Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Growing up, most soups that I had eaten came out of a can. After working at Stacker Cafe, all that changed. I started making the soups that were regular staples at the restaurant. Taking those with me to my job at the brew pub, I continued to grow my recipe collection to vary the daily lunch menu. Googling ingredients, I came across this recipe for Hungarian mushroom soup, which immediately struck my fancy. You see, my mom was born in Hungary, so I thought, at the very least, I’d give it a shot. Altering it slightly to make up for the lack of certain ingredients in the brewery’s kitchen, it turned out splendidly. Granted it’s not a very filling soup, what without any kind of meat, paired with submarine sandwiches or Philly cheese steaks, it makes for the perfect meal.

1/2 cup butter
4 cups onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs. mushrooms
4 tsp. dill weed
2 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
6 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 cup sour cream

In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic in butter for five minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté five more minutes. Stir in dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk milk and flour together. Pour into soup and stir well to blend. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream. Stir well and allow to heat through over low heat – about 3-5 minutes – before serving.