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Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Earthy mushrooms are the savory stars of this creamy, pungent, satisfying Hungarian mushroom soup.

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large pot of Hungarian mushroom soup with a ladle

More mushroom recipes from The Modern Proper

Hungarian Mushroom Soup For Every Occasion.

Paprika-tinged and soothing, there’s something uniquely cozy about this creamy mushroom soup. Meaty, earthy mushrooms are lifted up by the herbaceous lightness of dill and the subtle tang of sour cream, while a generous sprinkling of paprika turns the whole fragrant pot a blushing shade of pink. Hungarian mushroom soup is a cold-weather staple in our homes, and we hope it’ll become one in yours, too. For more mushroom inspiration check out our BEST mushroom recipes post!

gold ladle scooping Hungarian mushroom soup out of a large pot

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How Do You Make the Best Mushroom Soup?

Soup is pretty magical. Made well, soup can be an especially focused celebration of flavor—think chicken soup, or potato-leek—and if you’re a mushroom lover, it doesn’t get much more drool-worthy than the thought of a whole entire pot of mushroom soup. As for the best mushroom soup in the whole world, you know where we stand. This Hungarian mushroom soup pretty much blows all others out of the water. Here’s how to ensure it turns out beautifully every time:

  1. Use good mushrooms. They’re the main event here, so select mushrooms that look firm and clean. We like cremini mushrooms for their darker color and super meaty texture, but regular white button mushrooms are OK, too.
  2. Take your time sautéeing the onions and mushrooms—let the heat and butter draw out their natural juices, and then let them get a little bit of color, too. Nice, dark—not burnt, but dark—caramelization means flavor, flavor, flavor. This recipe comes together without much effort—it asks only patience.
  3. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: don’t substitute low-fat dairy for the sour cream and milk. Just a few tablespoons of each is all it takes to give this soup a decadent, comforting richness, so don’t skimp. Just enjoy!
large pot of mushrooms sautéed with butter and onions
heavy cream being poured into mushroom onion mixture in a large pot

What makes Hungarian Mushroom Soup Hungarian?

Paprika! Paprika at its most basic is simply dried, ground peppers, and it is a spice that is believed to have originated in Hungary as early as the 15th century and is today a defining flavor of Hungarian cuisine. All paprika is not created equal, though. Here’s a quick crash course in our favorite smokey, spicy, sweet, pink-ifying spice:

  • For our Hungarian mushroom soup, sweet, mild Hungarian paprika is the classic choice. You can look for it at your local grocery store labeled (usually) as “Hungarian sweet paprika”. You can order it online here, too.
  • If you prefer a little kick, you can also look for “Hungarian Half-Sharp Paprika” which is a slightly spicier take on the classic sweet Hungarian paprika.
  • Many recipes call specifically for Spanish paprika—like paella, for example—also known as pimenton, which is a type of paprika made from a slightly different type of pepper than the Hungarian version. While we love its unique smoky depth of flavor, it’s not right for this Hungarian mushroom soup.
hungarian mushroom soup in a ceramic bowl topped with sour cream, fresh parsley and crusty bread

Meatless Monday?

Lusciously creamy, this Hungarian Mushroom Soup makes for a simple weeknight supper—and since it’s vegetarian, it’s especially perfect for meatless Mondays. Round it out into a more substantial meal with some crusty bread, or our herby rolls. A gorgeous, cold cucumber salad makes for the perfect refreshing contrast to the soups’ richness.

If you make this Hungarian mushroom soup, we’d love to hear about it! Be sure to snap a photo, add it to your Instagram feed or stories and tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper if you do. Also, feel free to leave a comment on the post and tell your friends where you discovered the recipe.

hungarian mushroom soup in a ceramic bowl topped with sour cream, fresh parsley and crusty bread

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

  • Serves: 4
  • Yields: 5 cups
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  30 min

Video

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, from 1 lemon (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Method

  1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the stock, white wine, dill, thyme, paprika, worcestershire and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces by ⅓, about 10 minutes.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk flour into the milk until smooth. Add the milk mixture to the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup begins to thicken, about 10 more minutes.

  3. Over low heat, slowly stir in the sour cream, and lemon juice until fully incorporated.

  4. Divide the soup into four bowls and top with fresh parsley to serve.

**Yields 5 cups of soup. If serving 4 people as a main dish, we recommend doubling the recipe.

To Freeze: Cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. 24 hours before serving, place the soup in the refrigerator to thaw. Transfer to a soup pot set over medium-high heat. Cook the soup, stirring constantly until warmed through. The soup will look like it had separated at first but as it heats through it will come together nicely!

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories363
  • Protein11 g
  • Carbohydrates35 g
  • Total Fat17 g
  • Dietary Fiber3 g
  • Cholesterol43 mg
  • sodium593 mg
  • Total Sugars10 g

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Questions & Reviews

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  • Cheryl

    What can sub for wine? And Can red wine be used?

    We wouldn't recommend red wine but you can sub ore chicken broth instead of wine if you'd like to give that a try. Hope you enjoy Cheryl!

  • Karen

    Can I use Marsala instead of white wine? Thank you

    We haven't tried it in this recipe but should be ok. Or you can use chicken broth in place of white wine.

  • Sherri

    does this soup freeze well?

    Absolutely, just reheat slowly stirring often to avoid separation.

  • Tim

    Is the optional Italian parsley diced or chopped?

    when is it added to the soup?

    Chopped and just top it on each bowl when serving.

  • Jasmine

    Can you substitute the white wine for dry vermouth ?

    Should work ok depending how aromatic your vermouth is. Hope you enjoy!

  • Maria

    Used 1/2 cup of cream instead of whole milk and sour cream.... Also added some fresh rosemary that was on hand. It turned out amazing. Delicious recipe!

    Thanks Maria, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Tom

    Delicious earthy flavor! Great with homemade sourdough bread. One of those recipes I've meant to make for 20 years, and finally did it. ISuper easy. Thinking about all kinds of variations. I will try it with shallots next time.

    Thanks Tom, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Charlize

    Delicious soup. Didn’t change a thing. Served with a buttered piece of crusty sourdough was amazing. 5/5 will save this recipe and make again.

    Thanks Charlize, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Sharon

    I made this soup today. measured the amounts and followed the directions exactly. Cremini mushrooms, Chardennay wine. all of the juice from one Meyer lemon, and honest-to-goodness Hungarian Paprika were used. Very tasty soup!

    Thanks Lea, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Debbie

    I just made this soup and boy was I surprised. It is so good. I was a little concerned about the amount of onion ( I guess it depends on the size of the onion) so I cut mine back to 3/4 cup. I also thought it called for a lot of dill but I used the recipe amount and it was perfect, didn’t taste like dill pickle at all, lol. I will be making this again. Much more richer and gourmet than the canned stuff. Next time I’m going to try beef stock instead of chicken. Seems like that would be the perfect starter for a steak and baked potato dinner.

    Thanks Debbie, we are so glad you love it!