Featured Reader Review
Morgan said, “Love it! My husband and I spent a few years living in Eastern Europe so we’re a bit picky when it comes to mushroom soups, but this was a total win. Really easy and so good!”
When the temperature drops outside, we immediately turn to soup to warm us up. This Hungarian mushroom soup is for you if you (a) don’t want to wait all day for soup to simmer on the stove — the cook time is about 30 minutes total! — and (b) love both creamy, bright acidic flavors with unmistakable umami from earthy mushrooms.
It’s great because while, yes, this soup recipe is creamy, it’s not going to weigh you down. The majority of the liquid comes from chicken stock. There is milk and we’ll add sour cream at the end for that creamy texture, but it’s not as heavy as say clam chowder or a bisque (which we also love dearly!).
What makes this Hungarian versus regular mushroom soup? The use of sweet Hungarian paprika! In addition to amping up the flavor, it gives the mushroom soup that glorious, bold red color.
Who’s ready to make Hungarian mushroom soup?!
Ingredients For Hungarian Mushroom Soup
The soup begins with butter, onion, and lots of fresh mushrooms. They get seasoned with paprika and fresh dill. Make sure to use high quality mushrooms. What to look for: firm, dry, and not discolored.
Next, we’re adding soy sauce, chicken stock, dry white wine, and milk. Thicken the mushroom soup by adding a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour, then season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Just before serving, add fresh lemon juice and cool, creamy sour cream. Takes it over the top! While I’m usually a part-skim sour cream kinda gal, I really think the full fat sour cream is best here. Super luscious!
Optional garnishes: parsley, dill, additional sour cream, or crostini.
How To Make Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Begin by melting butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add thinly sliced onion, then sweat until translucent, ab out 5-7 minutes. Increase the heat, add mushrooms, then sauté until they turn golden brown, another 3-4 minutes.
- Add paprika and dill, then stir until fragrant.
- Add the liquid: chicken stock, milk, white wine, and soy sauce. Stir in the flour to thicken, then cook over a simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add lemon juice and sour cream. Stir to combine and melt the sour cream, then serve immediately.
Tips For The Best Mushroom Soup
- Take the time to sweat the onions gently before cranking the heat up to sauté the mushrooms! The onions don’t need a ton of color, but we like the mushrooms to have a textural contrast and deep flavor.
- Don’t boil the soup after adding sour cream! The sour cream can curdle and become unpleasant if cooked over high heat for too long.
- Make sure to use fresh lemon juice. There’s no replacement for that fresh, vibrant acidity!
- Want to make a gluten-free version of Hungarian mushroom soup? Sub traditional all-purpose flour with your favorite alternative flour for thickening!
- Prefer a fully vegetarian soup? Switch from chicken stock to vegetable stock – easy!
Freezer-Friendly!
Soup is pretty much the most freezer-friendly food out there.
How to freeze soup (so there’s no freezer burn!) – Allow to cool completely, then transfer to a large gallon-size Ziploc bag. Seal, then freeze flat. Once frozen, you can store the frozen bag of soup on its side.
Alternatively, if you store the soup in a round, reusable, freezer-safe container. To reheat, simply run the sealed container under warm water for a few minutes to loosen the soup from the side. Invert open container over a soup pot till the frozen soup pops out, then reheat slowly over medium heat.
In either case, remove as much air as possible before sealing to prevent freezer burn. And P.S. don’t forget to label every item that goes into your freezer! Add the date, too. Trust us, it helps when you go freezer diving later.
Hungarian mushroom soup will keep in a freezer for up to 3 months when stored properly. You may want to add in a little additional sour cream when you reheat the soup to bring it back to life!
Variations and Substitutions on Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Use any type of mushrooms you have on hand! Just slice them roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- If you don’t have parsley or dill, try adding fresh thyme. Alternatively, dried herbs will work in a pinch!
- While sour cream is traditional in Hungarian mushroom soup, creme fraiche can be substituted if needed. It’ll add that same creaminess and burst of tangy acidity.
- We also love the idea of roasting the mushrooms and transforming this into a roasted mushroom soup! So good!
Crazy about mushrooms? Omg, us too! Definitely check out our mushrooms on toast and maitake mushrooms with ‘nduja. Both highlight the natural earthiness of mushrooms, which we are just crazy about. Full on umami!
If you make this Hungarian Mushroom Soup recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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For more cozy fall and winter dishes, check out the following:
- Braised beef short ribs
- Lamb ragu with mint and ricotta
- Butternut squash risotto
- Herb-scented mashed potatoes
- Creamy polenta with roasted mushrooms
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Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Sour Cream & Dill
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 lb mixed mushrooms, such as shiitakes, creminis, or button mushrooms, cleaned, stems discarded, mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill, plus more for serving
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup milk, any kind
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ medium lemon juiced, about 2 Tbsp
- ½ cup sour cream
- For serving: chopped fresh parsley, flaky sea salt, and microgreens (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables. Melt butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Increase the heat slightly, add the mushrooms, and sauté until golden brown and lightly caramelized, about 3–4 minutes more.
- Add herbs and spices. Stir in paprika and fresh dill, cooking just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Build the soup. Pour in chicken stock, milk, white wine, and soy sauce. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking well to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Finish and serve. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir in fresh lemon juice and sour cream, mixing until smooth and fully incorporated. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.
Notes
- Don’t boil after adding sour cream. Once the sour cream is stirred in, keep the heat low and avoid bringing the soup to a boil — high heat can cause it to curdle and separate.
- Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled juice simply won’t deliver the same bright, vibrant acidity that fresh lemon brings to the soup.
- To freeze: Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer to a gallon-size zip-top bag. Seal well and freeze flat. Once solid, you can store the bag upright or stacked to save space.
Very tasty. Only had half the amount of white wine required, so I added Port…it did no harm !!
My only suggestion is that you put the herb options in the heart of the recipe.
I didn’t have fresh dill, so I used dry. Did have fresh thyme, but didn’t read note until I had savored your great recipe. Thank you
Yum, I bet Port was a great addition! Generally, I try to keep the recipe card simplified with additional details in the blog post, but I’ll add a note about thyme in the card as well. Thanks for the feedback and so glad you enjoyed! xo, Ari
Love it! My husband and I spent a few years living in Eastern Europe so we’re a bit picky when it comes to mushroom soups, but this was a total win. Really easy and so good!
Thanks, Morgan! I think the dill and sour cream give this soup such a distinguishable taste — it’s so good!! xo, Ari
Well this is damn delicious. This is where mushroom and dill lovers’ dreams come true! I made this for baby prep and froze it. It made two quart fulls which ended up being about four servings with the way I’m eating these days. I left out the sour cream before freezing. Just added a spoonful to the serving when I ate it. It defrosted and reheated wonderfully!
The dill and sour cream are such pronounced flavors, I love it!! Think the creamy, tangy flavor is delicious with paprika. Glad you were able to freeze a batch before baby! Thanks, Erin! xo, Ari