Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash

These Hungarian mushroom paprikash served with penne pasta is an idea for a light, romantic dinner with a glass of rosé wine; so delicious!

Why paprikash? Well, because in Hungarian cuisine, where the name comes from, a good amount of sweet paprika we added to the dish, and, usually, the preparation we thickened with sour cream at the end, like in pork shoulder stew with mushrooms and sour cream.

In the past, I often made this mushroom paprikash recipe because we were picking wild mushrooms, and this mushroom stew reminds me that it was unique in taste. I remember it was made very simply and quickly from coarsely chopped pork mushrooms, sautéed in oil with only onion and a little garlic, or from chanterelle mushrooms thickened with sour cream.

Jump to:

• Let's See the Ingredients
• Preparing the Ingredients
• How to Make the Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash?
• Serving the Paprikash
• Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash

What particular tastes the food had then? On the off-season days, when we have no more wild mushrooms than the cultivated ones, we can still add dried mushrooms to add an extra flavour to the dish.

Let's See the Ingredients

Today I will make this tasty Hungarian mushroom paprikash recipe from chestnut mushrooms because they have a more pungent taste than the white ones, champignons. You need 500 g (1 lb) of chestnut mushrooms, from which you will get about 3-4 servings of paprikash; for two portions, half is enough.

Because I like to combine flavours, I will add 200 g (7 oz) of smoked bacon to the recipe; you will feel the difference when you enjoy your dish. Of course, if you want to cook a vegetarian version, you can not use bacon.

Otherwise, I will use a medium-sized yellow onion, a sweet red pepper, half a bunch of parsley and 150 ml double cream to get a creamy consistency.

Preparing the Ingredients

Because mushrooms are the main ingredient, I'll start with them. I do not wash the mushrooms in water but only clean them of dust or dirt with a brush, then slice them coarser. Some, I saw that they peel the skin from the mushroom hat; it doesn't make sense, as a lot of aroma and vitamins will be lost, leaving them like that.

I chopped the onion finely because I will sauté it, and I want it to soften faster and not predominate in the stew.

I will also cut the smoked bacon, you can cut it into cubes, but I cut it into irregular pieces; however, they will shrink after the fat in them melts.

The red bell pepper that I also chopped into small cubes is the ingredient that will give colour to the paprikash, not just taste.

All I have left is the parsley, which I chop finely, but will only add at the end, not losing the aroma or the colour by boiling.

How to Make the Hungarian Mushroom Paprikash?

Frying the Beacon and Vegetables

Heat three tablespoons of sunflower oil in a cast iron braiser and fry the bacon. I want it to melt from the bacon fat and remain soft, not crispy, so I leave it for only two minutes on medium heat.

Now I add the chopped onion, season it with half a teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and sauté for about a minute. Add the chopped bell pepper and mix it with a wooden spoon.

Because onions and peppers boil later than mushrooms, I will add about 50 ml (0.2 cups) of water, put the lid on and pre-boil them over medium heat for about five minutes.

Add the Mushrooms

Season with one tablespoon of sweet paprika and a tablespoon of marjoram, then add the sliced mushrooms. I mix them lightly so that the mushrooms combine with all the flavours and leave them like this on medium heat to remove them from the water content for about three minutes.

Fill with warm water, add about 700 ml (3 cups), add another teaspoon of sea salt, put the lid on and simmer for five minutes. You may think I've put in a lot of water, but the primary feature of the Hungarian mushroom paprikash is that it has a lot of creamy sauce that the penne pasta will absorb or can soak the bread.

Thickening With Cornflour

For our dish to look like a real mushroom paprikash, I will thicken it this time with cornflour to make it healthier. In a bowl or cup, I will mix a tablespoon and a half of cornflour with two tablespoons of cold water to dissolve and obtain a homogeneous and fluid paste.

Add the cornflour paste, pour in the 150 ml of double cream, season with half a teaspoon of a vegetable mix for soups and let it simmer for another two minutes until the liquid thickens.

I take the pot off the heat and add the chopped parsley, which I don't want to boil, adding colour and taste to the creamy mushroom paprikash.

That's all; this was my very tasty Hungarian mushroom paprikash recipe, which I highly recommend you try.

Serving the Paprikash

It can serve the mushroom paprikash in different ways with different side dishes, I recommend it with penne pasta, but I did it with polenta or rice or even fresh bread.

If you liked this Hungarian mushroom paprikash and you also want other recipes from Hungarian cuisine, we have some suggestions for you on our blog, such as:

• Hungarian Stuffed Peppers
• Best Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe
• Hungarian Green Bean Soup Recipe
• Traditional Hungarian Goulash Recipe
• Hungarian Hunter's Stew Recipe
• Best Vegetable Stew Recipe-Hungarian Lecso
• Homemade Fried Dough Recipe-Hungarian Langos
• Best Fish Soup Recipe-Hungarian Fisherman Soup

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