This Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup combines tender bites of beef, golden mushrooms, sweet Hungarian paprika, fresh dill, and a creamy sour cream broth. It is rich, cozy, and packed with savory flavor—exactly what you want simmering on the stove on a cold night.
Unlike traditional Hungarian mushroom soup, this hearty version includes steak, transforming it into a complete one-pot dinner. Browning the beef and mushrooms separately takes a few extra minutes, but it creates a deeper flavor and keeps the mushrooms from becoming soft and watery.
Serve each bowl with warm crusty bread, buttered egg noodles, or a simple green salad for an easy comfort-food dinner.
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Why You’ll Love This Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup
- Tender pieces of beef in every spoonful
- Plenty of deeply browned mushrooms
- Rich, creamy broth without being overly heavy
- Sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and dill add layers of flavor
- Made in one Dutch oven or soup pot
- Perfect for chilly fall and winter dinners
- Leftovers taste even better the next day
The Best Cut of Beef for Steak Soup
Boneless beef chuck is my first choice for this recipe. It has enough marbling to become tender and flavorful as the soup simmers.
You can also use:
- Sirloin steak
- Stew meat
- Flat iron steak
- Leftover cooked steak
- Boneless short ribs
Sirloin cooks faster than chuck, so begin checking it after about 25 minutes of simmering. Chuck needs closer to 40 or 45 minutes to become tender.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Beef
Use chuck steak or chuck roast cut into small, bite-sized cubes. Trim away any large pieces of hard fat before cooking.
Mushrooms
Cremini mushrooms have a deeper flavor than white button mushrooms, although either variety will work. Slice them fairly thick so they hold their shape in the soup.
Hungarian sweet paprika
Sweet Hungarian paprika gives the soup its warm color and signature flavor. Try to use good-quality paprika rather than an old jar that has been sitting in the pantry.
Smoked paprika
A small amount adds depth without making the soup taste smoky. You can replace it with additional sweet paprika if preferred.
Sour cream
Full-fat sour cream makes the broth creamy and slightly tangy. Temper it with warm broth before adding it so it blends smoothly.
Dill
Dill brightens the rich beef and mushroom flavors. Fresh dill is wonderful, but dried dill works well and is easy to keep on hand.
Lemon juice
A squeeze of lemon added at the end balances the richness of the beef, butter, and sour cream.
How to Make Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup
1. Brown the steak
Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, brown the beef without crowding the pan. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate. The beef does not need to cook completely at this stage.
2. Brown the mushrooms
Melt the butter in the same pot. Add the mushrooms and let them cook without stirring constantly. Giving them time against the hot surface helps them develop a golden-brown color.
Transfer about one-third of the mushrooms to a plate if you want to use them as a garnish.
3. Build the soup base
Add the onion to the mushrooms and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and dill.
Cook the seasonings for only about 30 seconds. Paprika can become bitter if it burns.
4. Thicken the broth
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir until no dry flour remains. Slowly pour in the beef broth while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and return the beef and its juices to the pot.
5. Simmer until tender
Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer until the beef is fork-tender.
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. This helps the beef become tender instead of tough.
6. Make it creamy
Whisk the sour cream and milk together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in about one cup of warm broth from the pot.
Reduce the heat to low and stir the tempered sour cream mixture into the soup. Do not let the soup boil after adding the sour cream.
Finish with lemon juice and adjust the salt, pepper, or paprika to taste.
The Secret to Tender Steak in Soup
Cut the beef into evenly sized pieces and brown it in small batches. When too much beef is placed in the pot at once, it releases moisture and begins steaming instead of browning.
After adding the broth, maintain a low, gentle simmer. High heat can cause the meat fibers to tighten, while slow simmering gives chuck steak time to become tender.
How to Keep Sour Cream from Curdling
First, use full-fat sour cream. Then, temper it by slowly whisking warm broth into the sour cream before adding it to the soup.
Lower the heat and stir the mixture into the pot gradually. Most importantly, do not bring the soup back to a full boil once the sour cream has been added.
Make It Your Own
- Add egg noodles: Stir cooked egg noodles into individual bowls before serving.
