skip this.
  • Sour Cream: Temper the sour cream by mixing it with a bit of the hot soup before adding it to the pot to prevent curdling.
  • Thicker Soup: If you prefer a thicker soup, reduce the amount of broth by ½ cup or simmer the soup longer after adding the milk-flour mixture.