Hungarian Mushroom Soup

I’m home alone for a few days, but I’ve never considered that a reason to get lazy cooking. In fact, since I’ve got a nice, clean, kitchen to myself, I tend to go nuts. Tonight I decided to keep it relatively simple and prepare one of my favorites: Hungarian Mushroom Soup. I know it’s not the most fancy recipe, but that’s a feature, not a bug. Try it some time, even if you’re away at college. It’s a lot cheaper (and more satisfying) than takeout, and far more impressive to boot.

Anyhow, onwards:

I’m not sure if its called “Hungarian” for any reason other than the sweet Hungarian paprika in the recipe, so make sure you actually purchase that component. One tin will last forever, and it will get a lot of use if you like the recipe as much as I do. There aren’t really many other ingredients, as you can see below.

Kind of a waste of plates, now that I think about it

There’s a lot of simmering involved here, so for most of the roughly one hour preparation period, you’ll be doing nothing. If you get bored easily, bring a crossword, maybe. I’ve always liked the periods of inactivity; it gives me time to think.

Simmering mushrooms: my muse

Be sure to add the bit of sour cream right at the end. You can use plain Greek yogurt instead; the sour cream is more for adding a bit of creaminess than for distinct flavor. If you’re not going to serve it all up at once, only add the sour cream by the bowl. Try the soup with some lightly toasted dark rye and a beer.

It's all you need, really

That’s all there is to it. Just crank up the Liszt, kick back, and enjoy. The recipe should theoretically make enough for four, but that’s a bit…optimistic. I’d share it with two others at most if it is to be the central component of the meal. Of course, since I’m eating alone, I have no one to share with–except myself, tomorrow, at lunch. You’re welcome, future self.