Hungarian Mushroom Soup

I won't delve into a lengthy backstory. If you're on the hunt for an exceptional mushroom soup recipe, look no further.

For this soup, I suggest using Sauvignon Blanc white wine. My personal favorite is Oak Knoll Winery's 2018 Sav Blanc, although their Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are also excellent choices. This implies that other wineries' dry white wines would suffice, but it's best to avoid buttery Chardonnays or sweet varieties. The crispness of the dry whites effectively cuts through the richness of the butter used to sauté the mushrooms and onions.

Ingredients:

• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons dried dill
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire** sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or 3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder*, or 1.5 tablespoons of xanthan gum*
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Method:

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook until onions are soft, about 8 minutes.
2. Add stock, white wine, dill, thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce**, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until liquid reduces by ⅓, about 10 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk flour* into milk until smooth. Add mixture to the soup and cook until it begins to thicken, about 10 more minutes.
4. Over low heat, slowly stir in sour cream and lemon juice until fully incorporated.
5. Divide the soup into four bowls and top with fresh parsley to serve.

*Arrowroot and Xanthan Gum are excellent substitutes for flour when you want to make the recipe gluten free. I make almost all my soups gluten free and prefer to use a little of both when I make this soup.
** I sub coconut aminos or just leave this out since Worcestershire usually contains soy.

Yields 5 cups of soup. If serving 4 people as a main dish, I doubling the recipe.

This soup pairs wonderfully with garlic bread and complements both white and red wines. For red wine enthusiasts, I highly recommend serving it with Oregon Pinot Noir. Alternatively, if you prefer white wines, a stainless steel-aged Chardonnay or a dry Muller Thurgau would also make excellent accompaniments to this soup.