My Fave Mushroom Soup, Hungarian Style

Mushroom soup has forever been one of my faves.  My mom {the soup master, as she’s known in our hood} makes a killer one, so when it came time for me to start whipping up my own, I went right to my favorite soup source.  Rather than the creamy classic, my mom’s was more brothy- sweet and savory, and so incredibly comforting.  While my mom isn’t typically one to follow recipes (she’s a create-on-the-spot kinda gal- like mother like daughter!), she told me her version was loosely based off the Moosewood Cookbook’s Hungarian mushroom soup.  So I took some tips from her, some tips from the book, and added in some Natalie twists to create this.  We love it!  Plus, it’s made friendly for just about ay dietary needs out there- no flour and options for dairy-free-ers too. 🙂

Technically, Hungarian paprika should be used to make this a Hungarian mushroom soup… but I’m a fan of using whatever’s on hand, so if you have it, excellent- but if you don’t, just use regular old sweet paprika instead.  Paprika is key though- it’s what makes this so beautifully red and delicious.  Mild, but a must indeed.

Dill is the another must-have for this.  My mom adds it to many of her soups- not something commonly used for soups in the United States, but around Russia and many Mediterranean regions, it’s a common staple.  It’s tough to explain the flavor of dill- it’s subtly sweet, which meshes perfectly with the sweet earthiness of mushrooms.  I will never make mushroom soup without it.  Ever. 🙂

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 cups sliced mushrooms (approx 12 oz in weight)

2 cups chopped yellow onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus more to taste

1 tbsp paprika (Hungarian preferably, or regular sweet)

2 tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari if preferred)

2 cups chicken stock (or veggie if preferred)

1 cup whole milk (or coconut milk if preferred)

3 tbsp butter or ghee

1 tbsp arrowroot starch (or other preferred thickening agent, I use this)

1/2 tsp salt, plus more as needed

2 tsp lemon juice

to garnish: fresh dill, sour cream, and crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Slice mushrooms, chop onion, mince garlic, and slice that dill

Add 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp chicken broth, chopped onion, and salt to a pot over medium-high heat

Stir and cook for approx 5 minutes, until softened

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small bowl

Add the arrowroot starch

Mix to make a slurry (this is now your thickener) 🙂

Add all remaining ingredients to the pot except lemon juice…

mushrooms, garlic, dill, remaining stock, coconut aminos, paprika, milk, and starch-butter slurry

(I’ve made this several times- sometimes I add the mushroom in solo first, to saute them a bit before adding in the broth… other times I don’t- it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference either way- pick your route)

Stir, cover, and lower heat

Simmer for approx 20-30 minutes

At the very end, add lemon juice

Taste and adjust seasonings as desired

That’s it!

Ladle it up…

Top with fresh dill, some sour cream, and crushed red pepper if desired

Devour. 🙂

Goes great with this chicken recipe, or as a simple soup and salad meal!