Hungarian Mushroom Soup Garnished with Sour Cream and Sprig of Dill.

This soup is a real treat. It comes together quickly but you would never know that by the way it tastes. It oozes luxury, yet still manages to be a bowl full of comfort. The tamari  intensifies the earthiness of the mushrooms in a way I had not encountered before. The dill and paprika are brilliant together. And the touch of lemon perfectly balances the richness of the sour cream. I serve it simply with a loaf of hard-crusted bread. But maybe you’d prefer to ladle it over a pile of egg noodles, goulash-style. I bet a little wild rice stirred in (my Dad’s suggestion) would be terrific too. The possibilities are endless but one thing’s for sure, Mollie Katzen’s  Hungarian Mushroom Soup does not disappoint. Keeper status for sure! I can’t wait to make this for my grandmother.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups onion, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, divided

12-16 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I like Crimini/Baby Bellas from Costco)

1 tablespoon tamari (can substitute soy sauce)

1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika

2 teaspoons dried dill weed

2 cups chicken stock or water, divided (I like Kitchen Basics in yellow box)

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup skim milk

2 teaspoons lemon juice (I like fresh lemon)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven or small soup pot sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter until onions are clear. Next add mushrooms, tamari, paprika, dill weed and 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a Bechamel. In small sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for several minutes. Next add milk. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes until mixture thickens. Stir into mushroom mixture and add remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes.

Just before serving add lemon juice, sour cream, salt and pepper. (Note: Soup should only be gently heated once sour cream has been added, do not boil after this point).

Makes four Hearty servings

Cookbooks on my Shelf

Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook is a real joy. I spent most of the spring happily cooking my way through her first chapter dedicated to soups. Chapter one is so complete that she subdivides it into two parts: Hot & Cold. Yum! Who knew that an over-sized package of Baby Bella mushrooms from Costco would lead me to such a treasure? The hand drawn illustrations are personal and the recipes… Well, let’s just say vegetables have never tasted so good. Mollie Katzen makes vegetables take center stage. Each dish shines with her knowledgeable use of herbs and knack for using vegetables in ways that you did not know were possible.

Although Hungarian Mushroom Soup might be my favorite, my 5-year-old would disagree. He loves her Cream of Asparagus. And then there is her Potato-Fennel, and Cauliflower Cheese or Mushroom Bisque. I could go on and on. And I will by placing a subtle hint for my husband hidden in this post. I would love a vintage copy of her original Moosewood Cookbook first published in 1977. The new one is great but the original version would be so lovely on my cookbook shelf.

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