Mushroom and Vegetable Soup with Paprika

This goes under Comfort Food label, for sure. It is so substantial that I serve it with buttered rye bread as a supper. There is a nice mix of textures in this version of mushroom soup.

Yes, it does take some time to prepare because of all that chopping but it can be a lot faster if you have a small food processor or my favorite, the mini chopper. Just never put the machine on run or you will end up with a paste. Short pulses are all one needs.

When it comes to ingredients you can use pretty much any root vegetable that you have in your fridge. Here is what I have used and it tasted great.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. oil

1 Tbs. butter

3 shallots or 1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 tsp. caraway seeds

1 Tbs. Hungarian paprika

3/4 cup carrots, finely chopped

3/4 cup celeriac, finely chopped

3/4 cup celery, finely chopped

2 Russet potatoes, cut into 1/4” cubes

2 Tbs. flour

6 cups chicken or beef stock, heated

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. marjoram

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for garnish

In a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven heat the oil and butter.

When the foam from butter subsides add shallots and sauté till light gold, about 10 minutes.

Add mushrooms and caraway seeds and cook on medium high heat until mushrooms are lightly caramelised.

Add carrots, celeriac and celery and sauté until vegetables are soft.

Off the heat, sprinkle paprika over mushrooms and shallots and stir till mushrooms are coated with paprika.

Add potatoes and mix with rest of the vegetables.

Return to heat and sprinkle flour on top of potatoes, mushrooms and vegetables and keep stirring until flour is cooked and reached paste consistency. The flour will form lumps with vegetables.

Pour in hot stock and mix until al flour lumps are mixed in and soup feels smooth.

Lower the heat to medium low, bring to simmer and cook for 20 minutes scraping the bottom of pot with wood or bamboo spatula (my choice) to prevent flour from burning.

Remove about 1 cup of mushrooms and vegetables with slotted spoon and set aside.

With an immersion blender finely chop or liquefy (your call) rest of the solids. Put back reserved mushrooms and veggies and bring back to simmer.

Add marjoram and taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Cook for 5 more minutes.  

Serve in a bowls and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4 - 6