Hungarian Mushroom Soup

This recipe create a wonderful, easy-to-prepare soup that came from my latest book, published in November, 2008. “Tried and True Recipes from a Caterer’s Kitchen—Secrets of Making Great Foods” (www.eloquentbooks.com/TriedandTrueRecipes.html) www.howfoodswork.blogspot.com

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4-5
• Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1  tablespoon  vegetable oil
• 8  ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (common button or brown Italian)
• 1  carrot, sliced
• 1  parsnip, chopped
• 1⁄2 medium onion, chopped (3 oz or 85 g)
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 2  teaspoons Hungarian paprika
• 4  cups water or 4  cups  stock
• 1  tablespoon salt (1 tsp if using stock)
• 1⁄4 cup  raw white rice
• 2  tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 2  tablespoons sour cream

Directions

1. Brown sliced mushrooms on high heat in half of the butter or oil in a heavy pan. Add mushrooms, a handful at a time, to keep pan hot. Stir constantly. When all are browned, remove from pan and set aside. Turn heat to medium and brown carrots and parsnips for a few minutes in the same pan, adding a smidgen more oil if needed. Add vegetables to mushrooms and set aside.
2. Sauté chopped onion in the remaining butter or oil over medium heat until it begins to turn glossy. Sprinkle with flour and paprika, stirring constantly, and continue to sauté for a few seconds; then very slowly stir in about a cup of the water or stock and bring to boil to deglaze. When all the flavorful particles sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan are dissolved (that’s what deglazing does), pour liquid into a medium soup pot along with mushrooms, vegetables, salt, rice and parsley. Slowly bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 20 minutes.
3. Mix one tablespoon of the sour cream with a small amount of hot soup in a small bowl to form a thin smooth paste; then stir it slowly into the hot soup. Cook for another minute.
4. Serve soup garnished with dollops of sour cream, chopped parsley and a dusting of.