“Paprika is the red thread that stitches Hungarian history into every bite.”

Well, not officially fall, but nice weather-wise temperatures for hearty dinners to come. Something new to me fell into my “Copy Me That” recipe files from Julia’s Album, adapted of course, and her recipe follows with my gentle additions that include Pinches of porcini dust and smoked paprika… https://juliasalbum.com/hungarian-mushroom-soup/

Michael is not a mushroom eater, so I made half of the recipe for myself while he finished some leftover chili, and everybody was happy. Serve with a crusty bread or roll and a salad.

Julia’s Hungarian Mushroom Soup, slightly adapted:

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced (or bella mushrooms, or portobello)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika or regular sweet paprika, and *I added a pinch of Smoked Paprika
  *Pinches of porcini dust
  *splashes of white wine
• 3 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon Tamari sauce or Worchestershire sauce
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt, pepper, and ground chili pepper to taste. I used pepper melange.

Directions:

“Let the soup rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Garnish with extra fresh herbs if desired and enjoy with crusty bread or a light salad.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3–4 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for 7–8 minutes until they release their moisture and become golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle the flour and Hungarian paprika over the mushrooms, stirring well to coat everything. Cook for another 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.

Gradually add the chicken broth and white wine while stirring to prevent lumps. Pour in the milk and Tamari sauce, then mix everything together. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After the soup has simmered for 10 minutes, remove it from the heat. Stir in the sour cream, lemon juice, fresh parsley, dill, thyme, salt, black pepper, and ground chili pepper. Mix well until smooth and combined.”