This Hungarian Mushroom Soup is not authentic as in I switched out the dill and oregano which compliments the paprika and lemon for a different flavor combination. The finished soup is comforting and delicious!
Hungarian Mushroom Soup just LOOKS delicious. You know the texture is going to be silky. The flavor is sure to satisfy your need for something robust and meaty. And my take on the standard recipe changes only one ingredient, but the subtle change in taste is something really special.
Hungarian Mushroom Soup requires the combination of lemon, paprika and dill (usually). But on the day I was making this family favorite soup and my onions and mushrooms were browned and waiting, I realized I was out of dill weed. In desperation, I reached for one of my favorite herbs, Oregano. And the day oregano made its debut as a substitution for dill is the day this soup became a much-requested staple for my family. I’ve been living on the “this is SORT OF Hungarian Mushroom Soup” side ever since. I love the slightly peppery taste oregano adds. It perfectly compliments the smoky flavor from the paprika. And lemon gives the soup a fresh taste that brings it all together. While dill adds more of a grassy taste to the soup, the subtle bitterness of oregano gives a nice tang, and the other flavors shine through. Some could say the oregano with lemon makes this more of a Greek mushroom soup, but give this a try. You won’t be disappointed.
I usually serve the soup with some Basmati rice when I’m wanting a more complete menu, but it’s fabulous with or without the rice. An extra dollop of sour cream looks pretty, but again, is optional.
Hungarian Mushroom Soup - sort of
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 good dash of smoked paprika, optional
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 cups vegetable broth, plus ½ cup more if necessary at the end of cooking
- 1 cup milk
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups cooked rice; brown or basmati, optional
- Extra sour cream and parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté 2 cups onions in the butter until they just start to brown; about 5 minutes. Add 8 ounces sliced mushrooms and sauté for 5 more minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 Tablespoon sweet paprika, good dash or smoked paprika, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and 2 cups broth. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk 1 cup milk and 3 Tablespoon flour together. Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finally, stir in 1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, ¼ cup parsley and ½ cup sour cream. Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not boil.
- (If the soup seems more thick than you want, add another ½ cup vegetable broth.
- Serve immediately with 1 ½ cups cooked rice and extra sour cream to stir in if desired.
If you’re set on a traditional Hungarian Mushroom Soup, just substitute the oregano with the same amount of dill.
Adapted from All Recipes
My husband and I are just obsessed with this recipe. I’ve been coming back to it for years and just wanted to leave some love because it’s one of our favorites! It’s become a go to for sharing with friends and family too – always goes over great! Thanks!
Darcy, what a wonderful comment to start my Monday! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that you make this often. We love it just as much at our house and I make it frequently. Have a nice week, you definitely made mine. 🙂
I used baby Bella mushrooms and had sweet Italian sausage available to add. Really really good!! I can’t wait to taste it tomorrow after the flavors have melded. I’ll be making this again for sure.
Wow, Erin! I never thought of adding meat to the soup. Good to know!
Looks amazing! I wonder how sweet potatoes would be if I added them?
Hi Patricia, I’m not sure that sweet potatoes go with this recipe but you could definitely try them.
This soup is truly delicious. I have made it a few times now and it’s going into my “favorites” file. I did change the 4 T butter to 1 T butter and 3 T olive oil and find that it’s perfect even without the rice.
A big thank you to you!
Jane, thanks so much for this comment! It’s one of my favorites too, I don’t make it nearly as often as I should. Thanks for the tip in changing out some of the butter. I’m going to make this again in a few days and will utilize your substitution! In fact, I’m going to make it a permanent change on the printable recipe. Great idea and thanks again for taking the time to comment. It means a lot!
As Caroline Csaks mom, I am reinforcing her comments on the Hungarian Mushroom soup – making it this weekend. The rice in the bowl is also recommended, especially for visiting grandchildren after a busy day on the ski slope…
Thank you Annie! 🙂
We’ve just had this for dinner and it was delicious! As I tend to fiddle with recipes I used a lot more mushrooms (the local supermarket often has bags of cheap mushrooms so I had lots to use up), and I added a squirt of hot paprika paste for a little bit of bite. (You can usually find this in European delis)
I’ll definitely be making this a lot in the future.
Caroline, Oh I love the idea of the hot paprika paste! I will need to look for that to use in this soup and it also sounds like something I’d like for many other options. Thanks for making the soup. We love it too! I appreciate your taking the time to comment.
This soup has turned out to be one of my favorites – I like your version so much better than the ones with dill.
Thank you Mary! We like the ‘oregano’ version around here too. You made my weekend. 🙂
I was looking for a copy cat recipe for a Hungarian Mushroom soup made by a local deli that I love. After finding this, I make it all the time. It’s perfect. The only things I sometimes add are spinach and a bit of cayenne. Serve with crusty French bread, and you’re good to go. So, so good. Thank you 🙂
Hilary, Thanks so much for your comments. I love the idea of adding spinach! I’ll try that next time. Thanks again.
Looks great Sally. Thanks for being you!! I can’t wait to make some of these recipes for my family.
Thanks so much Jeannie!