This vegan Hungarian mushroom soup is made with tender cremini mushrooms in a rich, creamy, paprika-infused broth. Finished with a touch of lemon and fresh dill, it's the ultimate bowl of comfort food!
There's something super comforting about a big bowl of mushroom soup, in just about any form. Mushrooms are hearty, satisfying, and packed with savory flavor. When the temperature starts to drop, I crave my mushroom barley soup, vegan mushroom wild rice soup, and rosemary mushroom stew. I think I have a new favorite, though: Hungarian mushroom soup.
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This soup is like my vegan cream of mushroom soup on steroids. It's got the savory mushrooms and creamy broth, but with lots of paprika adding warm, sweet notes, along with zippy lemon and fresh dill. The combination is incredibly flavorful and oh-so-comforting.
Traditional Hungarian mushroom soup gets its creamy texture from sour cream. For our vegan version, we're using blended cashews instead. And you don't need much! Just blend them with a portion of the broth to create a luxurious, silky base that nobody would guess is dairy-free. Add in that rich paprika flavor and fresh dill, and you've got one seriously scrumptious bowl of soup.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Vegan butter. Most stores carry this in the refrigerated case, near the regular butter. Oil also works as a substitute.
- Cremini mushrooms. White button mushrooms can be substituted in a pinch.
- Onion.
- Flour. I've only tested the recipe with all-purpose wheat flour, though I suspect an all purpose gluten-free blend would also work.
- Paprika. Hungarian sweet paprika works best here, and it's what you'd find in traditional Hungarian mushroom soup recipes. Regular paprika will work in a pinch. I don't recommend smoked paprika, which has a strong, smoky flavor that can get overwhelming in the amounts used in this recipe.
- Vegetable broth.
- Cashews. Stick with raw cashews, for a creamy texture and neutral flavor.
- Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed juice if you can — it has the best flavor.
- Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos can also be used.
- Salt and pepper.
- Fresh dill.
- Fresh parsley.
- Vegan sour cream. Or use homemade cashew cream. A dollop on top of each bowl is a must-have!
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Cook the mushrooms. Melt your butter in a large pot, then add the mushrooms. Cook them until they release their juices, then continue cooking until the juices evaporate. This will take about 15 minutes, since we're using lots of mushrooms.
Step 2: Cook the onion. Add diced onion to the pot, then cook it with the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, the onion starts to soften.
Step 3: Add flour and paprika. Sprinkle both in, stir to coat the mushrooms, then cook everything for about a minute.
Step 4: Simmer. Stir in the broth, a bit at a time, then bring the soup to a simmer. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.
Step 5: Blend the cashew cream. Place the soaked raw cashews into a blender with some additional broth, then blend until smooth.
Step 6: Add the cashew cream. Pour it into the pot, then continue cooking the soup for a minute or so, to heat it back up.
Step 7: Season the soup. Take the pot off of heat, then stir in the lemon juice and soy sauce, and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the dill and parsley.
Step 8: Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, then dollop on some vegan sour cream or cashew cream. You can also sprinkle each bowl with extra dill and parsley, if you'd like.
Variations
- Mushroom swaps. You can substitute other varieties of fresh mushrooms, like shiitake, oyster, or portobello. Just keep in mind that some varieties will cook faster than others.
- Add veggies. Stir in a chopped potato, carrots, celery, or fresh greens. Harder veggies like carrots will need a bit longer simmer time, while softer ones like spinach will cook faster.
- Add protein. Stir some pan-fried seitan or baked tofu into the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
I think so! Try substituting an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the wheat flour and gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
Probably. Your best bet would be to cut the total amount of broth to 4 cups, and add 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk or vegan heavy cream alternative.
I don't recommend it. This recipe uses a lot of both herbs and heavily relies on them for flavor. You won't get that same level of flavor from dried herbs.
Leftover Hungarian mushroom soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
More Creamy Vegan Soups
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📖 Recipe
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Equipment
- 1 High-powered blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 1 ½ pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika (not smoked paprika)
- 5 cups vegetable broth, divided
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- Vegan sour cream or cashew cream, for serving
Instructions
- Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the mushrooms. After a few minutes, the mushrooms will begin to release their juices. Continue cooking them and stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the onion and cook it with the mushrooms until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle in the flour and paprika, then stir well to coat the mushrooms. Cook the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add 3 cups of the broth, stirring in just a bit at a time, until all has been added and there are no lumps from the flour. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are very tender and the broth has reduced slightly.
- While the soup simmers, add the remaining 2 cups of broth to a high-powered blender, along with the cashews. Blend until smooth and milky.
- Stir the cashew mixture into the soup and continue simmering for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through.
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and soy sauce. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the dill and parsley.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each one with a dollop of vegan sour cream or cashew cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill and parsley. Serve.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
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