Gombaleves: How to Make Hungarian Mushroom Soup

The Hungarian Mushroom Soup, locally known as gombaleves, is relatively quick to make. The dish is primarily a mushroom soup but derives a lot of its flavor from other ingredients. The Hungarian style of mushroom soup can use different types of mushrooms found in your area.

The cuisine of Hungary and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars, is characteristic of Hungarian or Magyar cuisine. Hungarian traditional dishes are based mainly on meat, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, dairy products, and cheeses.

Always start a Hungarian dinner with leves (soup). Soup is generally a comparatively light thing like gombaleves, or mushroom soup, or húsgombócleves, small bouillon liver dumplings.

HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP

  • Author: Romae Chanice Marquez
  • Recipe Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Hungarian

This recipe is produced with one type of mushroom, in addition to sour cream. The whole preparation and cooking time is around 1 hour. This recipe serves four to six people.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

The Hungarian Mushroom Soup is also perfect for the rainy days. Photo credits to: @kehlliey.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 2 cups of chopped onions
  • 1 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons of dried dill weed
  • 1 tablespoon of paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • 2 cups of chicken broth
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup of sour cream

Hungarian Mushroom Soup Instructions

Step 1: Melt the butter over medium heat in a big pot.
Step 2: Saute the buttered onions for five minutes.
Step 3: Add the chestnuts and saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in the dill, paprika, broth, and soy sauce. Reduce heat for 15 minutes, cover, and simmer.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and the flour. Pour it into the soup and mix well. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Stir in the salt, ground black pepper, lemon juice, parsley, and sour cream.
Step 6: Mix and heat for about 3 to 5 minutes over low heat; do not boil. Serve right away.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup Additional Information

  • Per serving has 201 calories; 13.5 g fat; 14.8 g carbohydrates; 7.5 g protein; 32 mg cholesterol; and 829 mg sodium.
  • Mushrooms are incredibly healthy and good for your body. They’re low in calories and excellent sources of fiber and protein. They also provide many vital nutrients, including B vitamins, selenium, potassium, copper, and vitamin D.
  • Mushrooms are also rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants safeguard the body against harmful free radicals, which can lead to circumstances such as heart disease and cancer. They also protect you from aging harm and increase your immune system. Mushrooms are wealthy in the selenium antioxidant.
  • Studies also find that eating mushrooms can give you impressive immune-boosting benefits.
  • This recipe serves 4-6 people and takes around 1 hour to cook/prepare.

About Hungarian Mushroom Soup Recipe

People generally have a substantial breakfast in Hungary. In general, Hungarian breakfast is an open sandwich with fresh bread or toast, butter, cheese or various cream cheeses, cold cuts such as ham, liver, bacon, salami, mortadella, sausages such as cabanas, beer sausages, or different Hungarian sausages.

Lunch is the main meal of the day, with several courses traditionally, but there’s often only one course in contemporary times. Sometimes you can serve cold or warm appetizers, then soup. The main dish follows the soup, like the Hungarian Mushroom Soup. Typical Hungarian food, comparable to neighboring West Slavic cuisines, is high in milk, cheese, and meats. Chicken, pork, and beef are ordinary, but turkey, duck, chicken, poultry, and game meats are also consumed, but not as often.

More substantial soups are beef gulyásleves and Jókai bableves, a thick bean soup usually made with meat and named after Mór Jókai, the ‘Hungarian Charles Dickens.’ Another favorite dish in Hungary is halászlé (fisherman’s soup), a creamy soup of fish stock, poached carp or catfish, tomatoes, green peppers, and paprika.

Conclusion

The Hungarian Mushroom Soup is only one hard proof of Hungary’s rich harvest and their way of life. Hungarians love meat, cheese, and soup. Try out this recipe and prepare your own Hungarian lunch! 

For more mushroom dishes, click here for more information.

Featured Image: @platingsandpairings / Instagram, @platingsandpairings / Instagram