Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Butter Dumplings
Magyaros Gombaleves Vajas Galuskával
Servings: 4
This rich and creamy Hungarian mushroom soup is one of my favorite quick comfort meals. It may not be the most traditional version of magyaros gombaleves, but it is full of familiar Hungarian flavors: mushrooms, root vegetables, paprika, sour cream and plenty of fresh parsley.
I also add soft homemade butter dumplings directly to the soup, making it hearty enough to serve as a complete meal. I prepare mine without bacon and use duck fat for extra flavor, but cooking oil works perfectly too—and using oil with vegetable stock makes it suitable for a vegetarian meal.
Serve it with freshly baked Hungarian cheese sticks, and you can have a warm, satisfying family dinner on the table in about 45 minutes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the mushroom soup:
1 tablespoon duck fat or cooking oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ Hungarian wax pepper or sweet bell pepper, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 medium parsley root or parsnip, sliced
500 g white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
2 bay leaves
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 litres vegetable stock, chicken stock or water
200 g sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Optional:
100 g smoked bacon, cut into small strips
For the butter dumplings:
25 g butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg
100 g all-purpose flour
1–3 tablespoons water, as needed
1 pinch salt
For serving:
Sour cream
Fresh parsley
Hungarian cheese sticks, optional
Instructions
Heat the duck fat or oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the diced pepper and tomato. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the carrot, parsley root or parsnip, and sliced mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pot briefly from the heat. Stir in the paprika, marjoram and bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper.
Pour in the stock or water. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Whisk the sour cream and flour together until smooth. Gradually mix in two ladlefuls of hot soup to temper the sour cream.
Slowly pour the sour cream mixture into the soup while stirring. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, until the soup thickens. Add the chopped parsley.
To prepare the dumplings, mix the melted butter, egg and salt. Gradually add the flour and enough water to create a soft, thick and slightly sticky paste.
Drop small portions of dumpling mixture into the gently simmering soup using a teaspoon. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the dumplings float and are cooked through.
Remove the bay leaves. Serve the soup with additional sour cream, chopped parsley and freshly baked Hungarian cheese sticks.