- Add potatoes: Include two cups of peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes with the broth.
- Make it spicier: Add hot Hungarian paprika or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Use leftover steak: Add cooked steak during the final five minutes so it does not become overcooked.
- Add more mushrooms: Mix cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms for deeper flavor.
- Make it gluten-free: Replace the flour with a cornstarch slurry.
- Make it extra creamy: Replace the milk with half-and-half.
- Add noodles or dumplings: Serve with egg noodles, spaetzle, or small homemade dumplings.
What to Serve with Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup
This soup is hearty enough to stand on its own, but bread is perfect for soaking up the paprika sour cream broth.
Try serving it with:
Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup
This Hungarian steak and mushroom soup combines tender beef, browned mushrooms, sweet paprika, fresh dill and sour cream in a rich, creamy broth. It is a hearty one-pot dinner perfect for chilly nights.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: hungarian inspired
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless chuck steak or chuck roast, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1½ teaspoons dried dill or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup full-fat sour cream, plus more for serving
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Chopped fresh dill or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season it with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and the black pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef in a single layer. Brown it for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer it to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and brown the remaining beef. Transfer it to the plate. The beef does not need to be cooked through at this point.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and sliced mushrooms. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown.
- Add the diced onion and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onion softens.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, sweet paprika, smoked paprika and dill. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so the paprika does not burn.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture. Cook for 1 minute, stirring until no dry flour remains.
- Slowly pour in the beef broth while stirring and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Return the beef and any juices from the plate to the pot.
- Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the beef is fork-tender.
- Whisk the sour cream and milk together in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk about 1 cup of the hot soup broth into the sour cream mixture to temper it.
- Reduce the heat under the soup to low. Slowly stir the tempered sour cream mixture into the pot. Do not allow the soup to boil after adding the sour cream.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt, black pepper or paprika as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with a small spoonful of sour cream and chopped fresh dill or parsley.
Notes
- Use Hungarian sweet paprika for the soup’s signature warm, savory flavor.
- Brown the steak in batches so it sears instead of steaming.
- Keep the soup at a gentle simmer to help the chuck steak become tender.
- Temper the sour cream before adding it to prevent curdling.
- Do not boil the soup after adding the sour cream and milk.
- If the soup becomes too thick, stir in additional beef broth.
- Sirloin steak may be substituted, but it will require less simmering time.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Reheat gently over low heat without boiling.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover Hungarian steak and mushroom soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheat it slowly in a saucepan over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Avoid boiling the leftovers because high heat may cause the sour cream to separate.
Can You Freeze Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup?
Cream-based soups can separate slightly after freezing. For the best results, prepare the soup through the simmering step and freeze it before adding the sour cream, milk, and lemon juice.
Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat gently, and then finish the soup with the dairy and lemon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup spicy?
No. Sweet Hungarian paprika adds warmth and flavor without significant heat. For a spicy soup, add hot paprika or cayenne pepper.
Can I use stew meat?
Yes. Beef stew meat works, although the tenderness can vary depending on the cuts included in the package. Simmer it until it is easily pierced with a fork.
Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Brown the beef and mushrooms first. Transfer everything except the flour, milk, sour cream, and lemon juice to the slow cooker. Cook on low for six to seven hours. Thicken the broth during the final 30 minutes, then temper and add the sour cream mixture.
Why is my steak tough?
The beef may need more time. Chuck steak often feels tough before its connective tissue has had enough time to soften. Continue simmering gently and check it every 10 minutes.
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream?
Yes, but use full-fat Greek yogurt and temper it carefully. Yogurt is more likely to separate when exposed to high heat.
Can I make it without dill?
You can omit it, although dill is part of the soup’s recognizable flavor. Fresh parsley or a small amount of thyme can be substituted.
Final Thoughts
This creamy Hungarian Steak and Mushroom Soup delivers everything you want from a cold-weather dinner: tender beef, buttery mushrooms, a savory paprika broth, and just enough sour cream to make every spoonful rich and silky.
The squeeze of lemon and fresh dill keep it from feeling too heavy, while the steak makes it filling enough to serve as a complete meal. Add a loaf of crusty bread, and dinner is done.
