I'd Like to Give the World Some Soup

[lillibet]

I have a pot of freshly made Moosewood Hungarian mushroom soup. This soup is high on my list of The Best Things Ever. It is creamy and tangy and rich and marvelous. Everyone I have ever served it to, loves it. It is the food of the gods. Every time I make it, I fail to understand why I don't make it more regularly (3-4 times a year just isn't enough!). I don't understand why it's not a staple of modern cuisine. Why isn't it in the soup rotation at every sandwich shop? Why doesn't Au Bon Pain make this stuff by the truckload? It's that good.

Comments

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

But not good enough to include the recipe? Hmph!

[coraline]

here you go :)

i usually make it with more interesting mushrooms if i can get them.. the more flavorful mushrooms you use, the better.

[aroraborealis.livejournal.com]

here you go :)

Thank you!

the more flavorful mushrooms you use, the better.

Words to live by!

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Thanks, coraline! Sorry I was slow to respond on that one. I have this irrational belief that everyone has the Moosewood and knows this soup.

To the recipe, I would add the following notes:

- put the onions in and let them sautee the whole time you're chopping mushrooms, stirring occasionally to keep them from browning too much

- put the mushrooms in and sautee them with the paprika and dill as a separate step, before adding any liquid. Ideally, the mushrooms will give up their liquid (adding flavor to the soup) and then absorb the broth (adding flavor to the mushrooms)

- I find it a lot easier to do the mushrooms in a big pot and the roux in a smaller pot and add the roux to the mushrooms, rather than vice versa

- cook the butter-and-flour until it's slightly toasty brown before adding the milk

- I find beef stock to provide the richest flavor, followed closely (and vegetarianly) by the mushroom stock that Whole Foods sells--chicken stock and water are both insipid by comparison and the various other-vegetable stocks tend to be too tomatoey for my taste

[candle-light.livejournal.com]

Sorry to resurrect a oldish thread. I just made this tonight and I wanted to thank you for reminding me about this yummy soup. I've never made it before so stuck with the original Moosewood recipe. Next time I'm definitely going to try it with beef stock. Also, in my copy of the cookbook, there are no separate roux directions. Is that something you just decided to do on your own?

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

How bizarre! No, the roux is from the cookbook. when I started making this soup I had no idea what a roux was. To quote:

Melt remaining butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking, a few minutes. Add milk. Cook, stirring frequently, over low heat about 10 minutes--until thick. Stir in mushroom mixture and remaining stock...

That's from the 1977 edition, FWIW.

[candle-light.livejournal.com]

Hey coraline, is the hungarian mushroom soup recipe you linked to your variation on the moosewood recipe? I just made some tonight for the first time (yum!) but the Moosewood recipe I have is fairly different...

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Now you've got me really curious! I looked and her recipe is pretty much what I've got, with comments. What's yours like?

[coraline]

it is the moosewood recipe, slightly modified, but also it's based on the old moosewood edition and not on the newer one which i think is somewhat different...

[muffyjo]

Amen, sistah! You know that's my favorite!

[roozle.livejournal.com]

You could bring me some soup. I'm just sitting here :)

[coraline]

also on my list of best things ever. i made some a couple weeks ago and got to feed it to some of my favorite people, and they appreciated it as much as i'd hoped.
it really is that good.

the "hungarian mushroom soup" that various delis around here have isn't bad, but it's nothing like the moosewood stuff. love love love it.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

My parents went on a bus tour of Eastern Europe years ago and at almost every meal they were served "Hungarian mushroom soup," but every time it was quite different.

[qbaz.livejournal.com]

That's the one with the paprika and dill and sour cream, yes? Damn, but that's a tasty soup... and me with all these mushrooms in my fridge. Good timing, your post. :)

[audioboy.livejournal.com]

I love that soup. I've made it a few times, but I always get anxious when it comes to making the roux. For some reason, it's taken as long as 45 minutes to start thickening. Just long enough for me to panic that I've screwed it up. ;)

For what it's worth, Diesel has an awesome Mushroom Mediera on their rotation. I always think of the Moosewood when I have it. *drool*

[candle-light.livejournal.com]

That sounds wonderful. I love *love* mushrooms, but noone else in the house does, so I don't cook things w/ mushrooms :-(

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

You should try them on this soup :)

Or I should have just you over for dinner sometime--we cook with mushrooms frequently and it would be lovely to see you!

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

I've seen it offered at True Grounds from time to time.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

It had to happen!

PS: Check your mailbox.